For decades, people with no fixed address have entered and left correctional facilities, yet there have been limited housing solutions available to them. The complex factors leading to criminal justice involvement, the multiple entry and exit points, the high prevalence of mental health and addictions problems, and the complexity of agencies and ministries involved, have resulted in a patchwork of responses. Without adequate housing and often lacking support in the community, people end up relying on costly emergency services, precarious housing, and the few supports available within the corrections sector to respond to their needs.
Last month, the Housing, Health and Justice Community of Interest released the report, Closed Quarters: Challenges and Opportunities in Stabilizing Housing and Mental Health Across the Justice Sector. This report spells out the issues faced by people whose needs intersect the housing, mental health, and criminal justice sectors in Ontario. This webinar will provide an overview of the report and discuss the evidence-based policy recommendations it makes.
This report was produced in partnership by the Canadian Mental Health Association – Ontario Division, the John Howard Society of Ontario, the Wellesley Institute, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) with support from the Evidence Exchange Network (EENet).
Presenters:
Sunny Dhillon, John Howard Society of Ontario
Alisha C. Salerno, York University
Emma Firsten-Kaufman, Evidence Exchange Network (EENet)
