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Category: Volunteers

  • Better Life: Setting the prisoner free

    As many of you know, Better Life has held the Correctional Service Canada (CSC) Faith Community Reintegration Contract (FCRP) for a number of years. Much to Better Life’s surprise, a Florida-based corporation undercut the financial bid of the most recent contract (without providing support in all the designated regions…), and consequently gained a number of the FCRP contracts across Canada, including ours.

    While this came a quite a shock—particularly since Better Life has been recognized by CSC as a national leader in faith community reintegration best practices—after many conversations and much prayer, the Better Life team believes our future is as bright as ever.

    We recognize this as a moment to reaffirm our identity and sense of mission as an organization.

    From the very beginning, Better Life was shaped by what Christians call the gospel. The belief that our identity and very nature can be radically transformed by a Creator God who loves us so deeply He sacrificed Himself on our behalf. As the Gospel of John says so eloquently, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

    As Better Life, we believe that the gospel compels us to look at every human as being created in the image of God, and therefore, having dignity and worth—no matter who they are, no matter what they’ve done.

    I truly count it a privilege and an honour as Better Life’s executive director to have a front row seat to witness the actions of men and women who love and follow Jesus as they invest themselves in serving the ‘least of these.’

    silhouetted people walking across a suspension bridge against a forest backdrop

    Moving forward, while Better Life no longer holds the CSC FCRP, our team are able to continue to provide faith community reintegration support by meeting with men and women within the Correctional Institutions and assisting them into church communities that provide life-changing and eternity-altering support.

    We plan to continue to work closely with our wonderful network of church communities, Correctional Institution Chaplains, Institutional and Community Parole Officers, Halfway Homes, Substance Use Treatment Centres, and our friends through the community reintegration network.

    That said, up to this point, Better Life’s funding was largely through the CSC contract, which is no longer the case. While we have reduced our organizational costs as quickly and substantially as we can, the fact is there are still many financial commitments that Better Life needs to continue in order to to facilitate healthy reintegration support.

    For instance, some ongoing needs are our toll free number, that allows offenders and parolees to connect with their Better Life chaplain, our online presence that allows us to communicate the stories of transformation provided through church communities, and a reduced level of staffing retained to support the many actions that are need to connect men and women as they gain parole with a church community, and all the other services that are an essential part of a healthy reintegration experience.

    In the midst of so many good and worthy requests for your financial support, you may ask, “why should I give to Better Life?”

    Why?

    • Because this often overlooked ministry is a clear expression of Jesus’s ministry and mission. Jesus was clear that a commitment and investment in ‘the least of these’ (including those imprisoned—Matthew 25:39) is a clear expression of a genuine follower of Jesus (No, we don’t invest in the least of these to somehow earn God’s favour. But, as authentic followers of Jesus, our lives are invested in those who Jesus is committed to.)
    • Because supporting parolees through a church community of people who love and follow Jesus is both life-changing and eternity-altering. What Better Life has experienced over and over again is the transforming power of God through His people and church to give parolees a hope and a future.
    • Because supporting Parolees through church communities radically impacts our society for good. A former Correctional Service Canada (CSC) Regional Chaplain noted that recidivism (reoffending) drops by over 80% when parolees are reintegrated back into society through their church community.

    Can you imagine the impact that has on our society as a whole?! We constantly read headlines about our broken prison system, the terrible consequences of untreated substance use and mental health, not to mention horrible examples of reoffending.

    But what church community reintegration shows us is that when a man or woman with a criminal past is welcomed, supported, discipled, counselled, provided opportunities for employment and education, transformation is possible, and that individual can again become a contributing member of our Canadian society.

    In our next Better Life post, I want to share one of the amazing stories of transformation with you. But for now, for the reasons listed above, would you consider an investment into the ministry of Better Life as together we join Jesus in His mission of ‘setting the prisoner free.’

    Donate Now

    With thanks, on behalf of Better Life,

    Adam Wiggins

    Executive Director

  • Does faith community reintegration work for every offender?

    Recently a new friend asked me what I did for a living.

    I began to tell him about the vital work of community reintegration. His response? “Good luck with that!”

    Frankly, I wasn’t surprised—and perhaps you’ve had similar responses as well.

