| Purpose : |
This project will demonstrate and document a promising best practice for reducing female and youth recidivism; increase participant skills, goals and support and access to resources to remain crime free; strengthen criminal justice and community based effectiveness in reducing offender recidivism; and rigorously evaluate the results and share them with the corrections and policing community.
The project will reduce risk factors for re-offending, including substance abuse, unstable housing, lack of job skills, negative peer and gang association, and mental health and social isolation issues. The project will also increase participant skills, knowledge and community based support to increase access to income security and employability, peer support and conflict resolution skills, addictions and drug use prevention counselling and parenting and family life skills.
The project partners with federal and provincial corrections and justice services to strengthen the effectiveness of case supervision and community reintegration. In addition to assisting younger women this approach will also be tested with young males and a residence of 8 beds for males will be part of the program referral system. The project will train ex-offenders to manage self help and peer groups to support independent living, using the skills of experienced women and volunteers to assist younger women and teenagers. The project will produce a manual on crime prevention best practices for working with female and youth offenders in transition from correctional facilities to being law-abiding citizens.
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