Family & Corrections Network

The Fourth North American Conference on the Family & Corrections

Table of Contents

October 10-12, 1993 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

"EXPLORING THE FAMILY SIDE OF JUSTICE" GOES TO PRISON

In keeping with the theme of the Conference, it was important to maximize the number of inmates as well as family members who could attend. While a good number of prisoner family members were able to attend the conference via scholarships, and a number of prisoners were released on Temporary Absence Passes to attend, many other prisoners in the Quebec area were unable to be present on the conference site. Therefore, the Conference organizers arranged for some sessions to be held at two local prisons, one Federal and one Provincial.

Based on discussions with prisoners and prison officials, the following sessions took place at DONNACONA PENITENTIARY and THE QUEBEC DETENTION CENTRE. Feedback from these sessions was given to conference participants in a subsequent plenary session.

DONNACONA INSTITUTION

Because of the high security rating of the Institution, only 10 conference participants were pre-selected and security cleared to attend at the prison.

1. PRISON MARRIAGES - ISSUES TO CONSIDER WHEN SAYING I DO. This workshop presented materials from a book entitled I Will I Do, I Will Do The Time with the author engaging the participants in a discussion on prison marriages. Presenter: Rev. Mary K. Friskics-Warren, Nashville, Tennessee.

2. THE EFFECTS OF C.S.C. POLICIES ON PRISONER FAMILIES; Rev. Chris Carr, Associate Director, Chaplaincy & Training for Correctional Service Canada, moderated a discussion on how CSC policies impact both positively and negatively on prisoners and their families.

3. PROGRAMS THAT STRENGTHEN PRISONER FAMILY TIES; FCN founder Jim Mustin reviewed a sampling of programs and services in the United States and Canada which have been proven effective in enhancing prisoner family relationships.

4. EXPLORING THE CORRECTIONAL STAFF/PRISONER FAMILY INTERFACE. This session will involved a dialogue between a prisoner, a member of a prisoner's family, a visits and correspondence officer, an internal preventive security officer, and a program staff member about the difficulties and benefits of staff/prisoner family interaction. Facilitator: Graham Reddoch, Executive Director, John Howard Society of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

5. LONG DISTANCE COMMUNICATION - MAINTAINING THE TIES THAT BIND. This session explored a number of methods for keeping in touch with loved ones who are far away, during lengthy periods of incarceration.

QUEBEC DETENTION CENTRE

Nine concurrent sessions were held in the Quebec Detention Centre, which houses both male and female inmates, both prior to sentencing, and those sentenced to less than 2 years in the Quebec City area.

Thirty (30) conference registrants were chosen to participate in the Quebec Detention Centre sessions. Topics were:

1. VISITING MOM OR DAD: PRISON VISITING ISSUES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES; Facilitator: Ann Adalist-Estrin, Child and Family Therapist and Director, Incarcerated Parents and their Children, Wyncote, Pennsylvania.

2. COMMUNICATING LONG DISTANCE: MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH INCARCERATION(two sessions); Facilitator: Gaston Chapados, Chaplain, Quebec Detention Centre, Quebec City, Quebec and France Dulac: Psychotherapist, graduate student in counseling.

3. CHILDREN'S REACTION TO PARENT'S INCARCERATION; Facilitator: Margaret Shaw, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec.

4. TEMPORARY ABSENCES (FURLOUGHS): THE EFFECTS ON FAMILIES; Facilitator: Benoit Picard, CRC Robert Deschenes, Quebec.

5. RELEASE PREPARATION: SUPPORTS AND OBSTACLES; Facilitator: Linda Denton, Families In Crisis, Hartford, Connecticut.

6. ACCESSING COMMUNITY SUPPORTS; Facilitator: Yolande Trepanier, Continuite-famille aupres des detenues, Montreal, Quebec.

7. SPECIFIC CONCERNS OF INCARCERATED WOMEN; Facilitiator: Ghyslaine Picard, Director, CRC Expansion Femmes, Quebec City, Quebec.

8. REMAND: THE IMPACT OF ARREST AND TRIAL ON FAMILIES; Facilitator: Moureen Bish, Families in Crisis, Connecticut.

"UN REGARD SUR L'ASPECT FAMILIAL DE LA JUSTICE" VA EN PRISON

Bien que l'on s'est attendu a ce qu'un bon nombre de membres de familles de personnes detenues assistent a la Conference en obtenant une bourse, et qu'un certain nombre de detenus beneficieraient d'une permission d'absence temporaire pour venir a l'Hotel Radisson, un bon nombre d'autres detenus de la region de Quebec n'ont pas pu y assister. Ainsi, les organisateurs de la Conference ont rencontre des representants des prisons federales et provinciales locales pour organiser des sessions dans ces endroits.

