October, 2025

In The News

MPPs, John Howard Society, back police board push to keep Cecil Facer open

Tyler Clark Sudbury.com Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.

Greater Sudbury’s two NDP MPPs and the John Howard Society have thrown their support behind Greater Sudbury Police Service board advocacy around the Cecil Facer Youth Centre. Last month, the board unanimously approved their endorsement of a letter urging the province to keep the youth centre open. Police had expressed concern that closing Cecil Facer would further complicate prisoner transport, resulting in male youths being transported to and from Brampton. …

In a joint letter by local NDP MPPs Jamie West (Sudbury) and France Gélinas (Nickel Belt), the police board’s call to keep the youth detention centre open is echoed. “This facility plays an essential role in supporting youth rehabilitation, protecting community safety, and ensuring that Northern and Indigenous youth have equitable access to justice and reintegration services,” they wrote. “The available data and local experience make clear that closing CFYC would have significant negative impacts on youth, families, law enforcement, and the broader community.”

In addition to reiterating the police board’s concerns and points reported by Sudbury.com, the MPPs note that closing the youth centre will “be terrible for the reintegration back into their community.” “These children have families or guardians that care about them and if the family members have to travel to visit them, and that’s not always possible,” they wrote. “The youth will lose the connection to their support system which can cause an emotional toll on youth already at risk.”

With Indigenous youths accounting for approximately half of youths in custody admissions despite representing less than 10 per cent of the youth population, the MPPs noted that the centre’s closure “would therefore disproportionately harm Indigenous youth and deepen existing inequities by isolating them from culturally appropriate supports and family networks.”

In their letter of support, tabled in the agenda of the Oct. 15 police board meeting, John Howard Society of Sudbury CEO Sara-Jane Berghammer thanked the police board for bringing the issue to the forefront. “The province seems to have forgotten that the land was donated to the province by Judge Cecil Facer and his family, who wanted the land to be used to support youth in conflict with the law,” she wrote. “Justice Facer was an eminent advocate for youth in conflict with the law and presided over the Sudbury Juvenile and Family Court for 20 years.”

While she wrote that the John Howard Society of Sudbury would continue to advocate for alternatives to incarceration for youth in conflict with the law as their first priority, “we know that youth who have been convicted of serious crimes where custody is the disposition need to be housed in a facility close to their geographical home. That is a prime factor in their rehabilitation.”

For full article go to Sudbury.com October 10, 2025

90% of Law Enforcement, Legal Professionals and Community Providers Agree More
Community-Based Bail Supervision Program Key to Building Safer Communities,
Reducing Pressures on System

Christin Cullen CEO Jacqueline Tasca, JHSO

On the eve of expected federal bail reform legislation, a new landmark report by the John Howard Society of Ontario (JHSO) outlines common sense changes that are under provincial jurisdiction, and backed by law enforcement, legal professionals and community providers, to strengthen Ontario’s bail system. The new report, entitled Finding Common Ground: Cross-sector solutions to modernize Ontario’s bail system found overwhelming support for enhanced community-based supervision and community-based approaches to crime prevention with 90% of 106 survey respondents from across the province agreeing that the Bail Verification and Supervision Program (BVSP) and investments in long-term community safety would improve the bail system and reduce system pressures. The Ministry of the Attorney General-funded BVSP is delivered by community agencies that provide bail supervision and case management to individuals who are not considered high-risk and who might otherwise be denied bail for lacking a surety or other forms of assistance. Research supports the value of BVSPs as effective and safe alternatives to pre trial detention – not only offering bail monitoring but also additional services that address criminogenic risk.

The report recommends the following actions and investments to allow the system to focus its finite resources on serious cases as it was designed to do, while at the same time enhancing public safety.

• Better funding and utilization of Ontario’s Bail Programs: Bail Verification and Supervision Programs (BVSPS) are delivered effectively by community based agencies across Ontario, while Residential Bail Bed programs reduce pretrial detention pressures and lead to more successful monitoring and individual outcomes. But there are only a handful of sites in Ontario offering Bail Beds, and BVSPs are underfunded, especially for rural and remote catchments. Better funding and utilization of both will reduce court and remand pressures and enhance bail outcomes.

• Enhance inter-agency collaboration Improved linkages between police, courts and social services such as housing providers, backed by a “whole of government” approach, would address the social determinants of crime and enhance public safety.

• Improve court efficiencies The province should expand specialized courts to support and inform the bail adjudication process and promote the use of judicial referral hearings to reduce unnecessary proceedings for Administration of Justice offences, streamline legal processes, alleviate pressure on courts and better reflect social realities faced by marginalized groups.

