Summer is underway!

For the second year, the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc welcomes Jill Sullivan & Abby Watson as our summer students.  They will be here for 10 and 8 weeks, respectedly. 

This summer, E. Fry will be taking a short hiatus from some of our regular programming so we can work on making changes to programs & services, volunteer recruitment, and many other things!

Look out for our newsletter in July!  If you'd like to receive one via email or by regular mail, please send your contact information to us at efry@nb.aibn.com

Donations

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc is seeking donations of the following items:

For our clients
-Full size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and toothpaste
-Tooth brushes
-Combs & Brushes
-Pads, Tampons & Panty Liners
-Bars of Soap
-Make up or other 'fun' items
 Please, do not donate anything that contains alcohol.

For the office
-Stamps
-Paper (white)
-Storage solutions (bankers boxes, tote bins, etc)
-Envelopes and labels

To make a donation, please send a cheque to: PO Box 23012 Saint John NB E2J 4M1
Or you can check out our link on Canada Helps.org

Summer Students

We're excited to announce that we will be having two summer students again this year!!  Our office hours will be extended over the summer months, which means it'll be accessible from 8:30-4:30 Monday to Friday.  Our first summer student will be starting on June 7th, so stop by to say hello!

Scholarship

The deadline is quickly approaching for the Scholarship.  If you would like to submit an application for the scholarship, please send it in no later than Friday, May 14th by 4:00 p.m.  For more information on the Scholarship, see THIS post.

'Let's invest in people, not prisons'

Joan Laurie | EDMONTON JOURNAL | LETTERS, Page: A15
      
'Let's invest in people, not prisons' 

The federal government's tough on crime position seems to fly in the face of all the information available on effective management of criminals and prison systems. Most of our government's proposed strategies have been tried in the United States, where they have increased costs significantly, with a disproportionate decrease in crime.

Keeping offenders in prison longer, double-bunked, and with little access to rehabilitation will almost certainly cost all of us more money, and is unlikely to help prisoners learn how to contribute to society once they are released.

Yet Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says, "Our government is prepared to pay the cost to keep dangerous offenders in prison."

This is not the government's money: it's our money.

I would rather invest our tax dollars to support people in need, to prevent crime from happening, than to spend much more money building new prisons and dealing with the aftermath of people turning to crime because of a lack of social services before, during and after their incarceration.

Do we want more prisons? Or do we want more affordable housing, early childhood programs, and more help for people wrestling with addictions or chronic health issues.

Let's invest in people, not prisons.

-Joan Laurie, Spruce Grove

For more information contact:
Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
151 Slater Street, #701
Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5H3
Phone: 613-238-2422
Email: caefs@web.ca
On the web: http://www.elizabethfry.ca/

Number of Women going to Prison Jumps 50%

OTTAWA —

The number of women starting federal prison sentences in Canada has grown by more than 50 per cent in the past decade — a “troubling trend” that experts say will only get worse as the Conservative government moves toward harsher laws and order measures.

Most concerning, they say, is that the small pool of incarcerated women share many common traits: They are primarily poor or homeless, undereducated and have addictions or mental-health problems such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety disorders.

Almost all of them — 82 per cent, according to advocacy group Elizabeth Fry Society — have a history of sexual or physical abuse. That figure rises to 91 per cent for aboriginal women.

“Women who are incarcerated have a particular profile,” said Ivan Zinger, executive director and general counsel at the Office for the Correctional Investigator of Canada, the ombudsman for federal offenders.

“There’s a much larger over-representation of aboriginal women and women with mental health issues than men, so they’re being disproportionately impacted by that lack of preventive measures, and social welfare, and appropriate health-care services,” he said.

There are about 500 women — or almost four per cent of the total federal prison population in Canada — currently serving federal sentences of two years or more, compared with more than 13,000 men.

In 2001-02, there were 202 women admitted to federal custody. Consistent with figures from the two previous years, 313 women were admitted to custody in 2008-09 — a 55 per cent increase since the beginning of the decade.

