Service Oxygène
Guidance
With this service, we offer support to older inmates who are incarcerated in a federal penitentiary in Quebec or who have been released into the community.
Who is the Service Oxygène for ?
- Individuals aged 50 and over who are involved in the justice system.
- Those who have been sentenced to life imprisonment or a long sentence, or who have been incarcerated at an advanced age.
- Those who are unable to leave prison, either because they are reluctant to apply for release or because physical or mental health concerns make their release problematic.
- Who are already living in the community and are experiencing difficulties adjusting as a result of their incarceration, any other crisis situation, or due to the deterioration of their physical/mental health.
Our Goals
- Collaborate with the Correctional Service of Canada and the community to provide clientele with services tailored to their needs and aimed at achieving the best possible quality of life.
- Promote independence by assessing each individual's level of autonomy and enabling them to take on new challenges that can lead to successful reintegration into society.
- Promote accountability and commitment to pro-social values and norms.
- Maintain partnerships with other community stakeholders (halfway houses, senior citizen organizations, volunteers, etc.) and correctional services (detention centres, area parole offices, Community Correctional Centers, etc.) to support clients' social reintegration efforts.
Our Services
Service Oxygène encourages incarcerated individuals and parolees to actively participate in their reintegration into the community by directing them to available community resources and programs.
We maintain supportive and collaborative relationships with correctional officers in institutions and the community, while staying informed about the policies and guidelines of the Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC).
We aim to help each person prepare for the next stage of their life, such as transitioning to a new community, releasing from a community, developing autonomy, or relocating to another housing resource, etc.
Residential placement support is at the heart of our concerns. Referrals for placements are made to community residential facilities or any other resource (senior residences, shelters, etc.) able to accommodate the target clientele.
Additional services
We also offer support in finding employment, housing and any other services that enable individuals to meet their basic needs.
We work to raise awareness among the public and the correctional and community networks about the geriatric and criminogenic issues faced by elderly individuals in the justice system.
Our Front-Line Workers
Service Oxygène workers meet with incarcerated individuals and parolees who are facing difficulties, working with them to help develop positive and constructive relationships with Correctional Service Canada and community sector resources.
With their extensive knowledge of the various networks, our workers can suggest alternatives to incarceration in cases of behavioural disruption, particularly for those who are already living in the community.
Satellite Apartments
Our satellite apartments are welcoming places where individuals can slowly adjust to returning to and remaining in the community. They welcome men aged 50 and over who have spent several years in prison. We promote a humanistic and individualized approach that encourages social reintegration.
Where in Montreal
- Saint-Henri Leo's Boys Residence
- Mercier/Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Maison Jacqueline Verrette
Our Satellite Apartments
Located in Montreal, these apartments are in the Saint-Henri district (Leo's Boys Residence) and the Mercier/Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district (Maison Jacqueline Verrette).
Description
To preserve their warm, family atmosphere, our satellite apartments accommodate a maximum of 9 to 10 men serving federal sentences.
Services and Activities
The Clinical Director of Service Oxygène is responsible for the overall operation of the satellite apartments, while an animator oversees their day-to-day operations. Together, they ensure that these apartments remain pleasant living environments and promote resident accountability.
Our Philosophy
Living with other individuals who share a common history and background is reassuring for new residents. It allows them to gradually adapt to their new environment without suddenly losing their sense of security and belonging.
Length of Stay
The length of stay depends on each individual and their ability to acquire sufficient autonomy to reintegrate into the community in a satisfactory manner. This period is reassessed every six months.
Maison Joe-Mell
The primary objective of Maison Joe Mell is to provide subsidized housing for elderly individuals in the judicial system (aged 50 and over), including both men and women, who are vulnerable, struggling with the aftermath of institutionalization, and have reduced levels of functional and decision-making autonomy. Since July 2023, Maison Joe Mell has been offering subsidized housing through the Office municipal habitation de Montréal (OMHM).
Our Apartments
We have fifteen semi-furnished 3½-room apartments. All apartments are equipped with air conditioning, a stove, a refrigerator and an air exchange system.
Eligibility Criteria :
- Participate in a community support follow-up meeting with a Maison Joe Mell worker and contribute to the collective life of the building.
- Be 50 years old or more
- Have a criminal record
- Must sign the lease and building regulations
- Be autonomous enough to live alone
- Undergo a selection interview conducted by the Maison Joe Mell selection committee
- Have a total gross income equal to or less than the amount set by the OMHM for an individual living alone
- Have lived in Quebec for the past two years.
- Must not be a recipient of an OMHM subsidy whose lease has been terminated due to eviction, non-payment of a debt to the landlord, or following a ruling by the Tribunal administratif du logement