Elizabeth Fry’s ‘See the Root’ campaign targets justice barriers

Elizabeth Fry Week’s 'See the route, change the response' theme urges support for those facing poverty, mental health, homelessness and addiction.

Organizations across Canada are marking Elizabeth Fry Week from May 4 - 10, a national awareness initiative focused on community-based supports for women, young women and gender-diverse individuals who have been criminalized or are at risk of criminalization.

This year’s theme is ‘See the Root. Change the Response.’

The week includes a seed-paper fundraiser, panel discussions, a lunch walk for people experiencing homelessness in North Bay, a barbecue and gift bags for women in jail.

Amy Collins, executive director of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Northeastern Ontario, said the goal is to help people understand why someone may fall into the criminal justice system.

“Often that starts at a very young age,” Collins said in an interview with CTV News. “People experience poverty, they experience lack of housing, you know, mental health, lack of support with substance use and if you don’t get the right support, if you don’t get the right care, it can often lead to that path of criminalization.”

Crime ‘not the same for everyone’

Collins said the response to behaviour can vary depending on a person’s circumstances.

“The important piece is that crime for one is not crime for another,” she said.

She gave the example of a person with a mental health issue who experiences a problem at a pharmacy while trying to get medication.

“They don’t know they need that medication, so the response that they give is one of frustration and anger and that often leads to being criminalized, when it could have very well been supported instead.”

The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies said, in a news release, criminalization is often rooted in poverty, housing instability, gender-based violence, systemic racism and unmet mental health needs.

The association said Elizabeth Fry Societies work to interrupt the cycle by providing supports “grounded in dignity, equity and compassion,” including housing, case management, advocacy and community-based programming.

Community collaboration on the rise

Collins, who returned to Sudbury less than six months ago, said she is seeing more attempts by organizations to work together.

“I think it’s very much needed if we want that community response,” she said.

She noted that John Howard Society joined her organization for a barbecue.

“It really speaks to that want and understanding that it takes a community to create safety and well-being amongst everyone and we want to continue in that direction,” said Collins.

The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies said the week’s mini-campaign highlights the contrast between “damaged roots” and “supported roots” and encourages the public to rethink responses to social challenges.

“By shifting our focus from punishment to prevention and support, we can build safer, healthier communities for everyone,” the association said in the release.

Collins said that from a systemic view, “there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done.”

“We’re just hoping that the message out there that the funds should go to the community, right? So that community response when we’re looking at implementing healing centres, if we’re looking at community hubs, we’re looking at community-based programming that’s already in place but can be expanded, right? That’s what we’re hoping for.”

With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca Lyndsay Aelick