    Hardly a week goes by without national or provincial news about a high-profile offender who has reoffended. Such headlines persuade us there is no hope for a healthy reintegration experience.

    Thankfully, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

    While the work of reintegration can be very complex, in general, the high-profile cases that capture news headlines are more often than not a result of an offender leaving a correctional institution with no meaningful, comprehensive support.

    We know that healthy reintegration becomes possible when we can help offenders into the ‘relational resource centre’ of their church or faith community.

    When healthy relationships of trust are established and modelled, when accountability is nurtured, and when resources such as employment, therapy, addiction treatment and housing are made available, a parolee begins to gain one of the invaluable qualities of life: hope.

    And what we are discovering is, when a parolee does re-offend, the re-offence is typically less severe than previous offences. Further, that situation becomes an opportunity to focus our relationships and resources more closely on and around the specific challenges that parolee is wrestling with.

    Does faith community reintegration work for every offender?

    Full disclosure: yes . . . and no.

    Yes, because:

    Every dimension of support that ‘we’ (the Better Life Team and all the amazing churches and faith communities, mentors, and volunteers) can offer impacts a parolee’s life for the better, and often for eternity.

    Just this spring, LS entered parole. Because of the nature of his crime, he couldn’t go back to his former occupation. But LS was willing to begin again at the bottom. He recognized his need for the support of his church community.

    Recently, a Better Life Team member and I met with LS. He shared examples of his growing faith and his desire to serve in his church in the area God has gifted him (to give back).

    He spoke about Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality, an excellent book by Dr. Henry Cloud that LS’s Better Life reintegration partner had given him before he was released on parole, and how he is applying its principles in his life each day.

    He talked about how, while humbly being willing to ‘begin at the bottom,’ he was now being given the opportunity to provide site management and the promise of greater advancement in the future in his new field.

    The story of LS’s life is being written, or perhaps ‘rewritten,’ in such a redemptive way.

    Another recent example is CM.

    On the day of CM’s release, the Better Life reintegration partner, who had been supporting him while he was still inside, and I accompanied him to a church within a close distance from his halfway home.

    CM told the pastor his story and the pastor welcomed CM into his community and talked with him about the ways that he could experience meaningful relationships and support at the church. A pathway for healthy reintegration was created for CM to travel on.


    So, where does the ‘No’ come in? When doesn’t faith community reintegration work?

    Really, the only time faith community reintegration can’t ‘work’ is when there’s no church or faith community available to reintegrate the individual into.

    And that, in a nutshell, is the challenge.

    Our hope, our prayer, and our commitment as Better Life is to have trained, equipped and supported churches and faith communities throughout the Pacific Region that are ready to welcome and support a parolee through their community reintegration.

    We are continually meeting with and providing training for churches and faith communities, but we need so many more.

    And, certainly for Christians, our faith compels us directly from the words of Jesus to invest in the ‘least of these.’ (Matthew 25)

    On this Giving Tuesday*, I would like to ask you to consider responding in two ways:

    • First, are you a part of a church or faith community that Better Life could meet with and help train and resource as a welcoming and supportive community for healthy reintegration? Email adam.betterlife@gmail.com to start the conversation.
    • Second, will you consider being a financial supporter of Better Life through regular giving or a one-time gift?

    Your financial contribution will enable Better Life to continue to provide training, resourcing and support to church and faith communities so that their doors are opened and their mentors and volunteers are prepared to provide a life-changing experience for a parolee.

    With thanks,

    Adam Wiggins

    Executive Director

    *”GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. GivingTuesday was founded in 2013 in Canada by CanadaHelps.org, GIV3 and several other founding partners.”—from GivingTuesday.org

  • Launching Into Our Next Season

    I have such good news!


    As you may know, the support that the Better Life Team offers to offenders is managed and funded through something called an “FCRP (Faith Community Reintegration Project) contract.”

    Over a year ago that contract term ended and “came up for bid”—in other words, we (and any other interested parties) needed to put in proposals for the contract going forward.

    Better Life duly submitted a proposal . . . and waited, and waited, and waited! In fact, we had to submit a second proposal at the end of 2021 because of ambiguous language in the original Request for Proposal (RFP) that invalidated the process. Thankfully, we were able to keep operating without interruption under temporary contract extensions for the duration.

