The Encourager Blog

Although the challenges faced by prisoners and their families are many and varied, much of what they experience can be wrapped up in one word, “institutionalization.” The best definition of institutionalization I have come across so far, comes from the late Rod Carter, a man who served federal time himself, and pioneered the Restorative Justice course at Queens University in Kingston Ontario.  Carter defined institutionalization as, *"a gradual process of assimilation...

The latest stop on my journey into the ever compelling sub culture of inmates and families of inmates has me working as a Prison Chaplain with the Salvation Army. What does a Prison Chaplain do? We do the things you might expect, such as provide chapel services, (church services for guys inside the walls), pastoral care, (one to one weekly meetings where guys have a chance to pray and to chat about issues that concern them.). Many of the conversations center around grief and loss, particularly...

A very valuable treasure is buried within our federal prison system, amazingly talented people. Recently I attended a retirement “Coffee House” party for a Prison chaplain I have been working with since 2015. In honour of her many years of service the “guys”, (people in federal custody,) presented a concert / poetry reading. As a person who has been doing some form of public presentation for many years, in a variety of contexts and venues, I can honestly say that the...

Relocating is a goal that we often help many seniors plot on their retirement Financial $Lifelines.  It can have a significant impact on their wellbeing.    However, moving into that dream retirement home can create a new set of challenges for folks who haven't thought about how they're going to spend their time, and who with, in a whole new place. Try a couple of these ideas to build a new social network that will improve your new home's...