The Chaplain: Walking Alongside the Path to Reintegration

Welcome to The Outer Circle: Community Spotlights, a series highlighting the professionals who support CoSA’s mission from beyond the Circle. These individuals play a vital role in supporting reintegration and helping Core Members succeed, and this series tells their stories and explores the impact of their work from the outside in.

As a site-based chaplain at a minimum-security institution, this community professional works closely with individuals nearing release – many of whom have complex pasts and uncertain futures.

“There is a high population of sex offenders,” she explains. “I do a lot of one-on-ones. We also do different programming… victim impact, boundaries, grief and loss, self-healing.” Through these programs and conversations, she hears their fears and hopes for reintegration – especially among those who have no family support and little familiarity with the community they’re returning to.

That’s where CoSA often comes in.

“Sometimes they come with little or no support… So they really know nothing about the city they’re going to,” she says. “I often will suggest CoSA, especially if they are [sex offenders].”

Her connection to CoSA dates back to her graduate studies in restorative justice, where she first learned about the organization and its community-based model. Over the years, she’s referred many individuals to CoSA circles in Ottawa and beyond, including the now-defunded programs in Kingston and Toronto.

“CoSA is one of the great spots for guys upon their release… helping them stay on that path to making amends and holding themselves accountable for their actions,” she says. “There’s just something really powerful about being surrounded by a group of people who know what you’ve done, but who have also journeyed with you on what you’ve been doing to maintain that accountability.”

For her, the ideal CoSA referral is someone who’s already started to take accountability and reflect on their choices. “Most of the guys who I recommend are ones who already have a goal in mind… and really have no support. CoSA can accompany them on that journey.”

She has also supported men in connecting with CoSA while still incarcerated. “I think it gives them a little more preparation, and they have an idea as to what to expect,” she says. “It’s one thing to talk about CoSA, and it’s another for them to sit and have a conversation with a person and be like, okay – they’re just normal people like me… who make them feel welcome and yet also accountable.”

In a field where professional support is often conditional or constrained, she sees community volunteers as a crucial part of the reintegration process. “Volunteers demonstrate that people actually care – that they’re not getting paid to support them,” she says. “They want to see them succeed and want to see no more victims… guys really appreciate volunteers and what they do.”

While she has encountered few misconceptions about CoSA itself, she sees a broader need for increased awareness and access – especially inside institutions. “One guy… said he wished more people inside knew about it,” she recalls. “To me, that speaks about guys just not knowing that it’s a program that can be offered and that they might fit the criteria.”

Looking ahead, she hopes to see restorative justice integrated more deeply across all levels – from correctional programming to community reintegration, and especially in funding. “I wish there was one [CoSA] in Kingston, in Toronto,” she says. “We do have a lot of people leaving this institution and heading back to Toronto… and even with virtual, they’re potentially losing funds at the end of this month.”

Her message to community professionals who might be hesitant to refer someone to CoSA is simple: listen to the stories of success. “There are guys who are out and doing really well… and who talk about CoSA playing a huge role in that.”

CoSA Ottawa is deeply grateful for the dedication and compassion of those who walk alongside Core Members on their journey of accountability and transformation. If you’re interested in volunteering with CoSA, click here or contact us at admin@cosa-ottawa.ca.