A year after Summerside denies halfway house proposal, a look at the company's Moncton facility

P.E.I. doesn't have a place for people who are serving time, but have been granted the ability to stay in a halfway home.

Those eligible to use such a facility have to stay in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia.

There are twoin Moncton, New Brunswick one of which is a non-profit.

The other halfway home is run by a private company, Atlantic Human Service Inc., andcan houseup to 21 men.

Cannell House on Church Street takes in all levels of offenders, said Director Krista Leger.

"We do not accept anyone here unless they are referred to us through the Moncton parole office, through Correctional Service of Canada," she said.

Leger gets a weekly list of applicants and reviews their cases.

Cases reviewed

She said she looks to see what their institutional behaviour was like, if they've successfully completed required programs and to see if their parole officer supports the idea.

"I work in conjunction with the other halfway house in Moncton, with the RCMP, and the Moncton parole office," Leger said.

People have stayed as long as five years, others just one night.

No matter how long the stay, Leger said they are accountable for their whereabouts 24 hours a day, seven days a week for as long as they're there.

"We have procedures in place that help us monitor where they are, and what they're doing and who they're with. Rightdown to what kind of vehicles they're in or driving," she said.

Residents who are going to work can sign out but are required to say where they are going to work and the contact number, as well as when they'll return.

Spot checks can be done if administrators feel residents aren't being truthful.

New residents to the halfway home who may not have a jobbut want to volunteer, can sign out forthree hours at a time and are limited to three places.

"If they give a false location or are found to be somewhere else, once we have that information and it's verified thereare typically repercussions from that. They can be grounded or have a reduced curfew forone night and it can go up from there," said Leger.

The lack of half-way homes on the Island meansbetween 2 to 4 men from the P.E.I. typically stay atCannell House.

Operations managerHeather Johnson said sometimes knowing you have friends or family who can help you get to an interview can mean a lot.

"They're willing to put themselves out there a little bit more, to get back and reintegrate into the community when they havefriends and family around them. If they don't have that support system, there's no point to applying for that job because I can't get there to do the interview anyway," she said.

Halfway home denied in Summerside

Last year Atlantic Human Services Inc. tried to get approval for a halfway house in Summerside, but the plan didn't go through.

"The needs are there, that hasn't changed," saidJoffre Theriault, who runs the organization.

Theriaultsaid lessons were learned, and they are looking to try again.

"We will be meeting with a lot of the representatives from the Island ...to kind of discuss a strategy and try to make sure that we don't repeat similar mistakes that was done in the past," he said.

This time around Theriault said he's really hoping to educate others on the system, and neighbours that live beside the facility are also part of the plan.

Theriault said they have what they call agood neighbour policy, so if there are ever any concerns they respond.

Peter Koreckihave lived next to Cannell Housefor two years, and said there have been no issues.

"No noise and the patrons at the halfway house are very, very respectful and polite," he said.

The City of Summersidesaid there is nothing it can comment on now, but added it would revisit the idea ifcircumstances change.

Correctional Service Canada said in 2021-2022, the cost for housing a parolee at a community based residential facility was $81,905, which includes the cost of supervision.