At the beginning, it was just me, Rachel, answering calls from inmates from Maplehurst Correctional Center in Milton, Ontario. In fact, Maplehurst is the biggest provincial jail in all of Canada. It houses people who have been charged with a crime but have not been sentenced or they have been sentenced and it is less than two years,

At first, way back in 2018, I was taking calls, listening to dreams, giving interpretations, and working on a book of dreams from inmates. One man, aged 22, started calling then and now, in December 2020, he’s been released and is still connecting.

Our organization has grown as our clients have grown. Now we have a post-release program as well for inmates who need some extra support as they transition to the community. Contact us for more information if you or your loved one would like more information on our post-release services.

Dear friends, members, clients & readers!

Back in March 2020, I posted an article about delivering food packages to potential Covid-19 suffers and then shortly afterwards I became ill as well for about three weeks with something doctors said resembled Covid-19 but I was never tested. Back then, tests were reserved for people working on the front lines, people suffering with severe breathing issues, and seniors. Since I didn’t fall into any of those categories I was instructed by the health specialists to self-isolate for 14 days and go to hospital if symptoms worsened.

At that time, I fell out of the habit of writing daily and I’m really surprised to look back and see the last post was in March. The good news is this – CTF is still operational, even though it has been affected by the pandemic as most organizations have. Here are some highlights of the past nine months:

• In July we held our first Annual General Meeting (AGM) through Zoom with participants from Ontario and British Columbia
• At our AGM we elected two new board members, bringing the total to four
• In September & October we launched a 19-Day Transformation Program in Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Center and we started looking into getting a 1-800 number
• As of December 2020 we have six phonelines available to a dozen jails in Ontario
• Throughout 2020 we connected with dozens of inmates & their families to promote transformation and personal growth
• Richard Hasting’s book Dreams For Peace, which introduces the Dreamwork approach which is now used in jails across Canada, is now available in 5 book stores in the lower mainland, in addition to being available online
• Some of our clients have been released from jail and have great success stories to share – they’ve gotten married, or are working in a chosen field, have completed their GED (high school) or other training programs, etc.

We are continually in awe of the strength, determination & enthusiasm for the inmates & families we work with. We thank everyone who has donated, volunteered, or contributed in some positive way to CTF clients throughout 2020. Time to put the year behind us and get ready for some new beginnings. You can look forward to more activity on this website, more updates, more information and exciting stories about transformation!

Firstly, the inmates who we help are the ones who want help. They are open-minded, positive people who have a lot to offer the world and they want to contribute to their communities. Also remember: most of the inmates in provincial jails are legally innocent of any crimes. They have been accused of something but they are innocent until proven guilty and they have not yet had their day in court. I’ve heard stories from dozens of inmates who have been charged with crimes they had nothing to do with. It’s important to keep this in mind when working with them. The worst case I’ve seen so far was a 27 year old man who had been incarcerated for 17 months and then went to court only to find all charges were dropped and he was released. He’ll never get those 17 months of his life back. This is the criminal justice system in Canada.

But for those inmates who have made mistakes and have drug or weapons charges, or maybe assault, or robbery, it is important not to label them as if they should only be defined by their mistakes. Every human being on this planet makes mistakes and we continually check our Selves for moral or lawful actions. When working with inmates I have found that not everyone who breaks the law is an “immoral” person and not everyone who’s made immoral choices is a “criminal”. This is an indepth and philosophical debate which I won’t get into now but what I mean to say is that I have met more inmates…these so-called “criminals”…who have a higher desire to transform, and a higher desire to transcend challenges than many citizens of the world. Too often, there are people living in the world, caught up in their ego-desires and corrupt inclinations who never see the inside of a jail cell. And all too often, there are good-hearted and well-meaning individuals who are trapped behind bars because of a system or a community who has failed them.

This is why I work with inmates. This is why I see the potential for growth & transformation even for people who are in jail.

One of the ways CTF has supported inmates in the past and what we hope to do more of in the future, is to help them overcome financial barriers to their own health & well-being. When a person has spent months or years in a provincial jail and is then transferred to a federal institution for the duration of their sentence, they often do not have the money or resources needed to get themselves established.

Federal institutions, or penitentiaries, are for people serving two years or more. When they are transferred into the pen, they can purchase a TV, a fan, headphones, as well as specific clothing items. For inmates who have endured additional mental health or medical issues while incarcerated, having access to their own TV is a huge asset to their mental well-being. Unfortunately, not all inmates have money saved to buy this pen package, and not all inmates have friends or family who can help them purchase this package. For this reason, CTF has offered to raise funds for inmates who need financial support for their pen package.

When CTF contributes to purchasing the pen package, the transfer of funds goes directly from CTF bank accounts to the Home Hardware store who then delivers the package to the inmates. This ensures that 100% of the funds are used only for the purchase & delivery of this package.

We carefully select the clients who qualify for our Inmate Support Fund, based on criteria such as their participation in our programs, their willingness to reflect on the nature of their charges, and their proven ability to demonstrate genuine change. We also look for inmates who promote our programs, who connect us with others, and who have contributed some value to CTF development. In this way, when we provide a pen package to an inmate, it is in recognition & appreciation for their contributions to our nonprofit efforts.

Currently, CTF is supporting a 32 year old native man, from Hamilton, who is going by J.H. His story and Go Fund Me page can be accessed at this link. We would be so grateful for any contributions – big or small – which can help J.H. during his transfer to a penitentiary. Please consider reading his story here and if you feel inspired to contribute that would be wonderful. It is the generous support of friends, families and community members which has moved CTF forward over the years, allowing us to continue growing & helping more and more people along the way.