Identifying and addressing programming needs

The questions addressed in this section are What are the main programming needs/issues of emerging adults? What are possible solutions?

Review of current programs

When asked about programming needs, most participants focused on programs in custody. Almost all of those who had accessed programming in custody had found it valuable, regardless of whether they had served time in a youth or adult facility.

“We work through programs and get certificates that we can show to help with parole and gain skills.”

Programs that were highly regarded by young adults who had been in adult correctional facilities included a program that helps inmates to get a copy of their birth certificate, as well as programs that offered mental health and substance use supports and counselling. Specific programs that were felt to be helpful included Living Without Violence, Respectful Relationships, Essential Skills to Succeed, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

“ESS [Essential Skills to Succeed] really helped me to understand stuff I didn’t know like learning about renting a home as I used to be homeless before I came in here [adult correctional facility] and didn’t know this stuff or where to go where when I get out of here.”

“Substance abuse and Respectful Relationships [courses] were good. With Respectful Relationships I found there were a lot of tools that were pretty helpful about how to deal with anger management, different communication types. With substance abuse it was about how to deal with it, how to control it, how to try to change it.”

Young people also appreciated programs facilitated by formerly justice-involved individuals. For example, one noted:

“Programs where you can listen to individuals who have experience in the justice system and are doing well now. They sort of emphasize that your experience in the system does not define you and does not always limit what you can achieve in the future.”

One course that was noted to be less helpful was budgeting, as participants felt the curriculum was not reflective of young people’s actual income and expenditure. However, participants who were critical of this and other courses stated that they would still rather participate in the course than stay in their cell.

Young people who had experienced both youth and adult custody were divided as to whether their programming needs were better met in one setting or the other, with some preferring the less academic focus of programing in the adult system. However, they nearly all agreed that youth custody took a more therapeutic approach to programming. A few also said that the youth system provided more comprehensive mental health support.

“In the adult system we got more useful programming. There is violence prevention, H2S, forklift certificate, and first aid. That stuff wasn’t offered in juvie. When I was there [youth custody], it felt like all that was available was school and on-unit work.”

“In juvie, they give you the opportunity to do those things like job and life skills, and they try to prepare you to get out and start your life again. But if you’ve been to juvie and you transition to adult, it’s like they give up on you.”

A couple of emerging adults who had experienced both federal and provincial adult corrections felt the programming was more comprehensive, better quality and easier to access in a federal prison than a provincial one. For example, one noted that they had received needed substance use counselling weekly while in a federal facility but this was reduced to once every three weeks when they were in a provincial custody centre. Another stated:

“Provincial programming, it is out-dated and repetitive and they play the same videos from the 80’s all the time. Federal programming is more advanced and they modify it depending on your needs and wants…In the provincial, they don’t even inform you on the types of programs and supports that are available so it’s difficult to know what can even be requested. It would have been nice to have known what programs and supports were available.”

Indigenous programing was praised by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people who had experienced it, and was felt to be a strength of both the youth and adult custody centres. Indigenous young adults who had served a custodial sentence in an adult facility were appreciative of the range of Indigenous specific programing on offer including the opportunity to connect with Elders, smudge, participate in talking circles, and engage in traditional arts and crafts. One explained:

“There’s like 25 or 30 Indigenous modules, and I’ve done them all…I really enjoyed doing the Indigenous modules. Each module had a meditation and had knowledge based on the different directions – North, East, South, and West. I learned about totems, drumming, cleansing, and the Seven Sacred Teachings. It was amazing stuff… I didn’t know anything about my heritage or culture before custody. I think that’s the best thing I’ve gotten out of this – knowing more about my culture.”

The value of providing opportunities for non-Indigenous young people to learn more about Indigenous culture was also noted. For example, one stated:

“Before, I didn’t really care about Indigenous people, but getting locked up there are so many more Indigenous people. They’re overrepresented. But I learned a lot more about their culture and traditions, and I realized that I don’t have any rights to this land. I think that’s one of the few things that doesn’t need to change in prison is being around many different kinds of people, and learning from them–it helps build empathy.”

Indigenous young adults who had served a community sentence were also grateful for the opportunities that had been provided for them to connect to their culture, and felt this was an important part of their healing.

