Prisoners’ Justice Day 2025
REGINA, Sask. — In collaboration with our partners, Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan, Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan, and Community Legal Assistance Services for Saskatoon Inner City (CLASSIC), John Howard Society of Saskatchewan (JHSS) recognizes Prisoner’s Justice Day, August 10, 2025, in solidarity with prisoners and justice organizations across the country, working to advocate for prisoner’s rights.
Prisoners in federal and provincial prisons have the right to be treated with dignity. They have the right to humane conditions, due process, and the same quality of healthcare and mental health services as everyone else. They must be permitted to meaningfully connect with their families and cultures.
“Our clients continually face barriers to these services and today is a day that we remember the high cost prisoners have paid—in some cases, their lives—due to a lack of supports within the criminal justice system,” says Chantelle Johnson, Executive Director of CLASSIC.
Setting up prisoners for success on the outside, means doing the same on the inside.
“Reducing recidivism means acknowledging that prisoners are human beings,” says Pierre Hawkins, JHSS Public Legal Counsel. “To get them on their feet upon release we need to provide supports to them while they’re in jail, particularly through education, skills-training healthcare and access to family.”
Canada’s Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism and its five identified pillars of support for people in prison—housing, education/skills-training, employment, health and positive social networks—is an important guiding light on prisoners’ needs for policymakers and government.
However, cycles of reoffending continue due to a lack of supports for prisoners’ at the federal and provincial levels.
“We know what it takes to reduce recidivism,” says Shawn Fraser, JHSS CEO, “but resources are sorely lacking for thousands of people leaving Saskatchewan institutions every year. “JHSS and partner organizations strive to make a difference with our programs, but it’s important to recognize how far we still have to go on days like this.”
JHSS’ Adults Reintegrating in Community (ARC) program and Elizabeth Fry’s Community Reintegration Program are two programs that have proven successful in reducing recidivism. Learn about more services at sk.johnhoward.ca and elizabethfrysask.org.
Prisoner’s Justice Day is an annual movement recognizing the rights of prisoners’ worldwide. The movement originated in Canada, after the death of Eddie Nalon on Aug. 10, 1974, in the segregation unit of Millhaven Maximum Security Prison in Bath, Ontario. Eddie died by suicide after repeated requests to leave segregation and the failure of prison administration to communicate with Eddie that his final request to move had been granted. A year later, Millhaven prisoners refused to work and held a hunger strike, both offences that led to prisoners’ being placed in segregation. On May 21, 1976, Bobby Landers died from a heart attack in segregation at Millhaven when the medical emergency system in the prison failed. August 10 came to be recognized internationally in the 80s and 90s.
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Shawn Fraser
Chief Executive Officer
John Howard Society of Saskatchewan
306-520-2689
sfraser@sk.johnhoward.ca
sk.johnhoward.ca
Carly Romanow
Executive Director & Staff Lawyer
Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan
(306) 569-3098
carly.romanow@pblsask.ca
pblsask.ca
Chantelle Johnson B.A., L.L.B.
Executive Director
CLASSIC Inc.
(306) 657-6100
Chantelle_j@classiclaw.ca
classiclaw.ca
Nicole Obrigavitch, B.A., L.L.B.
Executive Director
Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan
(306) 668-0600
