The road to reintegration for formerly incarcerated individuals comes with many barriers, from finding stable housing and employment to overcoming social stigma.
That’s why one Scarborough Village organization, The Second Chance Foundation, is working to help formerly incarcerated women reconnect with the community through its food bank, thrift store and mental health programming.
A 2025 report by the Canadian government found that 30 per cent of formerly incarcerated individuals experience homelessness within the first two years of release. Moreover, federally sentenced women have a higher incidence of substance abuse and mental health needs.
Beverly Dwyer, founder of The Second Chance Foundation, says, “Parole is harder than incarceration…a lot of women coming out of prison are warehoused.”
“There’s no support. I’ve known women who have reoffended just to go back in,” she adds.
A 2021 report by the John Howard Society of Ontario found that 70 per cent of individuals released from an Ontario correctional institution are discharged with no plan or support to get back on track.
“I have to report every three months to my parole officer. I have to get passes to wherever I want to go, right?” says Lee, a formerly incarcerated individual who now volunteers at The Second Chance Foundation.
“Ever since my previous job, I’ve been trying to find employment, but as soon as you sit here and you say [you have] a criminal record, it’s very challenging,” she adds.
Given the social and economic disadvantages that formerly incarcerated women face, The Second Chance Foundation aims to help them build community and reintegrate into society. The organization offers opportunities for them to contribute locally, including volunteering with residents at a food bank and thrift store throughout the week, as well as running events like back-to-school BBQs and Christmas toy drives.
In August this year, the foundation launched its first-ever women empowerment program run by a registered psychotherapist.
“These supports teach them skills and strategies that allow them to look at themselves with honesty and self-compassion, so that they can actually reclaim their narrative,” says Tracy D. Pryce, the registered psychotherapist who runs the program. “And then going into society, they will have the skills for assertive communication, boundaries. They know their values. They know how to manage stress, deal with anxiety, deal with burnout.”
The Second Chance Foundation hopes to continue to improve the quality of life for formerly incarcerated individuals across Toronto. Some of its plans include sending care packages with daily essentials to transitional housing for the formerly incarcerated, as well as restarting its mental health programming in January.
