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History
In 1980, the Société Elizabeth Fry du Québec opened Maison Thérèse-Casgrain, the first halfway house for women in Québec. While the house is in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood of Montreal, it serves the entire Montreal region as well as the southwest part of the province. Approximately 100 women in the process of reintegration into society are housed in Maison Thérèse-Casgrain each year.
The house is financed in large part by the Correctional Service of Canada as well as les Services correctionnels du Québec.
Maison Thérèse-Casgrain can welcome up to 30 women for stays that range from several weeks to several months. The residents are referred by Maison Tanguay, Joliette Institution, the criminal courts, as well as correctional workers in the community. The majority of the residents, 70%, come from a prison setting in the context of a temporary absence program or parole. The house can also accept women with suspended sentences and those on probation as an alternative measure to incarceration.
Objectives
The objectives of Maison Thérèse-Casgrain are:
- To be an alternative solution to incarceration;
- To prevent recidivism;
- To help the offender accept responsibility for her behaviour;
- To help the offender develop attitudes and skills that will assist her in developing her potential;
- To promote the social reintegration of female offenders.
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