We neither judge nor lead.
We come alongside to help people move forward.

A RESTORATIVE APPROACH IS HUMAN-CENTERED


When criminalized people (re)integrate into society with a stable home and job, they have a chance to heal, along with their families and communities.

We fill the practical gaps that may stand between them and a positive restart—from ‘boots and a resume’ to whatever people need to grow beyond poverty and their own history to find a new path.

During a sentence or beyond, we balance personal and systemic history with accountability.

A trauma-informed approach helps criminalized people and those impacted by crime to move forward. Since 1950, The John Howard Society of Nova Scotia (the unceded territory known as Mi’kma’ki) has worked to improve wellness and self-determination during and after incarceration. We believe:

  1. Justice redresses the past. Relationships heal and renew for the future. We connect individuals, communities, and systems for sustainable change, policy, and relationships.

  2. We incorporate diverse voices. Nova Scotia features long-standing Mi’kmaq, Black, and immigrant communities. We encourage and support people of all backgrounds.

  3. We believe clear, compassionate communication can make incarceration a turning point of positive change. We work at this intersection in the spirit of deep respect.

  4. We actively examine and re-examine for a better way forward. We innovate for excellence in service delivery to individuals, communities, and systems.

  5. We challenge injustice, advocating for better balance, fairness, access, and representation, and for policies that improve justice for all who come in contact with it.

  6. We are open, honest, and accountable. At every step we work to earn trust and promote accountability among incarcerated people and their families and communities.

“This is such tender territory, a place where we need to acknowledge the suffering our people have sustained without demonizing and alienating the ones who bought it, for they are now part of the ones in our care as well.”

— Bonnie Badenoch