John Howard Society of London and District

The John Howard Society (JHS) of London and District is a not-for-profit, community service organization dedicated to helping individuals and families who are at risk of, or who have come into conflict with the law in and around London.

“When people enter the justice system, they can lose their property, their supports or whatever positive aspects of their life they had in place prior to going into custody,” says Courtney Coqu, Institutional Worker at JHS London & District. “And then they get out of the criminal justice system without very much support, without job opportunities or affordable housing – and then they’re on the streets.”

With a $300,000 Community Vitality Grant, JHS London & District will continue to address this dire need by providing emergency hotel stays alongside access to supports for reintegration including mental health, addictions, basic-needs, system navigation and finding long-term housing solutions for individuals recently released from custody who are facing homelessness – an under-served and often ignored population.

“Every individual in society is worth something and everybody can contribute in their own way,” says Courtney. “These individuals are perpetually stigmatized. There's just barrier after barrier that they have to overcome in order to exit that revolving door of crime and punishment.”

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, JHS London & District observed a greater need for a more comprehensive network of support for people exiting the criminal justice system. In response, they established the Pandemic Reintegration Support Program. This pilot project, supported by United Way Elgin Middlesex through the Emergency Community Support Fund, offered much of the same services that will be a part of the full project to 27 individuals over a period of 10 months. JHS London & District connected with the individuals while they were in custody so that they were fully supported upon their release.

And without help from a host of community partners, this wouldn’t have been possible.

“London InterCommunity Health Centre did our COVID-19 testing, and then often clients were able to get follow-up appointments if they had any medical concerns,” says Courtney. “If somebody wanted to address their addictions, we referred them to Addiction Services of Thames Valley, and Youth for Christ provided all of our meals. It was a wraparound community response and our clients definitely felt that.”

With this new program in place, the hope is to foster a community where people aren’t trapped in a cycle of crime and homelessness, but are instead seen and treated as valued members of the society.

“With the right supports, a person can start rebuilding – can feel their worth in society,” says Courtney. “These individuals are ready to change their lives, ready to seek addiction support or return to work or to develop relationships with their family again. We want to show the community just how valuable each of these people are.”