That compares to a 15 per cent increase for men.

Moreover, the number of aboriginal women serving federal time has jumped 90 per cent since 2001, with aboriginal women now representing 33 per cent of women behind bars, although they make up only three per cent of the female population.

While aboriginal men are also over-represented in federal prisons, their figures have grown 17 per cent in that time, according to Zinger.

Women are twice as likely to have a mental-health-problem diagnosis at the time of admission to custody than men — with 30 per cent of women having been admitted to a psychiatric hospital before being incarcerated, compared to 14.5 per cent of men.

“If the mental-health system, for example, is failing, then some of the behaviour linked to symptoms of mental health are now being criminalized, and that can certainly contribute to the rising numbers,” said Zinger.

Zinger said some new Conservative crime laws, such as ending two-for-one sentencing credit for time served in custody awaiting trial, could have an adverse affect on poor women who will have a tougher time getting bail, or paying for a lawyer while in custody.

“The risk is that (the) legislation . . . may actually exacerbate already very troubling trends, like the increase incarceration of women and women aboriginals, the fastest growing segment of the inmate population in Canada,” said Zinger.

Remand facilities are also overcrowded and lack rehabilitative programs, said Kim Pate, executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies.

A spokeswoman for Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews said the small percentage of women offenders in Canada is consistent with international data.

“(Correctional Service of Canada) is recognized as a world leader in the provision of services to women offenders and remains committed to strengthening the system by drawing upon the findings and recommendations of various reviews to enhance services, programs and strategies to meet the specific needs of women offenders,” said spokeswoman Christine Csversko.

She said the Correctional Service of Canada has developed a comprehensive mental-health strategy that includes a computerized screening system to identify earlier and more easily offenders who may require mental-health services, allowing for earlier intervention and treatment.

“(The Correctional Service of Canada) also has a recruitment plan in place to find sufficient people in sufficient numbers with the expertise and motivation to work with offenders that have mental-health issues. This can often represent a challenge because many of our institutions and parole districts across Canada are located in smaller or remote communities,” said Csversko, adding that the service is working with aboriginal communities as well.

Some argue the problems start before women get to prison.

Pate, who has worked at Elizabeth Fry for more than 20 years, said the rise in women serving federal sentences is directly related to cuts in social services.

“As we’ve seen cuts to social programs, cuts to health care, cuts to education, those who traditionally had to rely on those for an equal playing field have been most impacted. And that overwhelmingly is, of course, indigenous peoples, women, poor people, and those with mental health issues,” said Pate.

About two-thirds of incarcerated women are mothers, she added.

“Sentencing a woman to prison also sentences her children often to social services. The cost of imprisonment is also the cost of the state care of those children. The potential for abuse in those settings also increases the potential for those children to end up in a crisis situation. Once you’re caught in that system, it’s difficult to extricate yourself,” she said.

Pate argues for better services, such as social and affordable housing, to help women in need.

One former inmate, Joanne, was 48 when she was convicted of drug trafficking in Prescott, Ont., south of Ottawa.

It was her first offence and she was sentenced to two years in prison at Grand Valley Institution in Kitchener, Ont.

Joanne, who has two daughters who were 17 and 27 when she went to prison, said she was in an abusive relationship at the time of her arrest. She has a Grade 10 education and had lost her job at a factory when she began selling cocaine. She pleaded guilty to her charges because she could not afford her lawyer, and was expecting house arrest or a conditional sentence.

“I was scared, hopeless, felt I couldn’t do nothing,” said Joanne, now 50, who suffers from depression. “I was a suicidal person to begin with.”

Upon her early release from prison, Joanne spent several months in a halfway house in Ottawa. Now back in her community, she’s since gone back to school to finish high school and is looking for a job, but hasn’t found one yet.

© Copyright (c) CW Media Inc.

Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com:80/health/Number+women+going+prison+jumps+cent/3007019/story.html#ixzz0nd3X0A6n

For more information contact:
Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
151 Slater Street, #701
Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5H3
Phone: 613-238-2422
Email: caefs@web.ca
On the web: http://www.elizabethfry.ca/

Rebels With A Cause

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc would like to thank everyone who attended our Rebels With A Cause Dinner & Silent Auction on May 6th, 2010 at Lily Lake Pavilion.

The evening was a great success and we are truly happy we could share the evening with all of you!

Scholarship May 14th Deadline

General Information

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc is pleased to be able to offer scholarships to clients, both past and present, to assist in educational plans.   The purpose of the bursary is to assist in the educational efforts of those who have been involved with the Society in some capacity.

Amount

The amount allocated to each recipient will vary depending on need of said applicant.  The amount will also vary based on the number of applications received.

Guidelines/Eligibility

To qualify for a scholarship, you must be a current client of The Society or a past client.  You must demonstrate financial need in order to obtain a scholarship from the Society. 

You must be able to prove that you are enrolled in an educational institution within Canada.  You can do this by providing a copy of your acceptance letter with your application form.

Funds will be dispersed directly to the educational institution.  Should you withdraw from the educational institution, funds will be revoked. 

You must be enrolled in one of the following institutions: community college, trades school, or university.  Consideration can be given to those who are attempting to obtain a G.E.D.

The Society can revoke funds for any reason prior to be released to the educational institution.

You must complete all sections of the application form, and include all necessary documents.

You may be required to meet with a member of the Society to further discuss your application.

You may be required to submit additional forms or information.

You may be required to submit a report of your studies/grades.

Application

Each applicant should complete the application form and send along any information they feel would help outline why they need the application form (ie. Letters of reference, resume, cover letter).  Each applicant is required to include a letter explaining the applications long and short term educational goals.  The more information you provide, the easier it will be for the Committee to select recipients.

Please include the following when applying:

___     Completed Application

___     Acceptance letter from educational institution

___     Supporting documents (resume, reference letters, etc)

___     Letter stating long & short term educational goals

Deadline

All applications are due by May 14^th, 2010.  Applications should be sent to:

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc.

Scholarship Foundation

C/o Erin McLaughlin

PO Box 23012

Saint John NB

E2M 3M1

All applicants will be notified of the Committees decision regarding applications by June 4^th, 2010.

Should you have questions or need assistance filling out your application, please do not hesitate to contact the Society.

To get an application, please call or email our office.  They are available for pick up.

Phone: 506-635-8851

Fax: 506-635-8851

Email: efry@nb.aibn.com

Rebels With A Cause

It is with great pleasure that the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John N.B. Inc. would like to announce its second annual “Rebels With A Cause” dinner and silent auction on May 6^th, at Lily Lake Pavilion, 6:00 p.m.

We hope that this evening will enable us to acknowledge the needs and wants of the community and the women we serve.  Each woman being honored at this dinner has been instrumental in voicing her thoughts, ideas and opinions on what is necessary for our community.  It is for their tireless effort, dedication, and compassion that they are being recognized. The women being honored are: Phyllis Beckingham (Romero House), Elizabeth Weir (Efficiency NB), Sister Arleen Brawley & Sister Mary Beth McCurdy (Sophia Recovery Centre).  Entertainment will be provided by Dr. Kevin Langford and Deantha Edmunds.  The Mistress of Ceremonies is Martha Zed.

Our theme for the evening is the lost children of mothers in prison and how we, The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc., try to bridge the gap in their lives.  During the evening, you can view a PowerPoint Presentation of Programs & Services we offer to keep these families connected.

All the funds raised will go to continue our work with women and their children; particularly the Mother/Child Read Aloud Program which is a very popular program because contact visits between mother and child are no longer permitted in jails, Anti-Shoplifting: The Crime of the Century which is delivered to students in Districts #6 and #8, and Cross Roads to Success, which is a multi-week Program for female teens who are in conflict with the law.  Everything we do, and the services we provide for the women, their children, families and female youth are facilitated by volunteers.