Identifying programming needs

Despite generally appreciating the programming they had experienced in custody, young adults overwhelmingly felt that their time in custody had resulted in them returning to the community lacking the skills, employment experience and social references their same-age peers who were not justice involved had gained. Those who had progressed from youth custody to the adult system were particularly concerned that they had missed out on many of the basic skills and employment experiences they needed to succeed in the community. For example, those who had not had a part-time job as a teenager felt they had not learned job-related skills such as time management, self discipline and team work. They felt this meant that they could not compete for employment opportunities with other young people who could list this type of work experience on their résumé.

“I never learned how to do things like put together a résumé or renting an apartment, so it felt like I was just set up to fail…Young adults would benefit from programs and helpful skills specifically aimed at them to get into life after they get out. Otherwise, it’s like ‘why are you 25 and haven’t had a first job?’”

For many young adults, time in custody was a time when they were sober, away from negative peer influences, planning for the future, and receptive to making positive change. However, they felt that opportunities to engage in productive employment and education programs were being lost while they were incarcerated. This had been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic when their access to programs had been severely restricted and left them feeling bored, frustrated and that they were falling further behind their non-justice-involved peers.

“The first time I was here [in custody] everything was alright. There were programs and activities, and things to do. My second and third time were worse because they got rid of everything because of COVID.”

“They say they offer a ‘ready to rent’ program but I’ve never actually seen it offered… They just keep offering substance abuse courses. I’ve done the substance abuse course four times but housing is my big issue. If I don’t have a place, I’ll just end up staying with one of my friends and probably relapse and start doing stupid shit again.”

Addressing programming needs

Young people were asked if they had any suggestions as to how to better meet the programming needs of emerging adults.

Ensure age and stage appropriate programming is available

Young adults felt they would benefit from programming that was specifically targeted at their age range, and which reflected where they were in their individual developmental journey. Reflecting their comments earlier, young adults wanted access to programs that would help them develop the employment, education and life skills that their same-age peers outside the criminal justice system were accumulating, and which would assist them to be an independent, contributing and successful member of the community. Some also suggested that specific training–such as naloxone administration, First Aid, and cooking healthy meals on a budget–would provide young adults with practical skills which would be useful to them after leaving the criminal justice system.

“I was hoping for more activities and more educational programs just for when you’re under 30 ‘cause there’s not much programs for young adults… I still feel young and like I don’t know a lot… you’re scared to sound stupid or dumb around older people when you’re young.”

“I really liked meditation and arts and crafts. All these old guys kept calling me ‘fag’ or ‘queer.’ Look, I love shit like meditation and I don’t really give a shit what they think. I’m trying to be a better version of myself. But they’re so stuck in their ways and they’re never going to change.”

Young adults currently in custody frequently noted wanting programs which provide opportunities to participate in current popular social activities, such as playing specific video games or watching current popular movies. This would not only offer them stimulation and social connection while in custody but would ensure they could connect and have things in common with other young adults in the community after their release.

Young people serving both community and custodial sentences wanted programming that provided opportunities to learn and develop healthy relationship skills, including through engagement in prosocial leisure activities. For example, one young adult serving a community sentence spoke of needing a balance of working with program staff to understand and address their offending behaviour, while also having opportunities to develop social skills and participate in social activities where they could “have fun and relax.” Another who was serving a custodial sentence suggested supports for young parents:

“Parenting classes would also be good. It’s tough having kids at a younger age. You need to learn how to better yourself to be a better parent and better person overall – son, friend, boyfriend, husband, etc. It could look like a group that meets up once or twice a week and exchange stories – plus a worksheet maybe. Everyone is supporting each other, rather than there being this fight-or-flight mentality there could be space to gather together and connect.”

Participants regularly cited boredom as the hardest thing to deal with when incarcerated. Several also noted that younger adults seemed to struggle with boredom more than older ones. All felt that they should have additional opportunities to exercise, expend their pent-up energy and keep busy.

“Before COVID, I was doing work in the kitchen…it was pretty awesome and I got really good at cooking…Right now, I spend most of my time just watching TV, playing cards, there’s not much going on. I do wish there was more going on to pass the time, because if not we’re just shittin’ away the day.”

