Closure of Elizabeth Fry Society in Hamilton 'heartbreaking,' says former inmate and volunteer - Action News
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Hamilton

Closure of Elizabeth Fry Society in Hamilton 'heartbreaking,' says former inmate and volunteer

An organization that focuses on advocating forprison reform and supportingwomen at risk of being criminalized says it is closing its doors on March 31.

The organization that supports women at risk of being criminalized says it will close March 31

The front of a building.
The Elizabeth Fry Society Southern Ontario Region building, on King Street East in Hamilton, will be closing its doors on March 31, according to its board of directors. (Elizabeth Fry Society/Google Maps)

A Hamilton organization dedicated to providing support for women involved with or in conflict with the justice system will be closing its doors at the end of March.

The Elizabeth Fry Society Southern Ontario Region, formerly the Hamilton Branch, saidMondayit was ceasing operations on March 31 due to "concerns about the ongoing viability of the organization."

The organization was established in Hamilton in1971, at 987 King St. E, as a charitable organization providing help for women that have been recently or are currently incarcerated. It focuses on advocating forprison reform and supportingwomen at risk of being criminalized.

The Hamilton branchchanged it's name to the Southern Ontario Region in2014 to reflect the surrounding areas the branch covered. The branch is one of more than 20across the country.

"This was a very difficult decision to make and we remain committed to minimizing disruptions of service to our clients and stakeholders," the organization said in a statement posted to Facebook.

'Another resource that people coming out of incarceration don't have'

Emily O'Brien is a formerinmate turned business owner, who expanded her popcorn business Comeback Snacks to Hamilton in 2021.

She told CBC Hamilton on Tuesday when she was incarcerated at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ont.,the Elizabeth Fry Societyhad given her information about women's rights while in prison and helped inform herwhere she could ask for help.

After her release,she developed a strong relationship with the society's Southern Ontario Region team in Hamilton and often volunteered for the group including packing Easter-themed care packages in 2022.

A woman next to colourful bags.
Emily O'Brien, owner of Comeback Snacks, volunteered with the Elizabeth Fry Society Southern Ontario Region's team creating Easter-themed care packages for women in prison and women at risk of criminalization. (Submitted by Emily O'Brien)

When she found out about the Southern Ontario Region closure she said,"it felt like somebody just died.

"It's heartbreaking, because it's another resource that people coming out of incarceration don't have," she said. "There's no education being told by the prisons about what your rights are, so often people would get taken advantage of."

O'Brien worries that without the Hamilton branch, women at risk of incarceration or women coming out of prison will lose a precious support system to deal with their trauma.

"It's gonna be hard, it's gonna be difficult and it's gonna be painful," she said. "But I believe that something new can be created... and something can remain in place so these women have somewhere to go."

The organization said in its statement it is"working closely with the ministry, funders and non-profit service providers in Hamilton to ensure suitable arrangements can be made for women," but specific details were not included.