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Giving back to the community

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Many offenders consider prison sentences as a chance to turn their lives around. Treatment programs offer opportunities to break away from negative attitudes and patterns of behaviour. Offenders also have a chance to shift toward a more positive way of life through community service. Across Canada, inmates of federal penitentiaries are reaching out and giving back to society.

Helping communities

Community groups, charities, and non-profit agencies across the country benefit from the good work of inmates of federal penitentiaries. Whether it’s building cabinets for a food bank, growing vegetables for a soup kitchen, or raising money for a good cause, offenders are finding ways to make a positive contribution to society.

Helping others

Some offenders find the best way to help others is to talk about their experiences. By telling their stories to others, especially youth, they can inspire people to stay away from drugs and crime. Testimonials help people relate their own reality to the experiences of others. They help people who may be at risk to understand that they are not alone.

Helping each other

Offenders who have lived successfully in the community for several years are doing their part by helping others who have just left prison. One program matches long-term offenders who have managed to live in the community without crime and drugs for at least five years with other offenders. Not only are they great role models to offenders who are starting again, they also help connect the newly-released offender with community resources and services.

Turning one’s life around can be difficult, and having a role model and mentor to help newly-released offenders through the rough spots can make this transition into the community smoother.

• Growing fresh vegetables to donate to shelters, soup kitchens, and food banks
• Organizing ball hockey tournaments, soccer tournaments and other activities to help kids stay off the streets and out of trouble.
• Building cabinets and furniture for social housing.
• Repairing used bikes and donating them to kids at risk.
• Fund-raising to support charities that reach out to veterans, people with special needs, seniors living on their own, children with handicaps, women in crisis, and others.
• Cleaning up communities by removing graffiti, picking up garbage, shovelling snow, and putting in plants in public spaces.
• Participating in programs to talk to youth about drugs and the consequences of bad choices.
• In an Aboriginal community, offenders split and deliver wood and prepare traditional foods for Elders.