Let's Talk

Reasoning and Rehabilitation

BY G. Chartier, Communications Officer, Communications and Citizen Engagement

Photo: Gabriel Viscardi

From 6 to 9 p.m., Community Program Officer George Asiamah runs the Reasoning and Rehabilitation program out of the Toronto East Parole Office. Seven offenders participate in the program, which Asiamah delivers three times a week.

This is just a small component of Asiamah’s duties. In addition, he participates in ongoing training to enhance his skills, delivers other programs and is a panel member on the Program Board meetings — just to name a few of his other commitments.

On a typical day, Asiamah may attend a weekly Program Board meeting at his office located within the Keele Community Correctional Centre (CCC) building. During this meeting, the head of Correctional Programs, a program officer, a parole supervisor and a parole officer examine and discuss program referrals, the programming needs of each offender, and the suitability and availability of the referred program.

“We look at the appropriateness of a program, given the dynamic and static risk factors of the offender,” says Asiamah.

The Keele CCC accommodates offenders with residency conditions, offenders on day parole, and those who chose to voluntarily reside there. It also accommodates the parole offices of Keele CCC, managers, chaplaincy and security staff.

Asiamah delivers programs to offenders residing in the Keele CCC and also to those being supervised out of one of the Greater Toronto Area parole offices. In addition to running the Reasoning and Rehabilitation Program, Asiamah delivers correctional programs such as Anger and Emotion Management, the National Substance Abuse Program, and the Moderate Intensity Family Violence Prevention Program.

“Having family and family contact helps motivate offenders,” says Asiamah. “It’s a factor that helps them stay focused on their goals and perform well in each program.”

Asiamah became a community program officer for CSC in the Greater Toronto Area after working for two years delivering programs at the medium-security Warkworth Institution in Campbellford, Ontario. Now, just as when he first started four years ago at Warkworth, George hopes that each offender will succeed.

“I took it too personally at first,” he says. He now believes an offender’s relative success depends upon the effort and commitment he/she is willing to make. ♦