The How We Go Home: A Study of Section 84 Indigenous Community Reintegration Models to Promote Healing and Successful Community Re-entry project examines Indigenous community-led reintegration models developed under Section 84 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, which supports Indigenous communities and organizations to participate in planning and supporting the release of Indigenous people from federal custody.
Section 84 Related Resources and Toolkits
| Resource | English | Français |
|---|---|---|
| The Path Home: Release Planning Kit — PDF | Download PDF | Télécharger le PDF |
| The Path Home — CSC PDF copy | Download CSC PDF | Télécharger le PDF de SCC |
| CSC Guideline 712-1-1 — Section 84 Application Process | Read Guideline 712-1-1 | Lire la Ligne directrice 712-1-1 |
| CSC — Reintegrating Indigenous Offenders / Section 84 overview | Read Section 84 overview | Lire l’aperçu de l’article 84 |
| Senator Kim Pate — Sections 81 & 84 Information Booklet | Download English booklet | French version not located |
| CSC — Indigenous Corrections Accountability Report 2022–2023 (includes Section 84 + community reintegration funding) | English | Français |
Working in partnership with Ohén Saionwátka’we in Kahnawà, Waseskun Healing Centre (www.waseskun.com/), the Centre for Community-Engaged Justices, and Indigenous communities and organizations across Canada, the research will document successful reintegration approaches, identify best practices, and explore how communities support healing, cultural revitalization, and successful community re-entry. The project is stewarded by Dr. Vicki Chartrand (Bishop’s University), Dr. Nancy Van Styvendale (University of Alberta) and Dr. Michael Mihalicz (Toronto Metropolitan University), whose expertise in Indigenous research methodologies, community-engaged scholarship, and justice studies will contribute to the project’s national scope and impact.
The research seeks to address the ongoing overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in Canadian prisons by highlighting effective community-based approaches that promote healing, cultural continuity, self-determination, and long-term community well-being. Findings will be shared through reports, toolkits, and other publicly accessible resources designed to support Indigenous communities interested in developing or strengthening community reintegration initiatives.
“Communities have long been developing innovative and culturally grounded approaches to supporting people returning home from prison,” says Dr. Chartrand. “This project is about learning from those experiences, sharing that knowledge, and supporting Indigenous communities in advancing their own visions of healing, reintegration, and community well-being.”
Link: https://lnkd.in/epPKgu7i
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To kick off this project, 2025 marks 50 years since the National Conference on Native Peoples and the Criminal Justice System, held in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1975. Despite this passage of time, Indigenous peoples continue to be overrepresented in the criminal justice system, comprising 32% of the federal prison population, with Indigenous women making up 50%. This stark reality highlights the need to gather, reflect, share, and advance Indigenous-led justice practices. We’re sharing a video featuring Clifford J. Summers, Oneida of the Thames, who draws on his long-standing involvement in Indigenous justice work.