Bill Mudge Residence 138 Dallas Road, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1A3 Phone :( 250) 381-7949 Fax: (250) 381-5661 mudgecrf1@shaw.ca INTRODUCTION BOOKLET R.10 Introduction Our Philosophy The House Current Staff Applications Selection Process Intake Pass Programs Curfew Sign in Finances Medical Coverage Guests Medications Personal Belongings Security Police Reporting House/Room Checks Room Searches Parole Violations Fire Emergencies Contraband Termination Staff/Resident Meeting Case Conference Meeting Meals House Keeping Grievances Discharge Community Resources Victoria City Map 2 3 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 13 Introduction The guidelines contained in this booklet are in place to protect the environment and allow us to live in balance with one another. We created it so that you can make an informed decision as to where your needs can best be met while on parole. The Laren Society is a non-profit agency that ensures food, shelter, support systems, monitoring and interventions are in place to assist you with your transition to the community. Life at Mudge House provides you with a unique experience of re-establishing yourself in the community and moving to a self-supporting living situation. The neighbourhood is great and within walking distance of town. The house is comfortable and the meals are fantastic. Your support team is experienced and committed to working with you in developing and achieving your goals during your association with us. It's a partnership with a common purpose and it works! On behalf of the board, volunteers and staff members I wish to extend our welcome. Allan Turnbull House Director Our Philosophy We believe that the initiative to promote change comes from within and that everybody has the ability to become a productive member of our community. We believe in providing professional support, guidance and risk management to parolees in transition to the community. We believe that we are accountable to the community and have a responsibility to be the best we can be. We believe in promoting public awareness to the benefits of supervised community reintegration of offenders. The House The atmosphere is that of a private residence. Location Spacious heritage home in a quiet residential area overlooking the ocean in James Bay, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Ten to fifteen minute walk to the downtown area. Transportation Ample street parking and bus stop opposite the house. Description Main Floor: lining room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, office, 1 bedroom (single), full length veranda (enclosed) Upper Floor: 1 bathroom, 1 shower room, 4 bedrooms (2 single, 2 doubles) and full length open veranda Lower Floor: laundry room, secure storage room and 3 bedrooms (single) Exterior: Large Backyard (gardens and fish pond) large front yard Utilities Cable and Internet Connections Staff House Director Assistant Director Four Counselors Relief Staff There is a staff member on duty twenty-four hours a day. Staff members are easily accessible and will provide you with assistance when needed. Applications We accept applications from all federal and provincial institutions. It is up to you to establish contact with us by writing a letter explaining why you wish to come to Victoria. You also need to ask that you’re institutional parole officer request a community assessment from the Victoria parole office. Our committee meets twice a month to review candidates. It is also in your best interests to request a community assessment for all Victoria houses. The house director interviews candidates for residency at William Head every Tuesday at 12:30 in A unit and attends the info fairs twice a year in all federal institutions in Vancouver. A staff member also conducts interviews once a month at Wilkinson Road Selection Process Our selection committee is comprised of two society members and one member from the community at large. Priority will be given to those applicants who: Have demonstrated a commitment to change past patterns of behavior Have developed a realistic release plan Have earned the support of their institutional parole officer Show a willingness to participate in community based programming Do not pose a high risk to the community Intake On the day of your arrival staff will give you a tour of the house, read through our information booklet with you and gather information for our house file. You will also be issued bedding, towels and a room key. This process should take about an hour after which you need to meet with our house parole officer. You will be assigned a personal support counselor whom will meet with you on a regular basis to review your progress and do planning during your stay with us. Within ten days your personael support staff and your parole officer will meet with you to create your community correctional plan. This will entail identifying which programs you will be attending, special