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Welcome to Communitas (formerly MSCM)
Communitas uses restorative justice principles to assist the reintegration of those who have been in prison. By assisting reintegration, Communitas works to reduce recidivism thereby enhancing community safety. We enjoy the support of Correctional Service Canada (CSC), Montreal Community Chaplaincy (Aumô...
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Communitas CoSA
Since introducing Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) to Quebec in 2000, Communitas has accompanied dozens of men using the Circle model, to the considerable benefit of all, those being accompanied in their safe reintegration, volunteers, and our larger community. Under the name of MSCM CoSA P...
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Open Door
What is Open Door? You could say it’s a place to chill, to forget about the rest of your day, a good temporary absence from prison or a chance to get out of the halfway house. Or you could be more formal and say it’s a reintegration activity where inmates who are nearing the end of their sentence and thos...
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Volunteers: The Generation of Inspiration
The transition from prison life to life in the community is a difficult one and offenders benefit from the support they receive from Communitas volunteers. Community support is one of the primary factors for ex-offenders successfully reintegrating and maintaining a crime-free lifestyle. Students, professio...
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Restorative Justice
Justice Storytelling Quilt, Meaghan O’Shea and the Church Council on Justice and Corrections (2005) What is Restorative Justice? Restorative Justice is a non-adversarial, non-retributive approach to justice that emphasizes healing in victims, meaningful accountability of offenders and the involvement of c...
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Community Building within Communitas
Following the initiative of Dr. Bob Roberts, the founder of Project Return in Louisiana, in offering community building experience in a Louisiana prison, we have offered to date four community building workshops in local CSC institutions. Dr. Bob Roberts served as a facilitator in the first of these at Cowa...
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Person to Person Inreach Program
Communitas inherited P2 when Marie Beemans joined us some 11 years ago. Marie was a prime mover in P2 (Person to Person) which through the dedication of a handful of people ensured that some of the most isolated prisoners had regular visits. The ‘person-to-person’ focus has shifted slightly (given muc...
Featured
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Communitas Sou'wester Newsletter Summer 2018
Read the latest edition of the Sou’Wester, Communitas’ grassroots newsletter on criminal justice and prisoner reintegration…
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Communitas Annual Report 2017-2018
Communitas is pleased to present its 2017-2018 Annual Report.
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Communitas mourns the loss of a valued volunteer
Flor Balbin passed away on 23 March 2018 at the age of 44, after a long battle with cancer.
She…
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Elimination of Protestant Chaplain at Cowansville Prison
In light of recent changes at Cowansville Institution concerning the delivery of English-language
Chaplaincy and other services, Communitas forwards… -
Sou'Wester edition for March 2018 now available
Read the latest issue of the Communitas Sou’Wester newsletter!
souwester_March2018…
Open Door
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Open Door
What is Open Door? You could say it’s a place to chill, to forget about the rest of your…
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Communitas Celebrates Christmas 2017
The Communitas Christmas Party came early this year, with celebrations being held on December 5th at the beautifully decorated Open…
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Happiness is in the air at Open Door
Happiness was the topic at Open Door this past week. Thirty participants were asked to think about something that…
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Another Night at Open Door
by Michelle
Slogging through the snow on a cold Tuesday evening, I am on my way to another Open Door…
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’40 Daily Acts & Peace Quotes’
Open door last week focused on Martin Luther King, whose birthday had just been celebrated. It was a fairly small…
The Sou'Wester
Communitas Sou'wester Newsletter Summer 2018
Read the latest edition of the Sou’Wester, Communitas’ grassroots newsletter on criminal justice and prisoner reintegration…
Other Post
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Sou'Wester edition for March 2018 now available
March 18, 2018 -
Communitas Fall 2017 Newsletter
November 15, 2017 -
Communitas Spring Newesletter
July 20, 2017 -
National Association Gives CoSA a Stronger, Unified Voice in Canada
November 10, 2015
Marcel Legere says:
I went to school with Marice and really hope he is doing well. I'm in Montreal often as my daughters live there. I live in Val-d'Or. If Maurice is still around, and if he wishes to see me someday, I would like that. Congrats to him on his story. Thank-youName says:
The damage that Steven Harper's government did on the Justice file is still being perpetuated ... The Liberal Government needs to step up its actions to roll back the damaging policies related to the criminal justice system.Carmelo says:
Thanks for the InfoIn Person Profile: Laura - MSCM Sou'Wester Newspaper says:
[…] of our new employees, who was already volunteering with MSCM, began to speak to me about the work Peter Huish was doing, especially about Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA). This sounded very […]Bertrand Rides His “Weird” Bike Across Canada - MSCM Montreal QC says:
[…] brought his Dutch bicycle to Open Door and encouraged everyone to undertake an adventure that would make them feel as alive as did his […]Temporary Release of Inmates Debated - MSCM Restorative Justice says:
[…] Peter Huish Chaplain-Coordinator MSCM […]