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Almost a “Life Sentence” with CSC’s CAC – 14 years
and still inside
Fourteen Years ago my
friend Dan Haley called me to ask if I would be willing to come with him to the
Parole Office to talk about a guy coming out of a Federal Prison. The man was
older and in a wheel chair. There was no
place for him to live and no resources to help him.
Dan and I met at the Parole
Office with Ted Boynton and Pat Powell along with the Parole Office Supervisor Vince
Hendricks at that time.
We discussed the problems
that “Stan” was facing as he came out of prison. Stan had an attitude problem that tended to
drive people away. He was a senior citizen with a criminal record - sitting in
a wheel chair. His crime revolved around
his anger issues and had given him quite a few years in Prison.
After 20 minutes we
discussed the issues at hand. We also had shared the different things that we
each brought to the table related to our abilities, training and interests.
Vince suggested that we
might consider forming a CAC to better help this ex-con. So following the conversation together we
agreed to form the first CAC group with and for the Parole in Peterborough.
It all happened because of the
bad attitude Stan and a passion of each of the newly formed CAC group to help
keep our community safe. Housing and
support for Stan was going to be vital. Finding that support and safety for
Stan, was a task that we could do to keep our community safe.
Dan helped with the
support. Vince helped to arrange a place for Stan to stay part time – in a motel
with very large doors for Stan’s wheel chair to get through.
Dan had been able to get
Stan a temporary room at a Senior’s Care Home but when the management of the home
found out who was allowed to sleep in that bed they demanded that Dan pick the
guy up immediately and get him out of there. Having an Ex-Con next door to
someone’s dear old mother was not a saleable feature for the Home’s Brochure.
That is why we found a
Motel Room for him until further arrangements could be made.
I tell you that long,
beginning story from long ago – because it is the basis of my involvement with the
CAC – 14 years ago.
None of the original four
members had any idea what the CAC was about. We only knew that from what we
heard that our talents and abilities might be a help to keep our community
safe. We had never heard the letters “CAC”
before – just like most of the people in Canada.
What does it do?
The CAC works along with
the “Correctional Service Canada” – the CSC to help carry out its correctional
mandate in the Prison and Community.
Don Head, the Commissioner
for CSC, states the following when he refers to the CAC… quote… “As informed participants in the correctional
process, you are charged with not only representing the views of the
communities in which we operate, but also in representing CSC’s mandate and
values to the community. By actively engaging community support, you help
bridge the gap between offenders in correctional facilities and the community.”
“Bridge the Gap” and “Actively
Engaging the Community” are great ways to explain what our CAC does in
Peterborough.
That was 14 years ago. Ted and Dan along with me sit with the five
other citizens from our community to listen to the local Parole Office Supervisor
give us a report of what is going on in our Parole Office – listen to the great
stories as well as the harder ones at times – when a Parolee goes off side,
messes up and heads back to Prison.
Our CAC over these past
years has creatively sought ways, designed opportunities and carried out
community engagement training sessions, symposiums and contacts in Peterborough
and the surrounding areas.
A lot has happened since we
began this adventure together. Our community has been impacted in many ways.
They have been informed and challenged as the stories of Former Offenders share
what they are doing now. They, the community and the CAC members, have been
deeply stirred as Victims of Crime have told their accounts of the nightmares
that they have even now – years after the original crimes were committed.
I think of Marie O’Connor
and her account of having lived through the murder of her son and the many
years of struggling with the Parole Hearings, along with the CSC response to
their plight of traveling to the Hearings in place far away. Marie walked a long road by herself – and none
of our community knew about it. Our CAC began to work with Marie and her story
hit home for all of us.
I think of Donalda Garland
and how she shared her story with our community and the CAC at some of the
first symposiums that we held. Her father
had raped her over and over again. She was made pregnant by him. And then he
and her step-mother held her down on the kitchen table as he aborted the
baby. He started raping her when she was
very young and it continued happening until she was in her early 20s.
He last raped her when he
brought her to place for her Theological Studies – a Bible College where she
would study to become an ordained minister.
That last night he raped her in that motel and then whispered in her
ear, “It is finished” – quoting Jesus on the Cross!
Donalda’s life was ruined
but from the ruins came what she would become… someone telling a horrific story
and the survival from it. But that didn’t happen overnight – she locked the
memories away from even her husband – until one day something happened and the story
gushed out.
Her father was charged with
rape and pedophilic acts with children. He has been in prison for years. The
charges that stuck and convicted him were from only a few young ladies. Donalda
said that they suspect he has committed these horrific acts against over 200
children – who are now adults coping with miserable lives.
Our CAC brought her story
to the limelight and our community will never be the same again.
(BTW – this Ex-Con – still in
Prison - has studied to become a
Minister while in that Prison and I think some group has or is about to “Ordain”
him! No kidding!!!)
Fast forward to 2012…
Next week Ted Boynton, one
of our original CAC Members, will take the leadership of the Peterborough Parole
CAC over. Congratulations TED!!! I will
still be sitting with the CAC and meeting with our Parole Officers from time to
time. Together with our whole CAC group we will continue to actively engage our
community and help our community to see the excellent work that CSC does in our
city and area.
Yesterday… I got a
promotion of sorts. I was elected as the new Chair for the Ontario Region’s
CAC. In this position I will be
connecting with all the Community CACs and also all of the Federal Institution
CACs in Ontario.
But there is a small bit
more to the new task for me. Being the Ontario Chair this year also brings with
it the responsibilities of being the National Vice Chair for all the CACs in
Canada. And if I am still alive and sane – in two years the Vice Chair will become
the Chair for the Canadian CACs.
I know that doesn’t mean
much to you, my readers of this blog.
But for me – it means that I will be hearing the wonderful stories of
what is happening all across Ontario first and then all across Canada.
A lot has happened since
the four of us walked into the Parole Office that day – 14 years ago… WOW!
Now the next step of the journey
begins…
Thank you fellow CAC
members for your trust in me as your new Chair.
Thank you to all the CSC
Staff that I have connected with over these 14 years. Your willingness to share
and help train me… is going to bring more good things out of all that will
happen. I am sure of it!
~ Murray Lincoln ~
