Saint John Regional Correctional Centre

1. Mentoring- Weekly one on one meetings with individual prisoners and two E. Fry volunteers.  Follow-up may involve telephoning lawyers, social workers, family members, as well as making enquiries regarding housing, social assistance, addiction treatment, etc.

2. Read Aloud Program- Weekly session conducted by volunteers allowing for women to read new books, on tape, to their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc.  The books, tapes and cassette players are sent to the children, through their caregivers.  A bilingual volunteer provides the service in French, when requested.  Books are also available for aboriginal children and children of colour.

3. Pet Therapy- Weekly program with one volunteer, provides an opportunity for women to groom and pet the dog, which is very well behaved and friendly.

4. Bingo- Monthly program with two volunteers.  A relaxing, social event, which is greatly enjoyed by the prisoners, who also appreciate receiving small, prizes of personal hygiene items.

5. Crafts- Monthly, a craft night is held.  The women will each make a small craft and enjoy a relaxed social setting.  They also learn cooperation and social skills.

6. Family Contacts- This is a very important part of our work.  Any given day, there are 25,000 children in Canada who have a mother in the criminal justice system.  These hidden victims and their caregivers need our support.  We are in contact with many of the families and are able to provide information about resources that can be accessed, we give them much-needed moral support as they experience a loved one undergoing this tragic event.

7. Christmas Project- In December each year, volunteers purchase gifts for the children/grandchildren of incarcerated women, the mothers wrap the parcels, which are then mailed throughout the province.  A Christmas party is held, with refreshments, entertainment and a small gift for each prisoner.

8. Mother’s Day Project- In May, E. Fry members visit the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre to present a carnation to every woman to celebrate E. Fry week.

Madawaska Regional Correctional Centre (limited service, due to funding)

1. Visits- Two volunteers visit four times a year, depending on the weather.  The women who have been transferred from Saint John often keep in touch with us through the mail.  It is not possible for us to do regular programming for the prisoners in Madawaska, but we conduct the Mother/Child Read Aloud Program during the four yearly visits.

2. Christmas Project- E. Fry Saint John obtains the names, ages and sizes of the children of the mothers at M.R.C.C., purchases appropriate gifts and mail them to the children.  The women receive the same gift that is given to those at the S.J.R.C.C.

Nova Institution

1. Regular Visits- Once a month, E. Fry Saint John takes turns with the other E. Fry chapters in the Atlantic Region in making a weekly visit to the federally sentenced women.

2. Read Aloud Program- E. Fry volunteers from Saint John give up a weekend to travel to Nova monthly to conduct the Mother/Child Read Aloud Program.  Many women participate and books are mailed to children across Canada.

3. Atlantic Advocacy Committee- The AAC meets once a month at Nova Institution for Prisoners with the pod representatives, house representatives, Sisters In Action Committee and the Inmate Committee, and administration to discuss ongoing issues at Nova.  A volunteer from Saint John attends.

4. Family Liaison Worker- Currently in partnership with Nova Institution for Women and The Canadian Families and Corrections Network, E. Fry is working on an ongoing basis with women who have been paroled to Saint John.  This project develops a family support model to help and support federally sentenced women.

Community and Province

1. Court Worker: A volunteer from E. Fry is present on a daily basis when women are appearing in court, to assist them and their families. This is a vital service as it helps women to have knowledge of procedures, ways to seek assistance, etc. The families benefit too as they have someone to speak with and reassure them.

1. Transitional Services:  Women who leave prison without a plan or support system in place. This can be in the form of telephoning for information or appointments, driving them to agencies, which in Saint John, are scattered all over the downtown area and beyond. In some cases, we help them to find furniture for an apartment, buy groceries, etc. For those who are locating elsewhere, we will try to find a person in their community whom they can contact for help.

1. Advocacy:E. Fry will write letters on a woman’s behalf to judges, lawyers, social workers, parole officers, rehabilitation centres, the Ombudsman, College of Physicians and Surgeons, etc. We will call family members, if requested. We also do speaking engagements and media interviews to inform the public about inmate issues, we write to the Premier and every Member of the Legislative Assembly to plead for more rehabilitative services for these marginalized and criminalized women.

1. Half-way House: Volunteers mentor women released from Nova and the provincial system who are residing at the half-way house. We support them in whatever way we can, e.g. accompanying them to appointments and social programs; shopping, attending church; having dinner out; coming to the office to help E. Fry with projects.

1. Phone Line: Women can contact a volunteer by cell-phone to get assistance daily from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. They can leave a message at 506-635-8851, or toll-free at 1-866-301-8800.

1. School Program: For many years, E. Fry has conducted an anti-shoplifting program for grade five students in the schools of District 6 and 8, wherever requested. The video and workbooks depicting the consequences of shoplifting were purchased from the John Howard Society, who sold to E. Fry Saint John the copyright for the book. Currently, the Program is conducted in Districts 6 and 8 with possible expansion throughout the Province to all French speaking schools in partnership with the University of Moncton’s Nursing Department, pending funding.

1. Cross Roads to Success: A multi-week self-esteem and socialization program for teenage girls (age 13-18), who are marginalized or at high risk of becoming criminalized. To assist in facilitating, we partner with honour psychology and or criminology students from the University of New Brunswick in Saint John.  The youth are referred to the Society by the Department of Public Safety- Youth Probation.

New Initiatives

Contract Worker:  The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc has recently hired Erin McLaughlin on a month to month contract to do outreach in the community with federal and provincial women, as well as facilitate Cross Roads to Success.  Another component of the contract is to seek funding and meet with community members in order to secure sustainable funding for our programs and services.

Seeking Funding

Abundance Program: We are currently seeking funding to facilitate a program for women who have been incarcerated now living within the Greater Saint John Community.  This program is a personal development and pre-employment program that would allow the women to better themselves emotionally, spiritually and mentally as well as provide them with the right skills to seek employment.  The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John will offer to pay for pardons for the women once available, upon completion of this Program.  This Program is 13 weeks and would be able to help 10-12 women per 13 week intake.

Aftercare for Provincial Women: Similar to our work with Canadian Families and Corrections Network, E. Fry would like to develop a Project to better assist former provincially sentenced women in the community with finding housing, addictions treatment, counselling, mentoring, etc.

Fund-Raising

Rebels With A Cause:  The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc recently held its first annual dinner and silent auction to honour members of our community who have made outstanding contributions to society.  This is the biggest fundraising initiative taken on by E. Fry since it’s inception.

Additional Fundraising: A great deal of time and effort are required to complete proposals for funding, for the Read-Aloud and Anti-Shoplifting Programs, and other activities involving expenses for travel. A letter is sent to our supporters in November, appealing for donations to purchase Christmas gifts for incarcerated women and their children, and an annual summer newsletter is mailed. These bring in an amount to cover operating expenses, such as rent, telephone, stationery, postage, etc. We cannot pay for regular staff, but obtain grants to employ university students in the summer, for special projects.