Social services advocates in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., are voicing their concerns over the number of people who are released from jail and go straight into homelessness. The issue has prompted groups like the local John Howard Society and the Sault’s Social Services administration board to ask the province to open a Justice Centre in the city.
The centres were developed by the province to address the root causes of crime by offering integrated supports for people being released from custody and those with pending cases in the court system who have nowhere to go. Supports can include housing, addictions, mental health, education and employment services alongside the traditional justice system.