Courtesy: Town of Peace River
The Town of Peace River has launched a resident-focused campaign in advocating to the province for improved inmate release practices at the Peace River Correctional
Centre.
On Sept. 15, 2023, the Town kicked off a letter writing campaign, which will accompany information being shared with the province, that will show the impacts of current inmate release procedures. This includes that released inmates are driven to downtown Peace River, where they are dropped off without means to access essential needs, and without transportation out of town.
This process has resulted in an increase in homelessness in Peace River, and has been tied to issues such as mental health issues and addictions, inappropriate behaviour towards residents and business owners, and at times, criminal behaviour.
In response to these consistent concerns, the Town has launched a letter writing campaign, through which residents and business owners are encouraged to share their experiences, and provide a personal perspective on how they’ve been impacted by the current inmate release practices.
“This is an issue we’ve been working to address for some time now, but it’s been a bit of an uphill battle in some ways, with the number of inmates being released in town on a regular basis,” said Town of Peace River Chief Administrative Officer Barbara Miller. “We’re really hoping that adding a human element to the conversation will help drive some solutions.”
Residents and business owners are asked to write and send a respectful letter outlining their concerns and their personal experiences to: cao@peaceriver.ca. For residents who aren’t able to write their own letters at this time, form letters are available at www.peaceriver.ca, and in hard copy at the Baytex Energy Centre and at Town Hall. The submission deadline is Sept. 25, 2023.