    Well…it’s a pleasure for me to announce that Better Life was again awarded the FCRP contract!

    The current government contract now extends into the Spring of 2024. This means that we can continue to invest in providing the invaluable support required for healthy reintegration.

    We always say at Better Life that our commitment is to support the men and women who are in, and are coming out of, Corrections. However, as a Correctional Service Canada contractor, we have access to the prisons and halfway homes beyond that granted to a purely volunteer-based organization. This has truly been a gift through the pandemic, in particular.

    The value of what Better Life does was reinforced to me recently as a brand new parolee, CI, was welcomed into his halfway house in Surrey.

    CI’s Better Life Team support chaplain, Glenn, and I visited to be introduced to the new manager of CI’s halfway house and then we drove CI to a nearby church that Better Life has begun a partnership with (we provide the church and its mentors and volunteers with training and support.)

    I listened as CI told the pastor his story. A story that includes being released from prison previously, but with no community support. CI had breached the conditions of his parole and was sent back into prison, where he met Glenn—and through Glenn, recognized Jesus, and surrendered his life to Him.

    As CI met with the pastor, he talked about the strength that his faith now gives him—but also, how he would not be connecting with this church on his own, or at the very least how much more difficult and intimidating it would be.

    Instead, there we all were! CI, the pastor of the church, Glenn and myself talking about the intentional steps that CI can take to experience the strength and support of a church to help him continue to grow in his relationship with Jesus and to experience a very different direction for his life.

    I realize that many of you that we connect with through this Better Life Blog are members of faith communities that provide support for parolees. We’re grateful for you!

    If your faith community doesn’t yet have access to Better Life’s online training, which we are continuing to develop, please email me at adam.betterlife@gmail.com and I would be happy to provide it for you.


    Adam Wiggins

    General Director

  • Wrapping up 2021

    A Holiday Message from Adam:

    I wish I could have brought each of you to the Christmas celebration hosted by one of our Chilliwack-area team members and his wife.

    What was so impactful was that, after an incredible meal, we had a time of sharing. Each of the men who had received Better Life support spoke about how it has been a life-changer for them.

    In fact, men were phoning into the event because they wanted to share their stories and express their gratitude for the support they had received.

    As I prepare online reintegration training for our faith communities, I recognize how complex the work of reintegration can be. There are many important details that need to be kept in mind.

    However, at times, I’m overwhelmed by the simplicity. As I listened to men share stories about how their lives had been impacted through the support of a Better Life team member, what was mentioned most of all was the consistency: “You were there for me.” “You kept showing up.” “Your actions convinced me that you cared and that, because you cared, I mattered.”

    As the larger Better Life community, let me say thank you.

    I am deeply grateful for your support and for how investing in ‘the least of these’ can make an invaluable difference in supporting offenders to become valued and contributing members of our society.

    Thank you for joining us in our mission of “Eradicating Recidivism, one life at a time.”

    Merry Christmas and all God’s best to you and yours for 2022!

    Adam Wiggins

    General Director

    Message from the Better Life Integration & Support Society Board of Directors


    This has been a challenging year for our Society, yet we have continued to see wonderful results as men and women are being integrated back into our communities successfully.

    This success has been due to the staff and volunteers that God has led into this ministry. Everyone has been used mightily in this work.

    We would especially like to thank Adam Wiggins, our General Director, who has been inspired in his work with the Society. He took over at a critical time and has led us through some difficult and frustrating times. In spite of these challenges, Better Life has continued to grow in size and impact.

    One specific challenge has been the delays in our bid to reacquire our current contract with the Correctional Service of Canada. This contract is our greatest source of funding and also gives us access to the bulk of our contact with inmates in federal custody.

    The delay in our bid being assessed has hampered our ability to develop the necessary initiatives to be better equipped and to stabilize our resources into the future. Our existing contract was extended time and time again with no increase in our revenue and with no indication of the final decision. We recently were notified that no one was awarded the contract and that another submission will be required.

    Please pray that the new bid, currently being prepared, will be successful and that our resources will continue to grow.

    To all our staff and volunteers, may God bless you and your families. Thank you for your dedication and efforts in assisting the marginalized groups we support.

