The British Columbia government has unveiled new supports for people leaving jail it says will help break the “cycle of reincarceration.”
The province is doubling the number of Community Transition Teams (CTT) and tripling the length of time offenders are eligible for them, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson announced Monday.
“When a person is released from a correctional facility the days and weeks following are crucial. We really want to ensure a safe and successful transition back into community,” Malcolmson said.
“Often people have lost homes, jobs, family and some social skills during incarceration. Starting over can be overwhelming and triggering.”
B.C. launched the CTT program in 2019, and there are currently teams operating out of five provincial correctional centres in Surrey, Prince George, Kamloops, Nanaimo and Maple Ridge.
The teams provide substance use and mental health support through social workers, nurses, peer support workers and Indigenous patient navigators.
Under the expansion, teams will be added to B.C.’s remaining five provincial correctional institutions in Maple Ridge, Chilliwack, Port Coquitlam, Oliver and Victoria.
Inmates being released into the community will now be eligible for 90 days of support, up from the current 30.
Malcolmson said the program will help reduce overdose deaths, noting people with substance use issues released from incarceration are 12 times more likely to die from drugs. She said the program will also help cut crime by supporting people as they try to transition back to civilian life.
The program expansion comes on the heels of a provincially-commissioned review on how to address B.C.’s chronic and prolific offender problems.
The review, co-authored by former deputy Vancouver police chief Doug LePard and health researcher and criminologist Amanda Butler made 28 recommendations, many focused on increasing crisis and mental health supports within the justice system to “address the underlying causes of offending.”