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.
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.
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