    Merry Christmas and may you have a Happy and Rewarding New Year.


    Blessings,


    John Webber

    Chairman, Board of Directors.

  • Illustrating the Life-Transforming Power of Reintegration

    This past month, you may have come across this news headline:

    Sask. woman found frozen was released from correctional centre 3 days earlier

    It is such a tragic story. This young woman had family and community who cared for her, yet they were unaware of her release.

    This post isn’t to criticize Correctional Services Canada or any particular Correctional Institution. However, as I read this tragic story, it emphasized for me the incredible contribution community chaplaincy makes.

    When an offender is released, they can be walked to the door of the prison, given their belongings and a bus pass, and simply sent on their way, if they have no one waiting to escort them.

    Contrast this with the reality that the period following an offender’s release is the most critical in terms of re-offending (rate of recidivism).

    Offenders often express that the most stressful time they face isn’t necessarily inside a Corrections Institution. As bleak as it can be, there often develops a rhythm and a pattern to institutionalized life.

    What’s most stressful turns out to be the initial weeks and months after release.

    Federal Corrections, in particular, involves longer sentence terms, and the world an offender walks out into can seem like a whole new one. Offenders not only have to navigate the complexity of navigating their own finances, dramatically different technology, housing, employment, and relationships, but rejection waits for them at every turn.

    Thanks to Google and a deeply connected world of near-instant access to information, the details of their offence are readily available to potential employers, landlords, banks, and other connections.

    Rejection, fear, feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability, and this stream of logistical challenges—and potential reconnections with toxic relationships or environments—often push parolees right back into institutionalization.

    But what if we change that scenario?

    What if, on the day of release, instead of being shown the door, handed a bus ticket or being shipped to a halfway home, there’s a familiar face waiting for them at that door? And that someone—who already has been extending support during incarceration—drives them to their destination? And they engage in the continued conversation about what the parolee can expect, and where their people and places of support will be?

    What if the parolee is introduced to a community of faith that they identify with from (before) day one? And they have mentors and places of connection that can provide support as they navigate “a whole new world” full of new or dramatically altered technology, and the need for income and housing, positive relationships, and an environment that supports healthy spiritual practices?

    In fact, when we can provide the above ingredients in an individual’s reintegration it is, with no exaggeration, a game-changer—and a life-changer—for that individual.

    The most commonly shared statistic is that when parolees are reintegrated into their faith communities upon release, there is an over 70% drop in re-offending.

    That’s staggering, isn’t it? That’s good for the individual, the community, the mentors and volunteers (because we’re always learning a lot!), and frankly, the nation!

    I am so grateful for all of our churches, faith communities, Better Life community chaplains and volunteers, whose sacrificial investment makes such a life-changing difference for the men and women we serve. Thank you.

    If you’d like to find out more about how you can volunteer, or how your church can be involved in the work of reintegration, I would love to hear from you!

    With gratitude,

    Adam Wiggins, General Director

    adam.betterlife@gmail.com

  • Better Life on Video

    We’ve got something a little different for you this week.

    Due to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be proceeding with our usual Vision Night and live fundraising events this autumn.

    As the next best thing, we’ve prepared this video to highlight Better Life’s work, vision, and invitation.

    Please take a few minutes to watch, and consider sharing it with your church or network:

    (Use the [cc] icon to turn on subtitles.)

    Download a standard (500MB) or high resolution (5GB) copy to share at your church or organization.

  • FCRP Part 2

    In Part 2 of Faith Community Reintegration Projects 101, I want to look at where the process of engagement begins and what the significant steps of the process are—including how volunteers can get involved inside the institutions and help build that “bridge” of reintegration from the institution to their faith community. (Missed Part 1? Read it here.)

    Under Better Life’s contract with Correctional Service of Canada (CSC; in effect to 2025), our work with offenders begins as an individual becomes eligible for parole and one of the following occurs:

    1. A Corrections Site Chaplain or faith-specific chaplain contacts us with a referral.

      The majority of individuals who invite Better Life to provide support for their reintegration back into the community are Christian. However, under the CSC contract, Better Life provides support for individuals from all faith backgrounds.

