Dr. Robert (Bob) Cormier: Turning Insight into Impact

Welcome to “The Inner Circle: Volunteer Spotlight” a blog series highlighting the volunteers behind CoSA Ottawa. In this series, we follow the stories of the people who complete our circles – from their background to their experiences with CoSA, and the impact they’ve had along the way.

Stepping into retirement after a long and successful career, Dr. Cormier found himself asking what to do next. “I was still young and vigorous,” he recalls. “I thought to myself, what kinds of activities might I take up?” That question led him to CoSA – a program he’d been quietly championing for years. Considering his professional pursuits, “It was a good fit – community corrections, crime prevention, and restorative justice kind of rolled into one.”

Dr. Robert Cormier is a psychologist by training, with a long career in the federal public service focused on corrections, criminal justice, and crime prevention. He began his work as an institutional psychologist at Kingston Penitentiary before moving into national-level policy and research roles, eventually becoming Executive Director of the National Crime Prevention Centre. His background includes extensive experience evaluating programs, developing policy, and advancing evidence-based interventions.

Dr. Cormier’s interest in CoSA began in the 1990s when his job in the Department of the Solicitor General involved promoting innovations in community corrections. He was impressed by its unique model – building trust, accountability, and connection for people returning to the community after committing serious offenses. Many years later, in his position at the National Crime Prevention Centre, he helped secure federal funding to expand the program and further evaluate the CoSA model.

Since retiring from public service in 2010, Dr. Cormier has been a dedicated volunteer with CoSA Ottawa, serving on its steering committee and helping shape its policy and strategy. His academic and professional expertise made him uniquely suited to support CoSA, with knowledge of how programs are structured and a strong foundation in restorative and community-based justice. Dr. Cormier brought both credibility and strategic insight to CoSA Ottawa’s development.

 Though he hasn’t participated in a Circle himself, he speaks with admiration about the work done by CoSA volunteers: “They’re prepared to work with our core members to help them live safe and satisfying lives… given the circumstances of their history.”

For Dr. Cormier, the effectiveness of CoSA comes down to its holistic model of support and accountability. “It’s what I refer to as a total wraparound service”, he explains. “… it helps the client with whatever the client needs at that particular time. Now it doesn’t provide all those services… it seeks out other agencies that can provide the service that the client requires”. Equally important is the connection between core members and volunteers. “In this particular model, we have ordinary members of the community who are pro-social and allow the individual to learn pro social habits… which I think is an important element – problem solving, helping them work their way through ordinary life situations, with someone who has good life experience… which is an important element in rehabilitation”.

Dr. Cormier also emphasizes the importance of education and communication in addressing public concerns about CoSA’s work. While stigma around working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses is real, he believes in its model of restorative justice. “We can’t change the past, but I think we can build for a better future,” he says. “We’re contributing to the safety of the community by preventing further sexual victimization that would otherwise occur without the work that we do”.

Looking to the future, Dr. Cormier hopes to see CoSA expand to more communities across Canada and gain stronger, more consistent funding. “I hope that there’s further expansion for CoSA. There’s a lot of centres across the country that could benefit from a CoSA program that don’t currently have one. In terms of CoSA Ottawa… I’m hopeful that the fundraising efforts will continue to be successful. He explains that “the cost per Core Member for a year is relatively low, considering the cost, for example of incarceration or criminal justice processing. But in any case, it’s always the challenge to get new funding for a program like CoSA”.  

Dr. Cormier also hopes more individuals consider volunteering. His advice? “Consider what motivation [you] have to get involved with CoSA”. He explains that successful volunteers are guided by “a genuine sense of compassion and humility”, and that the experience is often“ very gratifying for circle volunteers”. He adds, “Not everyone is suited for this work, and if you’re not, there’s no shame in turning back”. However, “a volunteer member who works in a CoSA circle is fundamentally altering the course of another human being, the course of that person’s life, which I think is quite remarkable”.

CoSA Ottawa is deeply grateful for the dedication and compassion of our volunteers. Their commitment plays a vital role in building safer communities and supporting meaningful reintegration. If you’re interested in volunteering with CoSA, click here or contact us at admin@cosa-ottawa.ca.