Purchase tickets and come support The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc. and it’s clients!  Tickets are now on sale! 

Tickets: $65/ticket (tax receipt of $35) or a table of 8 for $500.

Tickets can be purchased by contacting Christine Brittain at 696-5250 or Marianna Stack at 696-4357.

For further information, please contact our office.

We look forward to seeing you at this event!  See you on May 6^th, 2010.

Around the Office

Things have been busy at E. Fry SJ! 

Erin & Robyn are currently facilitating Cross Roads to Success, and is in her third week of the Program.  All referrals have come from Youth Probation Services.  The Program is going really well!  As a new component, E. Fry is now able to provide the opportunity for all successful participants to apply for a scholarship toward their educational advancements!

The Human Rights in Action Training was greatly successful!  Kim & Candice came from CAEFS to facilitate the full-day training session.  It was educational and informative, and we have received really great feedback from those who attended.

With summer right around the corner, E. Fry is gearing up for summer students.  Our application has been sent in for SEED, and we eagerly anticipate new student workers this year.

Fundraising is still going on.  We're consistently sending out proposals for funding in hopes to be able to keep programs running and Erin in the office.

Rebels With A Cause Dinner & Silent Auction is approaching.  It will be held on May 6th, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.  It will be held at Lily Lake Pavilion.  Tickets are $65 each or $500 for a table of 8.  For more information, contact Berna Critchlow at bernacritchlow@hotmail.com

Human Rights in Action Training

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc will be hosting a Human Rights In Action Training session on Friday, March 19th at Silver Falls United Church (East Side).

This Training session will provide community members who work with women in conflict with the law information on human rights while incarcerated.

Guest Speaker: Kim Pate of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies


When: March 19, 2010
Time: 10:30-3:30
Registration: 10:00
Where: Silver Falls United Church
(Directions can be provided upon request)

A light lunch will be provided.
Free Parking.

Are you a woman who has been incarcerated?
Do you know a woman who is, or has been, incarcerated?
Do you work or volunteer with women who have been incarcerated?

If so, then please come to our informative and educational training session, Human Rights in Action, where you will learn about the rights of Provincially incarcerated women.

Please register no later than MARCH 15 AT 4:00 P.M.

You can register by email or telephone.

efry@nb.aibn.com  Phone/Fax: (506) 635-8851

Announcement!

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc is pleased to announce that it will be offering a scholarship to clients, past and present, who will be pursing an education in Fall 2010.  You must be attending an educational institution in Canada, and be able to provide documentation, as well as fill out an application form.  This scholarship will be available to all clients, past and present, who are between the ages of 17-24!  If you're attending a college,  trade school, or university in the Fall, please contact us for more information and an application.

635-8851 or efry@nb.aibn.com

Volunteer Training

Tomorrow at 7 p.m. at our office (68 Carleton Street), we will be hosting a volunteer training session.  It's not too late to register!

If you're interested in becoming involved, please contact us at efry@nb.aibn.com or at 635-8851.

2010

Well, the holidays are over and the office is back into the swing of things!  We are available in the office Monday-Friday, and should no one be here when you call or drop by, please leave a message for us and we'll get back to you as soon as possible!

Our Christmas party at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre went well and all the women loved their presents!  I'm sure all the kids who received gifts this year from their incarcerated mothers are greatly appreciative as well of what they received.  We would like to thank the Nuns who knitted all the beautiful things, the Salvation Army of Saint John for the donations of toys, and all the private donations made this year, both financial, and via the lovely gift bags dropped off!

On January 12th at 7 p.m. in our office, 68 Carleton Street, we will be hosting a volunteer training session.  Should you be interested in getting involved in the Society, please email us at efry@nb.aibn.com for more information and a volunteer application!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!