      This means we may be contacted by chaplains representing any faiths asking if we would meet with an individual to discuss how Better Life can provide support.
    2. Individuals becoming eligible for parole may contact Better Life personally.

      In this case, an offender may have come across information about us independently or have been referred through another offender who has benefited from their experience with Better Life.

    After the initial point of contact, a Better Life Chaplain has an interview with the individual eligible for parole to determine if Better Life is the organization that can provide them with the best possible faith reintegration experience.

    Better Life is part of a wider network of reintegration agencies, and our goal is to provide the most helpful pathway possible for an individual.

    That may mean that we get to work directly with an individual to develop their Reintegration Pathway, or if there is an agency that can provide more resources and support then we can offer, we will refer them.

    For instance, Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) is an organization that specializes in working with those who have an index offence of a sexual nature. Research (Wilson, Cortoni and McWhinnie, 2009) demonstrates that sexual re-offending rates for men who participate in CoSA are 80% lower than for men who do not participate in CoSA.

    Since our priority is to provide the best possible opportunity for faith community reintegration, our commitment is to always have an offender’s best interest at heart—whether that means they have a relationship with Better Life or are better served by another agency, in which case we will help connect them.

    Additionally, Better Life’s Organizational Purpose goes beyond the responsibilities specified in our contract with Corrections Canada.

    Our staff/chaplains fulfill CSC’s FCRP (Faith Community Reintegration Projects) contractual statement of work. However—and this is where so much opportunity for valuable and meaningful involvement lies—Better Life is also comprised of volunteers.

    Volunteers work within the Institutions in support of Site Chaplains—the resident chaplains who provide support at individual Corrections Institutions.

    Volunteers may be involved in offering training programs for offenders such as Alpha, Purpose Driven Life, and Real Life Discipleship, to name a few options. They may be a mentor to a specific offender. They may provide a listening ear, or meet with an offender coming up to parole to help establish a relationship with the faith community the offender will be integrating into.

    The role of the volunteer is invaluable and often provides the assurance to an individual coming up to parole that there is hope. Over and over again we experience and hear feedback that one of the primary and essential ingredients is relationship, relationship, relationship.

    Better Life is deeply grateful for our team of volunteers, and works with individuals and their faith communities to ensure security clearance is put in place so that volunteers have access to Corrections Institutes.

    That initial contact of a volunteer with an individual who is coming up to their parole is invaluable in building the “bridge” that leads to healthy reintegration.

    So, to connect the steps in order:

    1. An individual in prison is coming up to parole, and requests the support of or is referred to Better Life.
    2. A Better Life Chaplain has an interview with the offender to both assess whether or not we’re the best partner organization to offer support, but also to begin to engage with the wider network of Corrections members who will be a part of the offender’s Parole Reintegration Plan.
    3. Better Life works with the Site Chaplain, the Institution Parole Officer (IPO), and with others within the Corrections Institution, and may take other steps such as attending a Parole Hearing before the Parole Board, to develop a plan for healthy, successful faith community reintegration.

      Note: while Better Life doesn’t determine outcomes such as which halfway house (CRF, CCC) that an individual will be sent to, we are often invited to the process and may have influence in the best possible halfway home for the individual and their personal needs.
    4. It is at this point—when Better Life has an indication of where an individual will be sent to—that connection with a faith community can begin.

      Our ideal scenario is that we would already have a relationship with a faith community in the area of the halfway house the offender will be sent to and can begin preparing the faith community for the arrival of the individual.

      If we don’t have a pre-existing relationship with a location-appropriate faith community, or if the individual requests a faith community we’re not already connected with, we will reach out on their behalf.

    As you can imagine, the initial welcome and support of a faith community is invaluable in helping a parolee begin to believe that successful reintegration is possible.

    Next month we’re going to look at the essential pieces of the “bridge” provided in that important handoff of an offender from the support of a Better Life Chaplain to volunteer-supported integration into a faith community.

    If you have any questions about volunteering and how to get involved in providing support for an individual’s reintegration, please don’t hesitate to contact our General Director, Adam Wiggins, at adam.betterlife@gmail.com.

  • Faith Community Reintegration 101

    Over the past weeks, I have had many encouraging conversations with individuals and churches about the work of Better Life Integration and Support.

