The Untold Stories of Canadian Black Lives: Faith and Former Prisoner Reintegration

• In Event: Roundtable: Critical Criminology

Abstract

Formerly incarcerated Black men’s re-entry experiences in Canada are a significant social and political concern, particularly within Toronto. According to the Office of the Correctional Investigator, “Black inmates are one of the fastest growing sub-populations in federal corrections” (Sapers, 2013). Despite this trend, Canadian research on the community reintegration of these men remains limited. This study aims to identify the individual, familial, community, and structural barriers that formerly incarcerated Black individuals in Canada encounter during their post-release reintegration. Using Visher and Travis's (2003) re-entry framework, this study analyzes the challenges Black men face after release by examining the dimensions influencing their reintegration experiences. Through semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with 42 Black men (aged 25–45), both currently and formerly incarcerated, and 14 community leaders engaged with this demographic, the research reveals that three of the four dimensions—individual, structural, and community—serve as obstacles to successful reintegration. Conversely, the familial dimension is recognized as a facilitator of positive reintegration, diverging from the assertions of Visher and Travis (2003). Furthermore, this study distinguishes between universal barriers that affect all formerly incarcerated individuals and race-specific barriers that distinctly hinder Black men as they reintegrate into society. The theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

Author

• Kadija Osei, University of Toronto