Prison Chaplaincy
In the 2021 Canada Census, Muslims made up 4.9% of the population in Canada. In that same year, the Correctional Services of Canada released a report indicating that Muslims made up 7.6% of the prison population in Canada. Our work, at IslamicFamily, is focused on understanding the needs of Muslim behind bars, what spiritual and cultural services are offered to those incarcerated, and how we can advocate for better care and accommodation to our brothers and sisters in prison.
JOIN A WORKSHOP
Join us for a three-part series exploring the Canadian Justice System, and understanding the needs of Muslims in prison. We will be engaging our hearts in learning the Prophetic way of cultivating empathy and care for our Muslim community behind bars, and those who are re-entering society after incarceration. This series will be led by Imam Navaid Aziz.
Registration information coming soon!
RESEARCH
Federal prison chaplaincy services in Canada experienced a major shift in 2013 when the Conservative federal government announced that a single private company would be contracted to recruit and oversee chaplains serving in federal institutions (Beckford & Cairns, 2015). This was a departure from the previous model in which the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) provided a number of contracts to various faith communities who were then responsible for hiring, training and overseeing the work of their respective chaplains (Beckford & Cairns, 2015).
There has been concern about how the outsourcing of federal prison chaplaincy services to a single company, Bridges of Canada, has potentially impacted the quality of spiritual care available to prisoners.
