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Prairie Region

SMI Participates in Community Conference

By Gaylene Romero, Parole Officer, Stony Mountain Institution

Stony Mountain Institution (SMI) staff used professional development days to partner with the community in a conference held by the Winnipeg Native Women's Transition Centre, celebrating its 25th anniversary and focusing on family violence.

As invited exhibitors, SMI staff managed an information booth that showcased CSC programming such as the High/Moderate Intensity Family Violence and the In Search of Your Warrior Program. There was also specific information on Ni-Miikana (the Aboriginal Healing Unit within SMI) that provided insight into CSC's rehabilitative initiatives.

Viewers learned about programs available for inmates. One conference participant remarked that she now had an understanding of what was offered to her incarcerated husband and felt better knowing that he wasn't just warehoused inside a federal institution. "He needs to learn how to treat not only women but all people in a more humane way," she commented. "At least I know now that help is there for him."

The conference saw a successful turnout of community groups and interested individuals during the two-day event. SMI had a colourful, educational booth which clearly enhanced CSC's professional image and the positive working relationship between community and institution, a goal for which the Service continually strives.