Sask. women's organization gets funding to help women reintegrate after leaving custody

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan will be able to add much-needed services for women leaving incarceration after a boost in funding.

The Saskatchewan government has committed $330,000 over the next two years for the organization to provide reintegration supports for female offenders leaving custody.

Executive director Nicole Obrigavitch said the Elizabeth FrySociety has been speaking withthe Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safetyabout a serious gap in this type of programming for women leaving Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert.

"Despite Pine Grovedoing their best to make sure certain services are connected prior to release, that doesn't always follow once they are into the community,"Obrigavitch said.

Obrigavitchsaid some women are being released without identification, housingor income assistance.

"Often if women are arrested when they were homeless, then when they get releasedthey are also being released to homelessness," Obrigavitch said.

Part of the plan is hiring areintegration systems navigator,who will work with women atPine Grove,the North Battleford Hospital and the White Burch Remand Unit in Regina.

The goal is tomake sure the women have ID, housing, and mental health and addiction support before their release.

"Basically just making sure that the day that they're released, they are being released to some structure and some options," Obrigavitch said.

Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Paul Merriman said in a news release that it can be hard for people leaving custody to know about the programs and services available to them.

"Female offenders face additional challenges when securing housing and other support necessary to reunite with their children and loved ones," Merriman said. "This expanded service agreement will ensure more women in our facilities, including those on remand, can be supported by the Elizabeth Fry Society'sprogramming and services."