In Custody Programs

Offers programs for women and youth in custody. Community In-Reach provides women leaving prison with support reintegrating into their communities and finding housing. Volunteers help inmates at the Fraser Valley Institution and Alouette Correctional Centre with this transition. Integrated Transitional & Release Planning (ITRP) supports women with complex needs to transition back to their community, with a particular focus on housing, health, income, and meaningful employment or education. As well, the program helps women address the factors that place them at high risk of future justice involvement. The Parenting Program is for mothers in the Fraser Valley Institution. Women self-enroll in a six-week program to learn the importance of prenatal self care, early infant development, mother-child attachment and parenting. Video visitation is available enabling children to maintain contact with their mother. Mom and Me helps women in Alouette Correctional Centre for Women and the Surrey Pretrial Centre keep in touch with their children. The Storybook Program facilitates parent-child connection by supplying age-appropriate books and recording inmate parents reading them aloud. A CD player and the recordings are then sent to their children, giving them an opportunity to share a story together. It is available for mothers at Alouette Correctional Centre for Women, Fraser Valley Institution and Surrey Pretrial Centre. Fathers at the Surrey Pretrial Centre and the Ferndale Institution can also participate. Through the Burnaby Youth Custody Centre Services, volunteers support youth of both sexes by providing recreational, educational and one-on-one visitation opportunities. The Girls' Prison Advocacy program supports girls in custody at the Burnaby Youth Custody Centre by ensuring they understand their rights and teaching them self-advocacy skills.