Description

The registered charity Mentorship – Aftercare – Presence (aka “MAP Reintegration”) seeks volunteers to work in teams that support the community reintegration of released offenders. See www.mapreintegration.ca. MAP Reintegration is Ottawa-based and has been active for 23 years and received a Community Safety Award in 2012.
Those who have been incarcerated often face the harsh reality of an uncertain future, with precarious prospects relating to developing healthy social contacts and economic security outside of the prison walls they have known.
While MAP Reintegration can’t take away all of the challenges of finding one’s way back into life after incarceration, we do offer a hand to help guide released offenders to stability and to anchor them in the community by providing friendship, mentoring and practical help. By being there for them, we can greatly reduce their risk of going off the rails and re-offending.
A police security clearance is required for volunteers, and MAP can help with that process if it is unfamiliar. MAP trains new volunteers and forms them into small teams of 3 – 4 people who are matched with an offender client. The normal process involves meeting weekly over coffee for approximately an hour, and support from experienced Board members and coaches is available as needed.