Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies

Thank you to Latasha () and Christophe () for sharing your knowledge, stories, and visions for more just futures. We’re honoured to have your voices and work be part of this year’s conference.

Our second and final day of the conference has come to a close! Today’s presentations continued to explore the many ways systems of punishment and criminalization shape our communities, with conversations on carceral geography, disability justice, restorative justice, resistance inside and beyond prison, the penal voluntary sector, and the dynamics of power and punishment.

This evening, we were honoured to hear from Desmond Cole, whose closing keynote challenged us to reflect on the practices that consciously and unconsciously reinforce racism, particularly anti-Black racism, within mainstream Canadian media. We then closed the conference with a deeply moving ceremony, “MMIWG2S and Indigenous Men: Love and Witnessing,” featuring poetry, jingle and fancy shawl dance, and drumming from the Auntie Social Singers.

Over these two days, “Connecting Paths” was reflected not only in the themes of the conference, but in the relationships, conversations, and moments of collective witnessing shared throughout the space. Thank you to everyone who presented, attended, organized, performed, and contributed to making this gathering so meaningful.

We’re so proud to highlight the amazing work of our community members and the Prison Health Research Council!

Led by people with lived experience of incarceration, this work is creating space for community leadership, collaboration, and real change in prison health research.

We’re honoured to see this work shared at this conference and grateful for the care, vision, and lived expertise behind it. 💜

Our first full day of the conference is complete! Last night opened in a powerful way with songs and drumming from the Strong Water Singers, storytelling from Patty Krawec, nourishing food from Nokomis Eve’s Traditional Food, and an engaging session from the Coalition Against Proposed Prisons that encouraged us to continue organizing against jail expansion.

Today’s presentations explored the many ways systems of criminalization shape our social world, with conversations on generative justice, policing and governance, prison education, s*x work and labour, homelessness, borders, and the health harms connected to carceral systems. Throughout the day, the conference theme of “Connecting Paths” came to life as speakers highlighted the encounters, relationships, and shared struggles that influence how we imagine safety, justice, and collective care. What a great first day!

We’re so proud to share that several CAEFS staff and volunteers are attending and presenting at this year’s Critical Perspectives conference! Over the next few days, we’ll be highlighting the incredible work being done by members of our team and community.

Today, we’re spotlighting Cathee and Kelsey and their deeply important presentation exploring abolition democracy, generative justice, participatory action research, and the power of food to build webs of care and community. Grounded in work with and for women on parole, this project asks how food justice can support dignity, wellbeing, mutual aid, and connection — all around a kitchen table.

We’re honoured to see this work shared in conversation with so many thoughtful organizers, researchers, and community builders. 💜

1st day of Connecting Paths University! Stay tuned for CAEFS social media take over as we follow the conference 😎

Hi! Liz here, CAEFS' Admin Assistant. I'm taking over CAEFS social media accounts for the next few days to bring you along with me to the 15th National Conference of Critical Perspectives in Criminology and Social Justice. Swipe through to learn more!

Join Peer support and Taylor in the W.E.Hub at 5:00 pm tonight for the SisterHood Support Circle. This group meets weekly and discusses a variety of topics.

L’ACSEF est porteuse d’espoir en participant cette semaine à la réunion des ministres fédéraux, provinciaux et territoriaux responsables des droits de la personne à Regina aux côtés de ses collègues de la société civile. Pour comprendre pourquoi, passez aux diapositives deux et trois

CAEFS is hopeful to be at the federal/provincial/territorial human rights ministers meeting in Regina this week alongside our civil society colleagues. Check out why in slides 2 and 3!