Empower People. Reduce Crime.
The John Howard Society of Peel-Halton-Dufferin is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those affected by the criminal justice system in Ontario. Since 1979, we’ve worked to create a safer and more supportive community through meaningful action and programming.
JHS Peel-Halton-Dufferin is one of 19 John Howard Society offices in the province — each with a mission to prevent crime through research, community education and the promotion of systemic change and restorative services.
We help our clients move forward by addressing the root causes of their past behaviour. Our services include individual counselling, skill workshops and guidance for navigating the criminal justice system. Our goal is to help those who have experienced incarceration re-integrate into society and build towards a positive future.
Many of the youth and adults we serve have experienced trauma, stigmas and prejudices because of their experiences with mental health or homelessness that contributed to their involvement with the law. We work to remove the barriers they face to housing, education and employment and are proud to open our doors to youth and adults of all backgrounds. We believe that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and deserves equal opportunity to create a positive future for themselves.
At JHS Peel-Halton-Dufferin, our goal is to build a better Ontario and safer communities for all.
Our History
The John Howard Society takes its name from the English prison reformer John Howard (1726 – 1790), who chronicled the conditions of prisons in England and Wales and kickstarted a prison reform movement across Europe.
Howard’s writings led to legislation against many evils within the prison system and changed public opinion in favour of more humane prison conditions. In 1931 Reverent J. Dinnage Hobden brought this mindset to British Columbia, forming a group called the John Howard Society. Between 1947 and 1960 most other provinces in Canada formed their own societies—with Ontario’s founded in 1946.
In 1962, all of the provinces, except for Quebec, came together to form the John Howard Society of Canada. Quebec went on to join in 1980.
Chief Executive Officer
Keith Kacsuta
Board of Directors
Pauline Wainwright
President
Keith Gilbert
Treasurer
Rafiq Rokerya
Vice President
Peter Wood
Member