A new report from United Way Bruce Grey is calling attention to the systemic barriers faced by individuals released from jail into Bruce and Grey Counties, many of whom return home without ID, medication, housing, or access to basic support services.
"This report is highlighting the complexity and barriers for people who are leaving incarceration," said United Way Executive Director Francesca Dobbyn. "Do you have ID? Can you access your bank account? All those basic needs to get going again, it’s very much a part of substance withdrawal if you’ve been inside receiving treatment. We want to make sure you can maintain that sobriety coming out and access resources."
The 'Mapping Discharge Pathways from Correctional Institutions in Bruce Grey' report draws on interviews with frontline agencies and individuals with lived experience to present 11 key recommendations. Among them are standardized discharge planning, reliable access to personal belongings, expanded housing options, rural transportation solutions, and long-term funding for social supports.
The need for the report became clear through United Way’s Supportive Outreach Services (SOS) program. "We were running into folks who had been incarcerated, had been out for two or three days, sleeping in alcoves, unmedicated, not connected to services," said Dobbyn. "Once we kind of caught up to them, we realized this isn’t just bad luck. It’s systemic."
One recurring issue was the lack of access to ID. "People were coming to us saying, ‘My ID is back at the jail,’ and we were replacing it at United Way’s expense," said Dobbyn. "But if we could just get their ID back, that solves the issue and saves everyone money."
After visiting the Central North Correctional Centre (CNCC) on July 11, 2025, Dobbyn said a new protocol was established allowing agencies like CMHA and United Way to retrieve belongings on behalf of clients released to local courts. "That’s a concrete win," she said. "We identified an issue, and we solved it."
Transportation is another significant barrier. "We lost the GTR due to provincial funding cuts," said Dobbyn. "Now someone being released to somewhere like Lucknow might need a $200 cab ride. What we need is a robust rural transit system that everyone can use."
During the CNCC visit, Dobbyn met with social workers, discharge planners, and property staff. "Our big question was, how can we help you? They shared their resources with us, some of which were quite outdated. So we’ve brought them back, asked our partners for updates, and will send the revised list back to the jail."
That kind of collaboration, she said, is essential. "They’re going to pick up the ball, and when they toss it to us, we have to be ready to catch it."
While praising local agencies for doing what they can, the report stresses that goodwill alone isn’t enough. "We don’t have an Elizabeth Fry or John Howard Society locally, agencies that help people coming out of incarceration connect to employment and other supports," Dobbyn said. "There’s absolutely no funding for that here."
She’s encouraging the public to get involved. "Write to your MPP or MP. Support shelters and outreach programs. Become a volunteer driver. And if you want to support people leaving incarceration, make a donation to the United Way and tell us where you want it to go."
The full report is available on the United Way Bruce Grey website, with plans underway to present its findings to more stakeholders. As Dobbyn put it: "The system’s broken. Here’s how we fix it."