Justice and Public Safety
November 26, 2014
Supporting Rehabilitation for Inmates
Employment Fair Highlights Opportunities for Inmates at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary
“Workin’ It”, an employment fair for inmates, was held today at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary. The Provincial Government and community stakeholders joined in planning this event which included representatives from organizations that can provide employment and employment preparation for offenders.
“There are many programs and services available to those serving sentences in the correctional facilities across the province, including Her Majesty’s Penitentiary. This employment fair provided an excellent opportunity for inmates to learn about the services they can avail of in order to assist in rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society. It allowed them to envision a positive future which they can create for themselves and their families through hard work and a willingness to take advantage of the supports available. I would like to extend my appreciation to all those who exerted significant effort to make this event possible including our corrections staff and our community groups.”
- The Honourable Judy Manning, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General
Under the supervision of correctional officers, inmates at the penitentiary had the opportunity to engage with approximately 20 community organizations, employers and training facilities that can provide employment or employment preparation for offenders. The fair was planned through the combined efforts of Her Majesty’s Penitentiary, the Canadian Mental Health Association Justice Program, the John Howard Society and the Community Career Employment Partnership Program.
“This employment fair is a solid example of collaboration between government and community with a common agenda. There is a great deal of work being done relating to individuals with criminal histories. Our goal with this fair was to demystify the challenges and identify opportunities for moving offenders into meaningful and secure employment.”
- Elayne Greeley, Community Career Employment Partnership Project
Through seminars, classes and alternative programming, inmates learn life skills and develop confidence through achievement. Some of the types of alternative programming recently available at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary are a T’ai Chi program, a book club specializing in local publications, guitar and yoga lessons. In addition to these, core programming continues to be offered, including addictions and mental health programming, family violence intervention, pre-release programming and anger management.
QUICK FACTS
- The Department of Justice and Public Safety, in conjunction with community stakeholders, offered an employment fair today at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary.
- Under the supervision of correctional officers, inmates at the penitentiary had the opportunity to engage with approximately 20 community organizations, employers and training facilities that can provide employment or employment preparation for offenders.
- In addition to some alternative programming, core programming continues to be offered, such as addictions and mental health programming, family violence intervention, pre-release programming and anger management.
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Media contacts:
| Luke Joyce
Director of Communications Department of Justice and Public Safety 709-729-6985, 725-4165 lukejoyce@gov.nl.ca |
Elayne Greeley
Community Career Employment Partnership Project 709-579-6606 c.c.e.p.program@gmail.com |
2014 11 26 4:35 p.m.