Sask. government investing over $800K in reintegrating women prisoners

The Saskatchewan government is putting $280,000 a year from 2025 to 2028 into a supportive housing program for women leaving custody to help them reintegrate into the community.

The investment of over $800,000 will go towards the Wikowin Supportive Housing Program, run by Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan and will help supply around-the-clock care and support.

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The funds will go toward a facility to provide services that include addictions help, income assistance and family reunification.

“This funding will allow us to provide safe, supportive housing for women leaving custody, women who deserve an opportunity to make meaningful change for themselves and their future,” Elizabeth Fry Society Executive Director Nicole Obrigavitch said.

Obrigavitch said there isn’t a set plan for the women.

“We do individualized wellness plans with them that basically determines what sort of supports that they need,” she said. “It differs on a case-to-case basis.”

She said the society supports all women no matter their background.

“We also support women that were previously employed,” she said. “(They) just need some trauma counselling or addiction counselling or stability so that they can get back to employment.

“We needed funding for operations and to do this correctly,” she said. “(Making sure) that the women have the support that they need.”

Obrigavitch said so far 181 women had been supported after leaving prison, and they were incarcerated for a variety of different reasons and personal troubles.

“When you’re living in survival mode, you end up committing crimes or doing this that you wouldn’t have normally done,” she said.

“Coming from a carceral (prison) setting where you’re still sort of in survival mode and getting people stabilized so that they have an opportunity to feel safe and supported and start dealing with some of the problems that led them to face those challenges, I think that that’s really the biggest issue there.”

Tim McLeod, Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister said the funding is about creating conditions where people can succeed.

“Where those who have been involved in the justice system are given a fair chance to rebuild their lives,” he said.

“From the government’s perspective we want somebody to be healthy and thriving in their home community,” he said. “That means reintegration into the community, it means reunification with their loved ones, if they have children or spouses or other family members.”

The funding builds on the province’s continued work with the Elizabeth Fry Society, including a separate $330,000 two-year investment announced last year to expand the society’s presence in women’s correctional facilities to deliver culturally appropriate programs and supports.

— with files from Will Mandzuk

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