One young adult felt that counselling programs should be adapted for 18–25-year-olds to reflect their unique developmental stage.

“Counselling should be available but with specific elements in place for younger people in custody, and the counsellor should understand that not everyone is the same and you don’t think like a 40-year-old ‘cause you are still working through trauma and [other things].”

Allow young people on remand to participate in programming

A few young adults noted that they had been on remand in an adult correctional facility for an extended period of time. During this time, they had not been allowed to participate in programing, which had left them feeling “forgotten” and “like [they] don’t matter.” Being excluded from programing also led to feelings of boredom, isolation and frustration which young adults said had been detrimental to their mental health, as well as to their chances of acquiring the skills and tools they would need to prevent them from reoffending. They recommended permitting remand prisoners to fully participate in programming.

“I got remanded for so long and I didn’t get a chance to do none of the programs they give the guys who have been sentenced. I didn’t get to experience the substance abuse stuff, anger management, none of it. So, then the remand guys go back out into the community worse than they came in and go right back to doing drugs because they didn’t get any of the help they needed… It would be better if there were some programs for people on remand because you don’t get any programs at all. In the remand units, you’re basically just fed three times a day and can visit the canteen and talk to people. You can order puzzles and once you’re done one puzzle you can just order another. But that’s it. You start to kind of lose it a bit and you can’t get any help.”

Focus on building employment skills

The majority of young adults who participated in this project spoke of the need for more opportunities to build their employment skills. Young men in particular emphasized the importance of having a job to reduce their chances of recidivism, and of wanting to acquire the skills and experience in custody which could help them to secure and maintain employment when they returned to the community.

“I just did a roofing course [in custody]. Got my first-year ticket for roofing, so that’s pretty good. It would help if they would do more stuff like that. I think if they offered more trades programs, things that would help for when we get out, that would be beneficial.”

“One thing I could say is we need more job skill trainings…any kind of training to help us younger ones get a job when we get out. Before, I personally would go to Bladerunners or Bridges [Bridges to Employment Program]. They personally help with job training and helping you get to different job sites and help you get equipment. A lot of guys don’t know about those programs, so it would be good to have those kinda things here [in custody], too. Or maybe a connection to Bladerunners or Bridges or something…like they come and present to the guys. I think it’s all been a really big help when I get out.”

The opportunity to engage in paid employment or work release programs was also felt to be particularly beneficial to emerging adults, including those on remand. In addition to building valuable skills and experience they could add to their résumé, young adults could earn some money which could help to set them up when released from custody. One specific suggestion was to have a coffee shop run by young adults serving a custodial sentence where those who had limited or no previous work experience could learn the demands and responsibilities of having a job, develop barista skills and make some money. Another suggestion was the following:

“Young guys need work programs where instead of being locked in a cell all day, they create a program where you’re going to a full-time or minimum wage or labour job. Like, hey, you can either sit in your cell all day or actually work instead of just wasting away. There’s lot of warehouse jobs open, so why don’t you take a bunch of the young inmates–the ones that have proven themselves to be fit and sane–to work at a warehouse for like five hours. Somewhere where you’re getting skills but also where you’re actually making minimum wage that you can keep for when you get out.”

Young adults serving a community sentence also wished there was a greater focus on building employment skills and gaining work experience.

“I want to be a carpenter or a woodworker…an artist…or something like that and when I was in custody, I learned how to do those things. We don’t have that stuff here so yeah; I wish we had those things so I could keep learning and getting better… I want to earn some money and also, I want to get some job skills. I’ve never had a real job and I’m afraid I won’t have any skills. I’m 18 and I’d like to at least have something…something to show for myself.”

Offer relevant educational courses

Young adults with experience of the adult criminal justice system noted that while many of their same-age peers were graduating college or trade school, those who were incarcerated had often not graduated from high school. They felt that custody could offer a wider range of opportunities for young adults to continue their formal education. This included being able to pick up their studies from the point where they left off in the community, and having opportunities to pursue specific courses they needed for their career choice.

“I wish there were more learning programs, especially for the younger people when your brain’s still fresh and you’re not totally messed up, just to give you a shot at some kind of job or something. I wouldn’t mind doing my school here again and just graduating. It helps open doors for when I get out and that’s all I’m focused on.”

