CommunityBased Residential Facilities of British Columbia

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Community-Based Residential Facilities of British
Columbia

• Who We Are and What We Do

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Who We Are

• "Governed and directed by a volunteer board of
  directors from the community
• Independent, autonomous entities
• Non-profit societies governed by the BC Societies
  Act
• Governed by a Board of Directors, consisting of
  members from the community

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Who We Are cont.

• Board members are volunteers, not shareholders
• Belief in volunteerism, not profit
• Community Residential Facilities provide
  supervision, accountability, structure, support,
  and therapeutic interventions for conditionally
  released offenders.
• They are integral part of the case management
  team assembled to safely reintegrate offenders
  back into the community.

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History

• Evolved out of the offender advocacy movement
• Prison reform/volunteerism movements in the 50's
  and 60's
• Advocates for rehabilitation through systems such
  as Parole
• First halfway houses run by church groups and
  benevolent societies

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From Benevolence to Professionalism

• Then
• Community driven
• Benevolence rising out of offender advocacy
  movement

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From Benevolence to Professionalism cont.

• Now
• Professional benevolence
• Research-driven strategies/risk principles
• Invite community participation
• Development of partnerships
• Strategies toward safer communities
• Structured, caring, and autonomous environment -
  "Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA)"

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Who Do We Work With?

• We work with our fathers, brothers, mothers,
  uncles, aunts, sisters, sons, daughters, cousins,
  and neighbours
• Every offender comes from our communities
• Most offenders will return to the community

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What Do We Do?

• We are not
• Recovery Houses
• Provincial Halfway Houses
• Minimum Security Institutions
• Community Correctional Centres (CCC)

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The Difference

• We are a contracted service
• Governed by stringent National Standards and
  Guidelines
• Provide 24 hour supervision, structure,
  accountability, and support to monitor, assess
  and manage risk
• Carefully screen cases for eligibility and
  suitability

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The Difference cont.

• Screening guidelines and criteria established and
  overseen by independent members of the Citizens
  Advisory Committee
• Research-driven therapeutic interventions
• Provide an intensive supervision program
• Ability to respond more quickly to the needs of
  the offender

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The Difference cont.

• Provide support to offenders when no-one else
  will
• Reinforce the pro-social values and norms of the
  community as law-abiding citizens
• Provide services beyond warrant expiry

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Specialization

• Some CRFs specialize in
• Mental health issues
• Aboriginal residents and needs
• Substance abuse programs
• FASD programs
• Correctional programs