Montreal Community Chaplaincy
People at the heart of our action!
Contact : 514-978-8881; acmontreal@hotmail.com
Excerpts from Website : https://www.aumoneriecommtl.org
Our mission for the last 26 years
As part of the prison chaplaincy continuum, Montreal Community Chaplaincy’s (MCC) mission is to create and support a network of organizations working for the social and community reintegration of people who have a criminal record, as well as to provide support for people impacted by crime, in view of restorative justice.
We are recognized by the Correctional Service of Canada.
Our distinctive approach
We believe that anyone affected by crime has the potential to change. We witness this in the people that we accompany. We foster a restorative approach that promotes a more peaceful, safer life. The beneficiaries of our services are impressed to see that people volunteer their time to fulfill our mission. The beneficiaries are marked by this citizen involvement so much that they, as well as those who have been victims of crime, give back in return.
MCC projects: a day center and two accommodation centers
MCC runs and manages two accommodation centers: the La Maison ACM (2017) and the René Gagnon Residence (2006) for ex-inmates, as well as a day center (René Gagnon) which provides a space for the men in rehabilitation to socialize and grow.
aumcommtl.com 514-978-8881
Our partners : Community-based organizations
(RAC – Regroupement des artisans du communautaire)
Entrée Libre (1986) : people in prison, in halfway houses, released, volunteers, prison chaplains and people from the community meet every Thursday to discuss together different themes such as social reintegration, the daily challenges related to release, spirituality, self-esteem, dreams, grief, etc.
entreelibremtl.com 514-726-8540
Relais Famille (1998) : offers support services to families with a loved one who is awaiting trial, incarcerated, or recently released from prison. These families often feel isolated. Relais Famille supports them and helps them to experience their situation as serenely as possible, without allowing themselves to be destroyed by feelings of shame, fear, rejection, and guilt.
relaisfamille.org (in French only) 514-419-6632
Communitas (1999) : works in the English-speaking community by bringing those who have spent time in prison together with everyday community members through a variety of initiatives for support, mentorship, accountability, empowerment, and belonging. Communitas also organizes circles of support and accountability for those who have committed offences of a sexual nature, in the same way as the Cercles de soutien et de responsabilité, mentioned below.
communitasmontreal.org 514-244-6147
Jean-Paul-Morin Corporation (2000) : Our mission is to create the space to re-establish human, social, and spiritual connections which have been damaged as a result of crime. This mission is represented by the community action based on respect and dignity for each person, especially the injured person. We designed the “Rainbow’’ Restorative justice workshop, which is an approach that focuses on the impact of crime and incarceration on the offender and especially on the offender's natural network where possible. “Diorao” is a monthly exchange and sharing group between inmates from minimum security penitentiaries, ex-inmates and committed volunteers.
corporationjeanpaulmorin.org 514-209-2176
Présence Compassion (2001) : reaches out to inmates, inmates who are close to being released, ex-inmates, the homeless or those at risk of becoming so, in downtown Montreal. Every Thursday at 2 p.m. at Place Émilie Gamelin, volunteers offer coffee to the homeless and passers-by, creating the opportunity for people to connect.
presencecompassion.org 514-502-9844
The Centre for Services in Restorative Justice (2001) : creates spaces where people affected by situations of abuse and violence, whether within or outside the legal process, can express themselves, listen and share. The CSRJ organizes restorative justice meetings. There are three types of participants: people who have been victims of crime, people who have committed crimes and members of the community. These meetings are led, on a voluntary basis, by two facilitators, male and female, selected for their human and professional qualities and trained by the CSRJ.
csjr.org 514-933-3737
Circles of Support and Accountability (2004) : aims to increase the safety of communities and reduce the number of victims of crime by supporting and helping people who have committed sexual offenses and who return to the community, to take responsibility for their actions, so that they may lead responsible and productive lives. Each circle is composed of trained volunteers who are committed to supporting and helping the offender (called "the main member") who is reintegrating into the community to become accountable. The participation of the main member is completely voluntary. The recidivism rate of men participating in Circles is 80% lower than that of non-participating offenders.
cercledesoutien.org 514 278-3008
La Maison Orléans (partner since 2016) : offers a place to open up and share where people are recognized and loved, through acceptance and respect for oneself and others. They promote the development of a fraternal, warm, and familial environment for all. Once a month, celebration of the Eucharist, presided by a prison chaplain, brings together volunteers, prisoners, and ex-prisoners, as well as and people from the neighborhood.
maisonorleans.org 514-522-8373