    I’m relatively new to the position of General Director/Lead Chaplain with Better Life and so, like many of you, I am just beginning to discover what the work of Better Life is all about—and what a game-changer it can be for men and women in a Federal Corrections Institute as they come up for parole and look to integrate back into the community. (Federal sentences in Canada are sentences of two years plus a day; otherwise, offenders go into Provincial Institutions.)

    Before I begin defining Faith Community Reintegration Projects (FCRP), I want to provide a brief history:

    Better Life was formed in the early 2000s and motivated by the significant difference helping parolees within the context of a faith community makes.

    Initially, Better Life functioned under Corrections Canada as a Community Chaplaincy, which involves supporting and helping parolees in halfway homes and in the community experience healthy reintegration. This also involves the valuable work of supporting the families of men and women who were incarcerated.

    Many former offenders and their families experienced the care and support of Better Life’s lead chaplain Pascal Bergeron and the team of chaplains who served with him over the years. However, in a summary of the work of Community Chaplaincy, it was noted that the number of parolees to one chaplain was 1000:1 in the greater Toronto area and 650:1 in Metro Vancouver.

    In response to this overwhelming ratio of parolees to chaplains, FCRP’s (Faith Community Reintegration Projects) were developed by Corrections Canada (CSC).

    Rustic bridge across a cascade in a wooded canyon.

    Better Life has the FCRP contract for the Pacific Region (in effect to 2025), which includes Vancouver/Fraser Valley and Victoria/Vancouver Island. There are nine Federal Corrections Institutes in the Region:

    • Fraser Valley Institute (The Only Women’s Facility | Abbotsford)
    • Kent (Maximum Security | Agassiz)
    • Kwikwexwelhp Healing Village (Harrison Mills)
    • Matsqui Institution (Medium Security | Abbotsford)
    • Mission Institutions (2: Minimum & Medium | Mission)
    • Mountain Institution (Medium | Agassiz)
    • Pacific Institution/Regional Treatment Centre (Addiction & Psychiatric Centre | Abbotsford)
    • William Head Institution (Minimum Security | Victoria)

    FCRPs offer a couple of significant benefits:

    Firstly, there is a significant reduction in recidivism when a parolee is connected with a faith community.

    The statistic I’ve heard most often is that a parolee has a 70% likelihood of reoffending (recidivism) if they are not connected with a faith community.

    That’s obviously a huge motivation for connecting offenders of faith to a faith community on their release from prison!

    Secondly—and closely connected—is the importance of the faith community in the healthy reintegration of a parolee.

    In other words, while Better Life Chaplains and other FCRP Chaplains all across Canada work actively to provide care and support to men and women who request it within a variety of different contexts and phases of their experience, the contractually mandated work of Better Life and related organizations is specifically to provide a “bridge” from an offender’s time in a Corrections Institution to a faith community.

    A faith community that welcomes and provides a growth pathway and mentorship for a parolee is the best environment that a parolee can experience for healthy reintegration back into their community and toward become a contributing member of their community.

    Better Life as an organization has a fantastic team of chaplains and volunteers who invest deeply in the men and women who reach out to us looking to connect with a faith community as they come out of the corrections institution on parole. We also extend care to the families of offenders who often feel lost and alone during their loved one’s incarceration.

    But also—and in many respects, more significantly—we partner with local faith communities who are committed, and even have a sense of calling, to provide a place of welcome, safety, and growth for a parolee, knowing that the environment they provide is a game-changer when it comes to healthy reintegration back into the community.

    In Part 2 of Faith Community Reintegration, we’ll look at where the process of engagement begins, and what the significant steps of the process are, including how volunteers can become involved inside the institution and help build that “bridge” of reintegration from the institution to their faith community.

  • “Physical” Distancing

    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    I love when someone says something that brings clarity.

    One of my favourite educators, Tim Elmore, made the valuable distinction between social distancing and physical distancing in a recent episode of his Leading the Next Generation podcasts.

    What Elmore observed is that “social” distancing—a term being widely communicated during this season of pandemic—is actually not a good description of what we’re being asked to do, and may even be harmful for our mental health.

    What he’s referring to is this widespread sense of unease as we try to cope with our new pandemic-influenced reality, and how that translates into how we interact with each other.

