New reintegration centre opening in Edmonton is about ‘healing,’ not punishment: advocate

A new reintegration centre is open in Edmonton to help Indigenous people transition out of the justice system and into society.

The Otipaymsowin Reintegration Centre opened its doors Friday, ready to help Indigenous offenders reintegrate into society.

The centre is run by Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA) and will offer a “safe, culturally grounded environment where Indigenous individuals can strengthen the key areas of health and wellness that support successful, independent living,” according to a news release.

The centre is located at 10127 156 St. NW in the Nakota Isga ward. The councillor for the ward, Reed Clarke, says the centre is a “step in the right direction” for the area.

“When people get these services and they come out of incarceration and they’re able to feel welcomed and understand how they can come back to society and be accepted and have a place for them, that’s huge,” Clarke said.

“They’re going to go on with their life and move forward and do great things, and they really just need that support to do it.”

The centre is meant to complement existing reintegration programs in the city by providing an Indigenous-led environment for people using the services.

“We see from the correctional investigators reports that there are always challenges around reintegrating our people,” said Marlene Orr, CEO of NCSA.

“As an organization, we have a wealth of programs already that could wrap around people, and we just needed to have them attend under one space so that we don’t have to send people who are not used to being out in society all over the city to get help.”

In 2021, NCSA began lobbying for funding for the centre and was unsuccessful, but officials knew the centre needed to be built regardless.

“When people have been incarcerated for a long time, the things that we take for granted every day become overwhelming and anxiety inducing,” Orr said.

“When they don’t know how to ask for what they need and when we send them all over the place when they’re not in a state where they feel safe, we risk having them lose heart, get tangled up in bureaucracy and give up hope.

This week, the organization got confirmation of federal funding for the centre.

“Now we can provide that higher level of service and training to our people in a way that truly supports their needs,” Orr said.

“With the funding, we’re able to take that to the next level. We recognize that employment is a huge issue in reintegration, so this gives us the ability to provide programs that will enhance the opportunity for people to be employed, (get) skilled training, ticketed training.

The centre will offer pre-release planning services, access to Indigenous culture supports, housing and courtwork programs and workshops on wellness, healthy parenting, financial literacy and employment preparation.

More services, including health clinics and addiction support services, are planned for the centre as it grows.

“This is about a model that’s not about punishment, but about healing. What the greater society (can) learn about our practices is that there are other ways to solve problems that are kinder, that are much more supportive, and that bring hope and power to people who maybe never had that in their life,” Orr said.

The eventual goal is for every urban centre across Canada to have a similar centre, she added.