“I’m moving through the courses too fast and it feels like I’m being held back. I want to do a science course but they don’t offer it. If I can’t do it now, it means that I’m gonna be spending my own money to catch up later.”

Participants also suggested access to more educational resources which directly related to employment qualifications, including textbooks and other resources that could help them to get various types of commercial driving licenses. A few suggested that courses supporting young adults to gain skills in jobs where there were labour shortages would be particularly beneficial. They felt this would increase their chances of securing employment, as they perceived employers may be more willing to hire candidates with a criminal record to such positions.

Several young adults noted they had been completing an educational course or program prior to being discharged from custody. When they later returned to custody, they had to start the course again, meaning they had often done the same curriculum multiple times. They suggested that programming records could be kept which documented their progress through a course, and would allow them to pick up where they had left off, if they returned to custody. This would increase the likelihood of them completing the course.

Address trauma and other root causes of offending

Participants spoke of the need for a more therapeutic approach to programing for young adults where they could work on the root causes of their offending behaviours such as trauma, mental health challenges, substance use and the impact of poverty. This would include increased access to counselling and appropriate therapy.

“It’s called a corrections centre, right? They’re not correcting anything. They’re not correcting the things you need to not re-offend.”

“I felt like I should have been placed in a treatment centre for addiction instead of being placed back in custody. There’s not much support in custody for those struggling with addiction. There’s a drug and alcohol counsellor but they will only get you so far. There needs to be more programming around addictions and mental health.”

A couple of young adults suggested a need for programming which could support 18–25-year-olds to work through the specific trauma and challenges of having a family history of criminal justice involvement. They felt such programming would assist young adults to understand how their relative’s relationship with the justice system might have impacted their own behaviour.

“One of the biggest gaps, especially for young people, is that there is no active programming for family issues, like to respond to past trauma or the potential trauma that can come from having a loved one incarcerated… That kind of support could really help some of the younger people who are less stuck in their ways. They might be more open to change, more malleable.”

Develop and maintain links to community

Young adults appreciated programs in custody that they could continue in the community, and wished there could be more of these programs. For example, one described how being able to access Narcotics Anonymous in custody helped prepare them to access this support when they returned to the community. This continuity had in turn assisted them to maintain the sobriety they had established while in custody.

Young adults who were currently incarcerated wanted opportunities to establish links with the local community during their time in custody, and to contribute to that community.

“I was watching a documentary about a jail in the US and the inmates trained service dogs or seeing eye dogs. I think it’s good for giving inmates some meaning in their day, but it also makes a difference… That was a women’s jail and it gave them more skills for when they get released, and also meant they had a connection to the outside.”

Those who had experienced such opportunities had appreciated them. For example, one Indigenous young adult spoke of the satisfaction and pride he had felt from making baby moccasins which were donated to single mothers in the local community. He felt like this was a way for him to contribute to that community.

Participants also noted the importance of establishing links within the specific community to which a young adult serving a custodial sentence would be released. They felt that through opportunities to build connections, young adults could receive support to find accommodation and secure employment in the community prior to their discharge.

“One free [phone]call a day would help for inmates that are trying to set up their life…to be able to call landlords or job sites. Nobody wants to accept a [collect] call from prison – it’s too expensive. If guys could make a call a day, they could slowly set up everything they need for when they get out.”

Young adults from rural communities spoke of the need to be able to maintain connections to their home community. They felt that an enforced separation from their home and family could be particularly challenging for young adults, as this was a time in their life when they were maturing and changing.

“It’s too far for my aunties to visit, and too expensive. They have to save for it to come down here. I could call them but I just miss them more, so I don’t do that a lot. I wish I could see them more…be closer to them. My family are a big part of my life and I feel like that’s really missing. By the time I get home, it’ll be like a year since I left, a lot happens in a year. You grow a lot. I’m a different person now, and sometimes I’m afraid that they’re going to be different too.”

Provide access to nature

Several participants with experience of adult correctional facilities spoke of a desire for more outdoor programming and access to nature. They also suggested reducing the concrete in the outdoor spaces at such facilities and adding more greenery, including trees and gardens.