    Or perhaps even how we ignore each other.

    You may have experienced, like I have, people literally turning themselves away as they pass by. No eye contact. No acknowledgement.

    It’s an unsettling experience.

    The distinction Elmore makes so well is that this is absolutely a time for “physical” distancing.

    We need to make a concerted effort to put more space than we’re used to between each other to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19, limit exposure, and keep cases to a trickle rather than a river until a vaccine is available.

    However, while all of that is true,

    social engagement and relational closeness are more important than ever.

    I was impacted by this idea again as I listened to a podcast interview by Tim Ferriss with Dr. Vivek Murthy, a former U.S. Surgeon General.

    What I found so relevant in that interview was the idea that, in this cultural moment, we’re experiencing a loneliness crisis on a global scale.

    Loneliness—a lack of meaningful connection with others—impacts us physically, in terms of our health and longevity, but also—and this is especially relevant when we think about incarceration—in Dr. Murthy’s words:

    loneliness is “a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today, from alcohol and drug addiction to violence to depression and anxiety.”

    So, let me encourage you today to recognize the distinction between “social” distancing (harmful if taken literally) and “physical” distancing (essential in flattening the COVID-19 pandemic curve).

    Perhaps you can be a catalyst for helping the people around you experience connection in creative ways.

    In fact, I’ll end with this:

    Dr. Murthy, in his book, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, recommends four key strategies to “help us weather this crisis, but also to heal our social world far into the future.”

    1. Spend time each day with those you love.

      Devote at least 15 minutes each day to connecting with those you most care about. (In this season of pandemic use the ‘tools of connection’ – video, phone, conversation with appropriate physical distance).
    2. Focus on each other.

      Forget about multitasking and give the other person the gift of your full attention, making eye contact, if possible, and genuinely listening.
    3. Embrace solitude.

      The first step toward building stronger connections with others is to build a stronger connection with oneself. Meditation, prayer, art, music, and time spent outdoors can all be sources of solitary comfort and joy.
    4. Help and be helped.

      Service is a form of human connection that reminds us of our value and purpose in life. Checking on a neighbour, seeking advice, even just offering a smile to a stranger six feet away, all can make us stronger.

    Wishing you well,

    Adam Wiggins

    General Director | Lead Chaplain

  • Calling All Volunteers!

    Better Life Integration and Support is a volunteer movement whose mission is to develop and deliver faith-based social and restorative justice programs that foster community safety and mitigate the impact of crime on those who suffer from its consequences.

    Photo by Anni Roenkae on Pexels.com

    This is a very strange season! On a personal level, social distancing and the restrictions it brings seem surreal.

    When it comes to Better Life, however, the current restrictions (in particular, having no access to Federal Corrections Institutions!) represent challenges, but not barriers.

    What I mean by that is that men and women within Corrections, whether they be in an institution, or out on parole, are having a very similar, if not more unsettling and uncertain experience than even the general population.

    Therefore, this isn’t a time for Better Life and our volunteers to step away, but rather to lean in. In this season our support means more than ever!

    The news media and our conversations with Corrections Canada have also made us aware that the threat of COVID-19 may mean non-violent offenders and men and women who are nearing their parole may be released early.

    We’re not yet sure what this will mean logistically (where will they go? who will be ready to accommodate them?), but we need to be prepared for a significant number of men and women who will need our support.

    While we cannot physically enter any of the Corrections Institutions (Institutional Chaplains have recently been laid off, as well as those considered nonessential Institutional staff, to reduce the potential for introduction and spread of COVID-19), we do have a number of avenues of support available to us:

    For those we already have a relationship with inside the institutions, we are sending postcards to let them know we’re thinking of them, and to provide contact information to them.

    For those who are already on parole, we are meeting (in person, when it’s possible to practicing safe social distancing), and also connecting over the phone and through video (Zoom calls, etc.)

    Again, the uncertainty of our time compels us to offer an even greater level of support.

    If you’ve volunteered with Better Life in the past, or would like to find out more about volunteering, please contact us at admin@betterlife.email


    We would love you to join us again in our Better Life commitment to develop and deliver faith-based social and restorative justice programs that foster community safety and mitigate the impact of crime on those who suffer from its consequences.