Trois Riviere transition house sets program for male parents

Community Action, April 14, 2003

TROIS RIVIERE, QC -- "Growing up healthy with an incarcerated father" is developing at Maison Radisson, a transition house for male offenders.

A team of researchers, social workers and administrators is working on the implementation of a new program. It is the first time that a transition house in Quebec is paying attention to the parental role of incarcerated men.

Until now, the parental role of male prisoners has escaped the attention of transition houses because they have much less predictable relationships with their children than women prisoners, most of whom are single parents, says Johanne Vallee, Executive Director of the Association des services de rehabilitation sociale du Quebec:

Executive Director of the Maison Radisson Daniel Bellemare, believes "If fathers can develop strong parental competence, that is a protective factor against the inter-generational transmission of criminality." Martine Barette is Coordinator of the program. 819-379-3598