NCJ Number
74879
Date Published
1979
Length
84 pages
Annotation
The Temporary Absence (TA) Program and the Community Resource Centres (CRC) supervised by the Adult Services Division of the Ontario, Canada, Ministry of Correctional Services are described, and individual fact sheets on the Community Resource Centres throughout Ontario are provided.
Abstract
Both the TA Program and the development of CRC's are rehabilitation efforts designed to train correctional inmates for life in the community. The TA Program gives either short-term or long-term temporary passes to inmates, who are then allowed to leave the institution to deal with family crises or maintain family responsibilities or to work in the community on a daily basis and return to the institution at night. CRC's are residential facilities supported by the Ministry of Correctional Services and run by community agencies under contract with the Ministry. The centers seem best able to provide service to the petty offender who has never been able to establish a good work record, who has drifted in and out of petty crime. The centers are not effective with the habitual criminal offenders. Programs at the centers vary not only from center to center but, within a center, from resident to resident. All houses use peer group pressure with respect to behavior within the house and effective use of leisure time. During the day, residents are involved in either educational training or employment. Employment counseling and training in the wise use of leisure time are important parts of the CRC program. Residents of the centers have committed few crimes. Two CRC's for women are in full operation. Fact sheets for 28 CRC's are provided, as are a list of community residential agencies and a list of contact persons.