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Society Structure
The John Howard Society organization in Alberta consists of the provincial Society and six separately incorporated local Societies: Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Red Deer. While the provincial Society consults with the local offices and provides guidance and assistance as needed, each local Society responds to the programming needs and priorities of its own community.
John Howard
Society of Alberta Services
The John Howard Society of Alberta provides the following
services:
- preparing research papers on criminal justice issues such as
dangerous offender legislation, community based sentencing and community
notification of the release of offenders;
- responding to government consultations and proposed
legislation;
- educating the public by way of media responses, speaking at
public forums, research papers and policy briefs, and educational materials
such as our Guide to the Young Offenders Act in
Alberta and Understanding Criminal Records - view in PDF format (142k)
- administering pension, health and insurance benefits for the
local Societies; and
- participating in the John Howard Society of Canada. Home
page of the John Howard Society of Canada: www.johnhoward.ca
Calgary John Howard Society
The Calgary John Howard Society is a community-based charitable organization
dedicated to reducing the incidence of crime and increasing community safety
through preventative and restorative justice practices.
We provide direct services to men, women, and youth including: halfway
houses for men and for women, transitional housing for youth, mediation
based on restorative justice, institutional casework, and community support
for both adults and youth. We advocate for effective responses to crime
and the individuals involved, through initiatives aimed at adults, youth
and members of the general public. Our education services target both youth
and adults in the community, including education on the youth criminal
justice act, adult literacy and basic education, as well as various training
initiatives.
For detailed information on our programs, services, and opportunities
for the public, please see: www.calgaryjohnhoward.org
Contact:
Gordon Sand, Executive Director
Calgary John Howard Society
917 - 9 Avenue SE
Calgary, Alberta
T2G 0S5
Telephone:
(403) 266-4566
Fax: (403) 265-2458
 info@johnhoward.calgary.ab.ca
Edmonton John
Howard Society
For more information about the Edmonton John Howard Society please
visit our website at www.johnhoward.org.
Contact:
Maureen Collins, Executive Director
Edmonton John Howard
Society
#401, 10010-105 Street,
Edmonton, AB T5J 1C4
Telephone: (780) 428-7590
Fax: (780) 425-1549
mcollins@johnhoward.org
Grande Prairie
John Howard Society
The John Howard Society of Grande Prairie began as a district committee of the John Howard Society of Alberta in 1978, gained District Council status in 1979 and was incorporated in 1986.
Mission Statement: To aid in the prevention of crime through the provision of programs and services to, and education of, the general public, as well as those more directly affected by crime.
Programs and Services:
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Anger Management for Youth - With funding from the Alberta Mental Health Board, the John Howard Society of Grande Prairie and Odyssey House have partnered to offer two Anger Management for Youth programs per year. The program consists of 10 sessions that are targeted at youth ages 11 to 17 who are experiencing problems at school, at home and in the community due to inappropriate anger and aggression. The goal of the program is to improve the social and emotional health of youth at risk and focuses on teaching youth alternatives to violence by increasing skills in conflict resolution, problem solving and anger management. Referrals can be made by the client, the client's parents, court order, schools or other community agencies. All referrals are screened for suitability for acceptance into the group through an intake appointment.
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Client Services Program - The John Howard Society of Grande Prairie offers a variety of client services that are designed to meet the needs of clients by way of information, support and referral services. We ensure that offenders and ex-offenders receive necessary direction and support in the community. Information and assistance regarding bonding, pardons, post release concerns and general criminal justice issues is available to those affected by the criminal justice system. Client services are provided free of charge.
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Criminal Justice Education Program - The focus of the Criminal Justice Education Program is to increase knowledge of the criminal justice system in our community and throughout rural northwestern Alberta. We offer a variety of programs to youth and adults emphasizing public involvement and understanding of the criminal justice system. The John Howard Society of Grande Prairie has been involved in public education since 1980 and the demand for the service is continually increasing. The Criminal Justice Education Program is funded by the Alberta Law Foundation.
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EUREKA Program - EUREKA is a two day, community based workshop aimed at Grade 7 students. The goal of the program is to offer youth an opportunity to develop healthy conflict resolution skills through experiential learning, communication and community building. The John Howard Society of Grande Prairie is currently partnering with Odyssey House and Crossroads to offer 10 EUREKA workshops per year.
