Last month, at the Provincial HSJCC’s annual in-person meeting, our collective goal was clear: for our members to gain a better understanding of challenges faced by marginalized individuals throughout the human services and justice system. We gathered to create a brave space where community practices, agencies, and people with lived experience from both the human services and justice sectors could come together, exchange experiences, and brainstorm strategies on how we could better work together.
With over 70 attendees from our 14 regions and ministry partners, including individuals with lived experiences in the justice system and representatives from Indigenous and BIPOC communities, the room was filled with powerful stories and meaningful conversations. In our collaborative discussions, each table explored critical issues such as addressing anti-racism, barriers to housing, client complexity, prevention and early intervention, and culturally specific supports.
We were honoured to hear from Jonathan Peltier, Community Justice Worker with the Wiikwemkoong Justice Program, who shared his lived experience in the justice system. His story of making deeper connections with the individuals he serves, using the Eagle Feather Teaching, emphasizing community reintegration and the goal of decreasing the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian Criminal Justice System, reminded us why this work is so crucial.
We also heard from Saige McMahon, Director of the Indigenous Led Crisis Response Pilot, 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations, and Racquel Hamlet, Manager of Wellness and Community Crisis Response, TAIBU Community Health Centre. They highlighted culturally responsive approaches as part of the Toronto Community Crisis Service, showcasing the importance of culturally tailored support systems.
Chris Simpson, a turtle clan from the Oneida Nation, shared his lived experience spending nearly half of his life incarcerated. Currently a fire keeper at Wiifwaaminan Shelter after having worked hard to forge a new path for himself, Chris spoke on our Community Reintegration panel about his journey at Athlosa Family Healing Services.
The stories and feedback we’ve collected will be our compass in shaping a system that reduces stigma and humanizes those in the human services and justice system. We strongly believe that continually building genuine partnerships remains key to improving the justice system for individuals with complex needs
Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their stories.