“No adult inmate ever really gets to see the grass. Even when we’re outside, we’re like in a zoo pen, with four concrete walls. Humans need nature. We need to be able to touch a tree.”

Indigenous young people with experience of adult correctional facilities also specifically noted wanting the opportunity to have a greater connection to the land and nature during their time in custody. For example, one stated:

“We need more out programs like gardening and taking care of the land. I’d even do it in the [correctional centre] yard. Just having more knowledge, more First Nations knowledge and sharing of medicines and ways that we [Indigenous people] used to live, and looking at how to work on [growing] traditional foods.”

Provide an induction and advertise available resources

Young adults talked about the need for an induction program which they could access when they first entered custody. The program could explain the rules of the institution, their own personal sentence requirements, the programming available to them, and how to access the programs and services they might need.

“I know people try to prepare you for the transition back into your community, but what’s harder is the transition into your sentence. All of a sudden, you’re thrown in jail or have to move to a care home and you don’t know what’s happening or what to expect. It can be a really hard transition.”

Young adults also commonly noted that when in an adult correctional facility, they had missed out on programs because they were unaware that these were taking place until it was too late to secure a place. Their suggestions to improve awareness included providing information booklets, as well as having posters throughout the facilities. These resources could highlight when the program was being offered, how to register and how it could be useful.

“It’s not fair, you only hear about [programs] from other inmates, but it’s not advertised. There’s no pegboard saying, ‘this is what you can do.’ So you fill out a form, but the old guys have taken all the spots already.”

Provide consistent and up-to-date programming

Several young adults noted that programs they had found particularly beneficial were often impacted by a lack of staff or resources, which had been exacerbated since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Examples included woodwork and employment training programs such as forklift driving. This meant there were long gaps when the program was not offered, or it was cancelled altogether. A couple also noted that the curriculum should be updated, as often if they repeated a course, possibly outdated materials were still in use.

“All [the courses] are pretty useful but they should be updated. Respectful Relationships course was from 2018. They just need to update everything to get more people to take it and then get better feedback.”

Learn from successful youth custody programs and approach

Almost all participants who had experienced youth custody felt that there were practices and programs in the youth system that would be beneficial for young adults in the adult correctional facilities. These included pre-employment skills programs, group activities such as baking and decorating for special occasions, and access to a range of sports. They also appreciated the relationship building between residents and between staff and residents that was part of their experience in youth custody. Among those who had experienced both the youth and adult custody systems, even those who felt programming in the adult system had been the most beneficial had appreciated the trauma-informed, therapeutic and respectful approach to programming that teachers and staff took within the youth system.

“Working out outside and doing sports, especially group sports like the Terry Fox run, are really good in [youth custody]. I think you really need that sort of thing when you are locked up, especially when you are young.”

Support with transition planning

Young adults who were nearing the end of their custodial sentence noted feeling anxious and under-prepared for their return to the community. They were scared of returning to the behaviours and peers that had led them into conflict with the law. Some spoke of having no transition plan, no discharge address, and not knowing what to expect when they left custody. Without support to address these issues, they feared they would likely return to custody. Several also noted that although they had found the addictions programing useful while incarcerated, they did not feel they had received sufficient access to substance use supports to make a difference to their behaviour when they got out.

“People are not prepared for that transition. They are just told that they’re getting released and there’s no plan or nothing. They just ask you if you want a bus ticket or a cab to take you where you need to go. But if you don’t have a place to go, you’re just lost. I’m nervous for when I get my release. I hear all the others’ stories because they just end up right back in here…You need help to prepare for going back out but you don’t get it and then you come right back here.”

“At our age we need structure and support to make changes to yourself when you come to custody. 18–25-year-olds need to be given support on how to prepare to transition back out into the community.”

Summary

Young people were generally appreciative of the programming available to them when they were able to access it. In addition to suggesting better advertising and availability of programs, they had a number of suggestions to make programming more relevant to young adults, including increasing the focus on building employment skills and experience; as well as providing more opportunities for young adults to spend time outside and in nature, develop life skills, address the root causes of their offending behaviour, and participate in current age-appropriate leisure and social activities.