A partir de discussions avec les detenus et la direction des centres de detention, les sessions suivantes se sont passees a l'ETABLISSEMENT DE DONNACONA et au CENTRE DE DETENTION DE QUEBEC; les rapports de ces sessions furent presentes aux participants a la Conference par la suite:

ETABLISSEMENT DE DONNACONA

A cause du niveau de securite (maximal) seulement 10 conferenciers, choisis a l'avance, ont obtenu une autorisation de participer.

1. LE MARIAGE ET LA PRISON - COMMENT MAINTENIR LA RELATION; Dans cet atelier, on a presente du materiel d'un livre intitule I Will I Do, I Will Do The Time; l'auteur a amorce la discussion avec les participants sur le maintien du mariage pendant le sejour en prison. Animatrice: la Rev. Mary K. Friskics-Warren, Nashville, Tennessee.

2. LES EFFETS DES POLITIQUES DU SCC SUR LES FAMILLES DES DETENUS; Animateur: Le rev. Chris Carr, directeur adjoint, Services d'aumonerie et de formation, Service correctionnel du Canada, fut l'animateur d'une discussion sur les effets positifs et negatifs des politiques du CSC sur les prisonniers et leurs familles.

3. DES PROGRAMMES QUI RENFORCENT LES LIENS DE FAMILLE DES DETENUS; Animateur: Jim Mustin, fondateur de FCN, examina divers programmes et services americains et canadiens qui se sont averes efficaces pour ameliorer les relations familiales des prisonniers.

4. UN REGARD SUR L'INTERACTION ENTRE LE PERSONNEL CORRECTIONNEL ET LA FAMILLE DU DETENU. Cette session a comporte une discussion entre un detenu, une personne membre de la famille d'un detenu, un prepose aux visites et a la correspondance, un agent de securite preventive interne et un membre responsable des programmes, au sujet des difficultes et des avantages de l'interaction personnel/famille d'un detenu. Animateur: Graham Reddoch, directeur general, John Howard Society of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

5. LA COMMUNICATION A LONGUE DISTANCE: MAINTENIR LES LIENS QUI UNISSENT; Cette session a explore un certain nombre de methodes pour rester en contact avec les etres chers eloignes pendant de longues periodes d'incarceration.

CENTRE DE DETENTION DE QUEBEC

Neuf sessions simultanees ont eu lieu au Centre de detention de Quebec, qui compte des detenus des deux sexes, en attente de recevoir leur sentence et les personnes condamnees a deux ans ou moins dans la region de la Ville de Quebec.

Trente congressistes furent choisis pour participer a ces sessions. Le contenu de ces sessions fut communique a la conference lors d'une pleniere. Les sujets compris furent:

1. DES VISITES DE QUALITE: CE QUI PREOCCUPE LES ENFANTS ET LES FAMILLES DE DETENUS/DETENUES; Animatrice: Ann Adalist-Estrin, Directrice et therapeute familiale de Incarcerated Parents and Their Children, au Pennsylvanie, E-U.

2. LA FAMILLE ET LA PRISON - COMMENT MAINTENIR LA RELATION; deux seances: Animateur: Gaston Chapados, aumonier, Centre de Detention de Quebec, Quebec, QC, animatrice France Dulac, psychotherapeute, etudiante en counseling et en orientation.

3. LA REACTION DES ENFANTS SUITE A L'INCARCERATION D'UN PARENT; Margaret Shaw, Universite Concordia, Montreal, Quebec.

4. LES ABSENCES TEMPORAIRES: LES EFFETS SUR LA FAMILLE; Animateur: Benoit Picard, intervenant, Pavillon Robert Deschenes, Quebec.

5. PREPARER SA LIBERATION: LES APPUIS ET LES OBSTACLES; Animatrice: Linda Denton, Families in Crisis, Hartford, CT, E-U.

6. LES PROGRAMMES DE SOUTIEN COMMUNAUTAIRE; Animatrice: Yolande Trepanier, Continuite Famille aupres des detenues, Montreal.

7. LES PREOCCUPATIONS SPECIFIQUES DES FEMMES DETENUES; Animatrice: Ghyslaine Picard, Directrice CRC Maison Expansion Femmes, Quebec, QC

8. LA PREVENTION ET Les effets de l'arrestation et du proces sur la famille; Animatrice: M. Moureen Bish, Families in Crisis, Connecticut, E-U.