“Pain or human suffering, if not transformed, is transferred onto someone else.” Barry Hart
If you are currently an inmate in a federal correctional facility, you may request to be a part of a restorative justice process by meeting the person you have offended through the Victim-Offender Mediation services offered by Correctional Service Canada. Alternatively, you can participate in a Victim-Offender Encounter offered by CSJR with individuals who have suffered the consequences of a similar crime rather than the direct offendee. Ask your ALC or your chaplain to get in contact with us.
If you have previously been an inmate either in a provincial or federal facility, you may request to be a part of the Victim-Offender Encounters.
Constructive Communication and Restorative Justice
CSJR offers workshops for women inmates from the facilities in Joliette or Laval on the theme of constructive communication and restorative justice. We work in partnership with the Centre Marie Gérin-Lajoie and are financed by the Fondation Solstice.
These workshops allow participants to exchange and put in practice practical tools on constructive communication and restorative justice.
On the Road to Restoration
CSJR offers workshops “On the Road to Restoration” for men inmates in partnership with prison chaplains. These workshops offer an opportunity to prepare individuals who wish to be a part of the restorative justice process.
VASE
We offer to inmates (or ex-inmates) a program called VASE (Vaincre les abus sexuels dans son enfance.) Groups are made from six to ten incarcerated individuals that have themselves been victims of sexual abuse in their childhood. A series of six to seven weekly meetings offer an environment of open communication that aims at breaking taboos, understanding the consequences of abuse, and finding paths towards healing.
The CSJR is a member of the Association des services de réhabilitation sociale du Québec (ASRSQ), of the Aumônerie communautaire de Montréal and works in partnership with various organizations which support offenders in their social reintegration.
You can find testimonies of offenders that have been a part of Victim-Offender Encounters.