| An exercise occurred having each person stand up and provide a brief introduction. |
Before providing brief comments and observations he extended a heartfelt thanks to the members of the Program Committee who have volunteered of their time to organize this two-day conference. It was noted that we have an impressive combination of speakers and content to absorb, reflect on and discuss over the next 2 days. For each of our presenters he extended our thanks and appreciation for recognizing the value in addressing us on a host of relevant, Current Issues in Community Corrections.
He also acknowledged those individuals here today who serve as your representatives on the Executive Committee and continue to be committed to our mission of Promoting information, education and leadership for our membership and the community in order to contribute to a more effective justice system.
This conference is for you and is solely for your personal and collective benefit. Over the next 2 days you will have a unique opportunity to meet and listen to some of the best in our field with an opportunity to sit next to the most valued resource that our OHHA members have, you, our dedicated staff.
Each of you has a story, a personal journey that has brought you here today. Each different, yet common towards a duty, a service, or even a calling?!
Mr. Rasmusson asked everyone what it was that made them decide to support individual men and women that have by virtue of their circumstances, and yes by their choices, became entangled with the law and ultimately to become incarcerated in a federal prison?
| Why did you make this choice? |
| Were you looking for work? Did you embark on this as a career choice? |
| Did someone inspire you to a service that many applaud and some decry? |
| Are you motivated by that knowledge that you contribute to an integral part of the fabric of a caring and responsible society that exists in our province and across our Country of Canada? |
Mr. Rasmusson commented that we remain committed to proven methods of support while we are neighbored by a US federal system that spends over 40 Billion dollars a year to incarcerate its' citizens, a rate 7 times that of our own, imprisoning men and women in a vast multitude of facilities.
Increasingly these facilities are of the mega variety with thousands of inmates receiving virtually little or no human contact and whose missions don’t even pay lip service to programming and counseling to those in dire need of support, correction and direction.
In the midst of this we remain an Association that takes the higher ground and respects the humanity of those entrusted to us by our laws and enabled by our members who are recognized as providing exceptional services on an increasingly global stage.
Still we shouldn’t be so quick to praise ourselves as the model of all models! While providing a variety of services and supports to women and men and their families, we should remain increasingly curious of other ways of benefiting those who are returning to our mutual communities.
That is what this conference is about!
Canadians expect a responsible and caring alternative to the "lock them up and throw away the key approach" to those in our community that offend and break the law. Each person has the inherent right to return to their community of choice, by law, and we not only stand at the gates waiting, we go inside and actively discern those who we, along with our community representatives, feel will best benefit from the services that we have to offer, making our towns and cities a safer place and a more responsible place to be a part of.
As an Association made up of a diverse and important group of agencies and service providers, we bring to the table a unique perspective and one that is open to what works today and what can compliment tomorrow.
Questions to the group:
What was the first piece of Canadian Legislation that enabled prisoners to be paroled?
On August 11, 1899, the Government of Canada passed into law an "Act to provide for the Conditional Liberation of Penitentiary Convicts;" otherwise known as the "Ticket of Leave Act". It was Canada’s first parole legislation.
What was its Replacement called?
1992 Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) 18th of June
Before introducing the first set of
presenters Mr. Rasmusson indicated that he would like to submit his own top ten
list of important qualities in the staff teams that we have represented here
today:
| Dedicated, to our missions and our expression thereof |
| Enable and Educated, by our policies and a commitment towards training |
| Caring for our residents and for each other |
| Giving of their time and their abilities to serve others |
| Responsible to uphold the standards of our operating legislation |
| Innovative, an ability to recognize a better approach to unique issues |
| Possess a great sense of Humour |
| Can work hard and play hard |
| Know when to seek support |
| Are among the best in the international Community Correctional field |
It is you who I describe, you who continue to make a new difference to the lives of those God has entrusted to us to support. Thank you and welcome to "Current Issues in Community Corrections" Conference 2003!!