conditions and your goals during the period of your residency. Pass Programs The National Parole Board must initially approve you for leave privileges and reflect it in writing on your N.P.B. decision sheet. Your file must also contain a community assessment no older than 2 years on the person with whom you wish to stay. National Parole Board policy states that you may be granted 1 weekend pass after the first 30 days of residency, 2 after 60 days, 3 after 90 and 4 after 120. You must fill in a weekend pass request form and hand it in to a staff member prior to the staff-resident meeting on Monday nights. Requests are authorized by your parole officer on Thursdays. You are restricted to a 25-mile travel radius from the house. If you have a need to travel outside the radius for any reason you must request a special travel permit at least one week in advance from your parole officer. Curfews For the first month of residency curfews are 11PM Sunday to Thursday and 12AM Friday and Saturday. After the first month they are 12AM Sunday to Thursday and 1AM Friday and Saturday. For UTA’s curfew is set at 11PM each night. By CSC standards you have to be home for a minimum of 7 hours prior to leaving the house in the morning. Sign In For the first month of residency you are required to sign in between 4PM and 6PM daily. After the first month you are required to phone in unless otherwise directed by your parole officer. If you are late for your curfew or sign-in the duty officer will be advised and warrants may be issued. Finances Providing you have no source of income CSC will give you a weekly allowance of $28.00. ($4.00/day) You will begin accumulating the $4.00 a day from the time you arrive. Payday is every Monday night. Long distance telephone is free. Arrangements can be made with the YMCA for you to obtain a pass at a cost of $10.00 a month. The House will split the cost of a monthly bus pass with you for the first two months of residency. Medical Coverage You must apply for B.C. Medical coverage before leaving the institution. For dental, optometric and prescription coverage you must ask staff what the current C.S.C. policy is at the time of intake. Guests Guests must stay on the main floor. You must inform duty staff of your guests name, their arrival and their departure. Guests will be expected to leave at curfew unless otherwise negotiated with duty staff. You are responsible for the conduct of your guest (s). Medications Medications refer to all prescription drugs. All medications must be cleared with your parole officer and turned into staff. Medications shall be kept in locked storage in the office. You are responsible for requesting, and administration of medication under staff supervision. You cannot exceed the dosage prescribed. Staff will record what has been taken and the time in the medications log. Personal Belongings Storage of valuables may be kept in the locked filing cabinet in the office. It will be dated, logged and signed in and out each time by staff and resident. For larger valuables there is a locked storage room in the basement. We will not be responsible for articles lost or stolen. In the event that you leave Mudge house by suspension or unauthorized leave, your personal belongings will be packed, labelled, placed in locked storage and a list of articles compiled. This will be done to the best of our ability. There are times when your belongings may be in different locations of the house and there may be lengthy periods of time before we know that you are gone. You must designate a next of kin whom will collect your belongings if this situation occurs. Security Sign-in/out Log Date Time Destination Signature Staff Each time you enter or leave the residence you must inform duty staff and fill in the appropriate information on your log sheets. Staff must initial each entry. You must be specific as to your destinations. Police Reporting You may be required to report to the Victoria City Police Station once a month. House/Room Checks Each shift, duty staff does 3 random house/resident counts. Staff are sensitive to these being an intrusion of privacy. Night staff will try not to disturb your sleep. The shifts are from 7Am-3PM, 3PM-11PM and 11PM-7AM. Room Searches This will be carried out in consultation with the board chairman and parole officer in the event there is strong suspicion or evidence of contraband or weapons in the house. Parole Violations You are required to abide by the conditions of your release as stipulated by the National Parole Board. Any violations will be reported to the National monitoring Center and may result in your removal from the community Fire Safety procedures will be reviewed regularly at staff/resident meetings. During intake you will be shown the location of extinguishers, alarms and exits. You will also be informed of evacuation plans in the event of a fire. Drills will be held occasionally. Note - Mudge house is a non-smoking zone. DISCOVERING A FIRE: