B.C. boosts substance use and mental health supports for inmates leaving jail
The British Columbia government says inmates struggling with mental health and substance use will be supported after they leave jail by transition teams connected to all 10 of the province's correctional centres.
Mental Health and Addictions Minister Sheila Malcolmson says that's an increase from inmates at five facilities getting help with services like housing, health care, transportation and treatment when they are released.
The length of time those services are offered will triple to 90 days, and Malcolmson says communities would benefit from less crime by former inmates who are supported after leaving a correctional facility.
Malcolmson says more staff are being hired for transition teams, which include social workers, nurses, peer support workers and so-called patient navigators who are Indigenous.
She says incarcerated people who have substance use challenges have often lost their homes, jobs and connections with family, and are 12 times more likely to die of overdose following release.
The services are being bolstered based on recommendations in a recent report by a former Vancouver deputy police chief and an expert on mental health and the criminal justice system.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.