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Parenting After Separation Seminars (PASS) - PASS targets separating or divorcing parents who have issues with custody, access or child support. The seminars provide parents with information regarding the effects of separation or divorce on the family, techniques to communicate more effectively, general legal information and explores the use of mediation to resolve disputes as an alternative to the more traditional adversarial approach through the courts. Each seminar is 6 hours in length and there is one seminar per month.
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Re-Integration Program - This program is aimed at youth ages 13 to 16 who are recent or potential school leavers and who have the capacity and commitment to complete their education. Students are enrolled full time and receive instruction in the academic subjects of Language Arts and Mathematics as well as attention to their personal development. The personal development portion of the program is concentrated on issues that may be affecting students' success in the regular school system.
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Renaissance Program (Helping men move beyond their abusiveness) - The goal of this program is to significantly decrease the abusiveness of men toward their female partners in intimate relationships. The Alberta Mental Health Board became ongoing funders of the program in 1992. The John Howard Society of Grande Prairie currently offers five 16-week programs annually with four follow up sessions available to those who complete the program. Referrals can be made by the client, the client's family, community agencies or court order.
For more information about the Grande Prairie John Howard Society please visit our website at http://www.telusplanet.net/public/jhsgp/.
Contact:
Penny Mickanuck, Executive Director
Grande Prairie John Howard Society
9909 - 112 Avenue
Grande Prairie, Alberta
T8V
1V5
Telephone: (780) 532-0373
Fax: (780) 538-4931
jhsgp@telusplanet.net
Lethbridge John
Howard Society
Established, Lethbridge, Alberta, 1948.
Mission Statement:
Crime prevention through community-based criminal justice information and
services.
Programs and Services:
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Community Awareness - Lethbridge John Howard Society
raises community awareness about issues in the justice system through speakers
in the community and special seminars.
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Crime Prevention Roundtable - Lethbridge John Howard
Society participates in a meeting of interested community agencies and
individuals, including offenders, to address the issue of reducing crime
through social development.
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Justice Education Together (JET) Program -
JET is a grade 4 program about values, rules and laws and a grade 6
program entitled, "The Law of the Land." The program is delivered by
Lethbridge John Howard Society in rural and urban districts.
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Lethbridge Harm Reduction Program - Lethbridge John
Howard Society offers a program to prevent and reduce the risk of harm to those
individuals addicted to drugs and/or alcohol or who use drugs and/or alcohol in
a potentially harmful way.
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Post-Release - Lethbridge John Howard Society
provides post-release services to offenders including private consultation, low
cost living information, employment readiness consultation and referrals to
other community agencies and services. Assistance with pardon applications is
also available.
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Pre-Release - Lethbridge John Howard Society provides
pre-release services at Lethbridge Correctional Centre. Services include
private consultation and group programs. The services are provided in
partnership with various community agencies.
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Release Assistance Program - Lethbridge John Howard
Society performs intake work at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre to ensure
that offenders receive necessary social assistance and establish links with
other social programs in the community at the time of their release. The
Release Assistance Program is delivered in partnership with Alberta Human
Resources and Employment and the Lethbridge Correctional Centre.
Contact:
Gordon Leigh, Executive Director
Lethbridge John Howard
Society
Administration Building, Suite B07
909 - 3rd Avenue North
Lethbridge, Alberta
T1H 0H5
Telephone: (403) 327-8202
Fax:
(403) 320-6613
ljhsbwgl@telusplanet.net
Medicine Hat
John Howard Society
The Medicine
Hat John Howard Society, established in 1948, is a community based
agency that works with our community towards the prevention of crime
and to assist those affected by crime.
Programs and Services:
Client
Service - Clients are assisted through information, support and
referral, intended to facilitate successful integration into the community.
Referral to and advocacy with other community organizations assists clients
with needs such as accommodation, food, transportation, employment, legal
services, education and other. Direct client services may include assistance
with pardon applications, filing income tax returns, acquiring primary
identification, third-party communication with family or other supports,
facilitating money transfers, short-term storage of personal effects, receiving
mail and no fee service for Affidavits and Statutory Declarations. The
Society fields inquiries for public legal information education and makes
referrals, as appropriate.