“The research shows that everyone involved in the system — from police to lawyers to social workers and service providers — believes we can reduce pretrial detention, keep communities safe, and support vulnerable individuals by investing in proven bail programs and community supports,” concluded Safiyah Husein, a lead author of the report and JHSO’s Director of Policy. “At a time when there are cries for bail reform, we must seize the opportunity to put common sense solutions in place that are proven to both support individuals and build safer communities, helping police and courts focus on violent and serious cases.” For more information, please contact: Jacqueline Tasca jtasca@johnhoward.on.ca Phone: 416-408-4282 Ext 224

JHSO gratefully acknowledges its funding from Maytree, which made the Re:thinking Justice series possible.

United Way of North East Ontario

There are tremendous events planned for the UWNEO. Events coming up include a Celebrity Server night on Oct. 1 at Boston Pizza. Our own JHS CEO will be serving ! A percentage of every meal dine-in or take out will be donated to the United Way. United Way’s Keeping Seniors Warm Program helps by providing seniors aged 55 and above with essentials such as coats, boots, socks, and mittens.

This year’s program takes place in November 2025 in Sudbury, Espanola, Timmins, North Bay, and for the first time, New Liskeard. Eligible participants are invited to a special shopping day, paired with a volunteer, and receive a goodie bag donated by local businesses.

Please refer to our Events page for more information.

Charitable Gaming funds Sudbury’s essential services

Delta Bingo and Gaming helps fund over 160 local organizations in Greater Sudbury. We are excited to share the latest round of Charitable Gaming social media graphics with you, available in both English and French! This creative aligns with the new Out-of-Home (OOH) campaign, which you’ll also see across Ontario on billboards, transit, DriveTest centres, Cineplex, and more. There is an an advertisement running at the corner of Lasalle Blvd and Notre Dame.

Champion of the Month

K. Cockburn

The John Howard Society of Sudbury as a founding member of the United Way 43 years ago has seen the United Way grow and prosper assisting countless charitable and not for profit agencies in Sudbury. Their commitment to making Sudbury a place where every community member has a place to live, food on the table and a safe place for families is unwavering. Their staff are dedicated to the mission of the United Way. One staff member is Katherine Cockburn who is celebrating her 15th anniversary with the United Way. Since joining the United Way, Katherine has been a driving force in advancing the UWC mission to improve lives and build strong communities across the region. Her compassion and tireless commitment have helped strengthen countless programs and initiatives that support individuals and families in need.

Thank you United Way for your ongoing dedication to our community. You are our Champion of the Month !

The John Howard Society believes in effective, just and humane responses to crime and its causes. We are dedicated to creating genuinely safer communities by helping to foster a truly effective criminal justice system. The John Howard Society helps people reintegrate into society, thereby reducing alienation, crime and recidivism.

Our mission is resolute. We want to help to create a truly effective criminal justice system – one that serves us all, that confronts crime and its causes and that fosters safer communities. In short, we help people turn away from a life of crime. Surely, that’s what we’d all like to see.

Practically speaking, we STOP Crime Now ! ^TM through the multitude of programs and services that we offer to the community. You can help us to STOP Crime Now ! ^TM through your donation to the John Howard Society of Sudbury. All funds raised are used to deliver our programs and services in the Sudbury and North Bay communities. STOP Crime Now ! ^TM is a registered trademark of the John Howard Society of Sudbury.

We are proud to commemorate Prisoners Justice Day every year. It is a day where we remember the violence within the walls of incarceration and the men and women who have died because of this violence while incarcerated. In 2025 the commemoration will be on August 10 at 10:00 am on the grounds of the Sudbury Jail. For more information please go to the Prisoners Justice Day page on our website.

(NEW!) The John Howard Society assists people with criminal records to apply for a record suspension, formerly known as a pardon. It is a lengthy process and can take up to two years. If you would like more information contact the John Howard Society as soon as possible.

Some of our funders include the following and we are truly appreciative of their support. Given that the vast majority of Canadians claim to give to charities but just less than 25% of Canadians claim their charitable donations on their tax return, you may want to make sure you know the benefits! Your donations are important ! Please remember us.

To easily calculate the tax savings for a donation of any amount, use https://www.canadahelps.org/taxtime/.

For information on how our programs and services can be accessed in French contact the John Howard Society of Sudbury at the references located on our contact page. Those programs and services that are available in French are noted with an (F) in the title of each service or program. The John Howard Society is an inclusive agency serving all people in our community. We have posted the Pride progress Flag on our website as a symbol that everyone is welcome to enter our agency for service.

Vianet is a proud supporter of the John Howard Society and the great work that we do all across Ontario to provide effective, just, and humane responses to crime and its causes. Vianet supports and helps in creating safer communities and to STOP Crime Now!

June is National Indigenous History Month. For more information please go to our Events page.

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