This workshop is in addition to their third annual conference on youth, crime and violence, A Community Based Approach to Desistance, Intervention and Rehabilitation in the Criminal Justice System scheduled to be held on August 20th and 21st.
One of Operation Future’s goals when hosting these conferences is that positive initiatives are developed and implemented in the Federation for all our benefit. As such facilitators are selected based on both academic and practical qualifications.
Ms. Laverda Thomas of John Howard Society, Toronto will be the facilitator of the workshop. The John Howard Society, a nonprofit organization in Canada, works within the justice system of Canada at many levels offering program in the Canadian Correctional Institutions in partnership with Corrections Services Canada, for incarcerated inmates, offering integration programs for inmates making the transition from correctional facilities back into society and offering numerous programs to those at risk through early intervention programs.
The organization is heavily dependent on its volunteers to successfully introduce it programs helping to reduce crime and recidivism rates in Canada.
Ms. Thomas was selected based on her experience developing and implementing programs, particularly to young offenders facing gun related charges, and her work in the Caribbean Community in Toronto, Ms. Thomas originally being from Jamaica.
The John Howard Society has graciously extended Ms. Thomas’s stay in the Federation until August 24th. This workshop will be facilitated by Ms. Thomas and consist of introducing the Federation to The John Howard Society’s 10 week anger management program.
The workshop will cover all aspects of the program including implementation techniques, those participating will be presented with the John Howard Society’s 95 page Anger Management Program Manual including necessary handouts to conduct the program. They are hoping to train between 30 and 50 people.
Participating in the workshop will include a number of staff and inmates from Her Majesty’s Prison, once trained in how to facilitate the anger management course they can then begin offering the program to incarcerated inmates as part of their rehabilitation programs. Operation Future is partnering with the head of the Prisons in this important initiative.
Most of those people incarcerated to Her Majesty’s Prison will eventually be returned to the community, if measures are not taken towards rehabilitation then we can expect recidivism and in most instances people return having committed greater offenses than what they had originally been convicted, explained an official.