Community
Assessments and Parole Supervision - The Society
contracts with the Correctional Service of Canada to supervise Federal
offenders on conditional release and conduct Community Assessments to
assess community support available to an offender.
Criminal
Justice Education (CJE) Program - Medicine Hat John Howard Society
delivers the CJE program to elementary, junior high and high school students
throughout the Palliser Health Region, intended to inform and educate young
people about the criminal justice system and encourage responsible, law
abiding behaviour.
Bullying
Awareness and Prevention (BAP) Program - The BAP program is intended
to foster awareness in order to identify bullying behaviour and promote
evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies. The BAP Program
has trained instructors who deliver (up to) four sessions per classroom,
available to schools in the Palliser Health Region. Additional in-service
information sessions are available to school personnel, parent and community
groups to identify and deal with bullying.
Remand
Visitation - Volunteers of the Medicine Hat John Howard
Society provide community contact, information and support to inmates
and offenders housed at the Medicine Hat Remand Centre. Services include
advocacy, information and referrals.
Men's
Work aftercare support - Men's Work is a facilitated
service for men who identify (self or otherwise) as being at risk of
abusive behaviour and/or assault towards their partner and voluntarily
seek on-going assistance and support in maintaining a violence-free lifestyle.
Medicine
Hat Restorative Justice Project - The Medicine Hat Restorative
Justice project is a collaborative community-based initiative that serves
to foster opportunity for meaningful and accountable resolution between
individuals who have caused harm and the people and/or communities who
have been impacted by their behaviour. Parties with a stake in a specific
offence will collectively work towards dealing with the aftermath of the
offence and its implications for the future.
Contact:
Gary Straub,
Executive Director
Medicine Hat John Howard Society
#208, 535 - 3 Street SE
Medicine Hat, Alberta
T1A 0H2
Telephone: (403) 526-5916
Fax: (403) 526-4636
mhjhs@telusplanet.net
Red
Deer John
Howard Society
Programs and Services:
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Community
Criminal Justice Education Program – CJEP
offers school and community programs that maximize
awareness and discussion regarding
responsibility, crime, laws and the operation of the
criminal justice system. This service is funded by the Alberta Law
Foundation and is offered at
no cost to schools across the Province through John Howard
Societies.
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Institutional
Services – Through
our contracts with Correctional Services Canada The
John Howard Society of Red Deer
performs elements of
parole supervision as well as community assessments.
Pardon application forms are available at our offices and our staff
can assist with their
completion upon request.
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Student
Placement - Students participating in complimentary
post-secondary programs can be provided with practicum experiences
in
the John Howard
Society of Red Deer programs. Examples of such programs
might be Rehabilitation, Social Services, or Psychology.
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Victim-Offender
Reconciliation – Crime
is an act against individuals, families, communities
and society. Restorative Justice
requires
the voluntary involvement of the victim, offender, families
and the community in a healing process that involves
dialogue and reconciliation. It also
requires the offender to accept responsibility for their
actions by repairing as much as possible, the harm cause by dealing
with issues attributable
to the wrongdoing. Victim Offender Mediation can be implemented
at any point in the Criminal Justice continuum.
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Client
Intake/Liaison – This
program funded by the United Way of Central Alberta
offers support services to individuals
who have
been recently incarcerated or a currently remanded into
custody in the City of Red Deer. Support may include communication
and referral services
on behalf of clients, or one-on-one support sessions.
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Employment
Closet – This
service provides, where possible, clothing that is
suitable for those recently incarcerated to
attend employment
or interviews and a small wardrobe for those first few
weeks of employment; for those who can demonstrate the need.
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Horizon
House – Horizon
House is a community based residential facility for
men and women granted conditional release by
the National
Parole Board. This facility is staffed 24/7 and offers
supports, referrals, and supervision to clients who demonstrate a
willingness
to develop a responsible
lifestyle. This service is funded by Correctional Services
Canada.
For more information about the Red Deer John Howard Society please visit our website at www.jhsrd.ca.
Contact:
Geoff Smith, Executive Director
Red Deer John Howard Society
4916 – 50 Street
Red Deer, AB
T4N 1X7
Phone: (403) 343-1770
Fax: (403) 346-8740
geoffrdjh@shaw.ca
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