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Tag: crime

  • Stories of Reintegration: Todd Cawley’s Story

    Although the story of intentional community reintegration for parolees includes a remarkable drop in recidivism (re-offending), it supports so much more than that.

    For much of Todd Cawley’s life, he lived in cycles of addiction, crime and incarceration. However, today the trajectory of Todd’s life has been radically impacted by his faith, healthy relationships and practices, and giving back to the community as he invests in those whose lives have also been decimated by addiction and the pattern of crime that often follows.

    Enjoy Todd’s story as he talks about not only walking free of crime and addiction, but reveals a life where he is once again a contributing member of our Canadian society:

    Audio-only version:

  • Healing Childhood Trauma Resource

    At Better Life Integration & Support, we are committed to providing resources and support so that individuals who have experienced incarceration can have a healthy reintegration back into the community.

    As we continue in our series on the impact of trauma, we recognize, by virtue of being human beings, we have all experienced varying degrees of trauma.

    We also understand that the men and women we love and support through their community reintegration have often both inflicted trauma through their crime, but also been radically impacted by trauma, generally through difficult childhood experiences, as well as during their incarceration.

    This month, Better Life highlights the invaluable Smart Family Podcast episode “SFP 083 How Developmental Trauma Shows Up in Your Family Relationships with Dr. Kathleen Murphy; Using Polyvagal Theory to Understand the Impacts of Childhood Trauma in Adulthood; How to Promote Healing.”

    SFP 083 How Developmental Trauma Shows Up in Your Family Relationships with Dr. Kathleen Murphy; Using Polyvagal Theory to Understand the Impacts of Childhood Trauma in Adulthood; How to Promote Healing – Smart Family Podcast

    Ever wondered about why it's sometimes hard to sync up your intentions for your relationships, and the ways you actually show up? Childhood trauma isn't necessarily what you think it is – we tend to think of the death of a parent or being involved in a life-threatening incident or being sexually abused when we talk about the lasting impacts of trauma (and rightfully so), but sometimes the sources of trauma are not obviously recognized. Trauma expert Dr. Kathleen Murphy joins us for an in-depth exploration of the ways developmental or complex trauma experienced before adulthood may manifest in words and behaviours in our couple relationships and parenting. If you've been treated abusively in your past, you may want to invite a friend to listen along with you and be there, for support. What Dr. Murphy shares is so honest, insightful and powerful, you won't want to miss this conversation, whether it applies to you personally or someone close to you.

  • Numbers, Trauma, and Healing

    Happy 2023!

    As we head into a brand new year, I was curious to look back on the level of reintegration support provided by the Better Life Team and our amazing community over the past year.

    One part of Better Life’s responsibility as the Correctional Service Canada (CSC) Pacific Region Faith Community Reintegration Partner (FCRP) is month-end reporting, so I get a regular look at our stats. However, I was still surprised by the number of men and women Better Life has had the privilege of supporting over the course of a whole year.

    As you may know, Better Life is often invited into the process of providing reintegration support at one of the nine Correctional Institutions in the Pacific Region (BC and the Yukon), usually within twelve months prior to an individual’s parole hearing. This is followed by another twelve-month period during which the Better Life Team helps with the transition period by reintegrating men and women into their community of faith.

    How many men and women? Including both Institutional and Community support:

    • 178 in the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley/Central BC, plus
    • 30 in Victoria/on Vancouver Island

    Providing reintegration support for these 208 individuals equalled 3,532 “reportable” hours of support.

    Staggering, isn’t it?

    Staggering both that the Better Life Team provided that many hours of support and frankly, that so many hours of support were required for just the portion of individuals who accept Better Life’s support—because all that is just a drop in the bucket when compared to the many men and women that enter parole without any support at all.

    What we have found to be true is that healthy reintegration requires support and structure in the context of relationships of trust and accountability.

    However, behind the numbers, what strikes me most deeply is that behind a number is a life.

    Curiosity begs us ask the question, why commit crimes?

    What are the series of events, the life, the experiences that led someone to offend, to break the law?


    The answer to that question is very complex and is answered by each individual’s unique story. However, one common denominator is trauma.

    What life trauma, and as we are learning, what generational trauma even, has led this individual to commit a crime, or even lead a life of crime?

    And most importantly, is there a way to help address and heal the trauma that often underlies an individual’s criminal behaviour?

    Again, there is complexity to any answer. However, what we have been discovering is the development of very effective treatments for trauma that, once undergone, can provide an opportunity for healing, growth and consequently, experiencing a new and better life.

    One of Better Life’s Board of Directors is a psychotherapist who first exposed the Better Life team to an effective therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy.

    In so many respects, EMDR is a therapy that affirms the beliefs of people of faith, specifically the Christian faith, and the understanding that human beings are created in the image of God, fearfully and wonderfully made, in such a way that trauma can have a far-reaching impact in preventing us from experiencing the life that God created us for.

    I’m going to allow the experts to finish the story. In this podcast, two women of faith, Dr. Anita Philips, with therapist Kobe Campbell, provide an excellent and encouraging introduction to EMDR therapy.

    My hope is that this can be a resource as you support men and women through their experiences of trauma, and potentially, a treatment that can be valuable to you personally.

    The podcast can be accessed here.* (*If you’re not on an Apple device, the podcast is by Dr. Anita Phillips (In The Light: The Podcast) titled ‘The Dwelling Place,’ October 21, 2022.)

    The Dwelling Place – In The Light with Dr. Anita Phillips

    Your body is a sacred dwelling. Generations of memories are stored within you. Some are beautiful and some really hurt. In this follow up to our Story Time episode we're diving deeper into how generational trauma manifests in our bodies. Guest therapist, Kobe Campbell is our guide on this leg of the healing journey. She's introducing us to the power of EMDR therapy and Dr. Anita is switching things up by putting herself in the client chair to make sure you have the tools you need to dwell in peace and wholeness. Get 20% off your first purchase of any Munk Pack product by visiting Munkpack.com and entering our code ANITA at checkout.

    Wishing you and yours God’s best for 2023!

    Adam Wiggins

    Executive Director

  • Metamorphosis: My path to transformation

    I am excited to present a book by a long-time friend Better Life staff have had the pleasure to know.

    Yves Réal Côté has written his experience of being a ‘lifer’ in Metamorphosis: My path to transformation in collaboration with Criminologist and friend Alana Abramson.

    Yves’s story is one of authenticity—the ongoing struggle to experience healthy reintegration, redemption, forgiveness, grace and love.

    You can find an overview of his story here:

    If you or your loved one has experienced the trauma of crime, or incarceration, or if you support offenders and parolees, I know you will be inspired by Yves’s story!

    Click here for more details or to purchase a copy!