Staff will push emergency beeper and or call 911 immediately. If you discover a fire, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FIGHT THE FIRE, BUT ACT AS FOLLOWS: Warn all persons by pulling the fire alarm switch. Proceed to the nearest fire exit. Diagrams on each floor. FIRE EVACUATION: On hearing the fire alarm close any windows and doors and proceed to the nearest exit. Do not run. Do not waste time collecting personal possessions. ASSEMBLY AREA: Residents and staff must evacuate to nearest fire exit and proceed to the sidewalk at the front of the house. Staff will ensure fire station is called after ensuring everyone is safe. (Headcount) MINOR FIRES: In the case of a minor fire, staff will ensure residents are clear of the area, employ a fire extinguisher, if necessary and not take unnecessary risks to contain the problem. EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS Police, Fire, Ambulance 911 Poison Control for all Areas 1-800-567-8911 Crisis & Information Line 250-386-6323 Earthquake, Flood, Dangerous Goods Spills, Tsunami 1-800-663-3456 Electric 250-727-7222 Gas 250-388-6944 EMERGENCY EVACUATION Victoria Salvation Army is designated as our emergency shelter. In the advent that we must evacuate the building because of a catastrophe we will congregate in front of the house. We will inform the Victoria Parole Office and contact Salvation Army to make housing arrangements for our residents. If it is not possible to contact the above we will make our way to Salvation Army. Contraband Alcohol, drugs, weapons and stolen property are strictly forbidden. Termination Any resident who flagrantly disregards the values and rules and is unwilling to negotiate a change in behaviour or attitude will result in our withdrawal of support. Staff - Resident Meeting All staff and residents are required to attend the meeting after diner every Monday night at 6:15. It's the only time that we are all in the same place at the same time. It gives us a chance to share matters of interest with one another. The house parole officer joins us as well. Case Conference Meeting Every Monday evening after the staff/resident meeting the staff and house parole officer meet and review individual resident progress. Your personal support counsellor will keep you informed of what is said during your weekly meetings. Meals We have a kitchen manager whom prepares an evening meal Monday through Thursday. On Friday our part time cook prepares dinner and also casseroles for Saturday and Sunday. Residents’ prepare their own breakfast, lunch and snacks. All food is supplied by the house. Initially you are expected home for dinner at 5:30 PM a minimum of four nights a week unless otherwise negotiated. You must notify duty staff of your expected absence by 2PM the same day. Housekeeping House maintenance and cleaning is a daily responsibility for all of us. A resident weekly chore schedule will be posted on the resident desk and a monthly dish list will be posted on the resident fridge. Kitchen routines, yard maintenance and a description of chores will be explained to you at intake. You are responsible for keeping your room tidy. We have a washer and dryer in the basement. Laundry may be done no earlier than 9AM and no later than 10PM. Grievances Any problems should first be directed to your personal support counselor. If you do not feel satisfied with the outcome you may present the problem to the house director. If there is still no resolution you may consult with the board chairman or the parole officer. Discharge At least two month prior to discharge you should have a written release plan to present to the National Parole Board. When you have completed your stay with us we ask that you clean your room. Bedding and towels must be washed and returned along with your room key to duty staff Transition is a vulnerable time in anyone's life so we urge you to go slow and maintain contact with your support network. Here, we respect one another, support one another and value each person's human rights. It's an excellent opportunity to get back into school or secure employment while re-establishing yourself with family and friends. Come share the experience. Community Resources Alcoholic's Anonymous 383-0415 24 Hours Camosun College 592-1556 3100 Foul Bay Rd. Canada Employment Center 744-4224 1260 Government St. John Calder 721-2000 906 Gordon St. John Howard Job Search 386-3428 2675 Bridge St. Library 382-7241 735 Broughton St. Manchester House 384-1340 540 Manchester St Medical Service Plan 386-7171 1515 Blanchard St Ministry of Social Services 391-2244 940 Goldstream Ave. Mustard Seed 385-0512 625 Queens St. Narcotic's Anonymous 383-3553 24 Hours Need Crisis 386-6323 24 Hours Salvation Army 384-3396 525 Johnson St. Social Ins. Numbers 363-3481 Tsow-Tun Le Lum 390-3123 University of Victoria 721-7211 Victoria Parole Office 362-3267 323-816 Government St. Victoria Police 995-7654 850 Caladonia St. YMCA 386-7511 880 Courtney St.