Inside a Salvation Army Halfway House

On the east side of downtown Toronto, there is a trio of three-story Victorian houses that, together, form The Salvation Army’s Archibald Centre and Bunton Lodge, a halfway house to help ex-offenders transition back to life on the outside, after they’ve served their time in prison. 

On this episode of the podcast, we go inside Archibald and Bunton to get a first-hand look at how the Army helps men reintegrate into the community after incarceration. 

Along the way, we'll meet Art Rasmusson, executive director, Juliane Martin, chaplain and director of spiritual care, and Kenny, a former resident who has successfully rebuilt his life after staying at the house.

Transcript

Kristin Ostensen  

This is the Salvationist podcast. I’m Kristin Ostensen. On the east side of downtown Toronto, on a street known for its grand Victorian mansions, there is a trio of well-maintained but unassuming three-story houses. Together, they form The Salvation Army’s Archibald Centre and Bunton Lodge, a halfway house to help ex-offenders transition back to life on the outside, after they’ve served their time in prison. The Salvation Army in Canada has been involved in corrections ministry for more than 150 years. Brigadier W.P. Archibald, who lends his name to this facility, was the country’s first ever parole officer. On this episode of the podcast, we’re going inside Archibald and Bunton, to get a first-hand look at how the Army helps men reintegrate into the community after incarceration. We’ll talk to Kenny, a former resident who has successfully rebuilt his life after staying at the house. And we’ll speak to staff who share their passion for rehabilitation and giving hope to a group of people who are often forgotten by society. Our journey begins with Art Rasmusson, who has been the facility’s executive director for the past 24 years.

Art Rasmusson

Yes, our houses are named after, there's two individuals: one’s Bunton Lodge, and that Bunton Lodge was named after Wally Bunton. And Wally Bunton was a Salvationist, who has done a tremendous amount of work, particularly working with the provincial offenders here in Ontario. And so, Bunton Lodge actually has two of the houses named after him, there's north and south house. And then what's really remarkable is we actually have a program called the W.P. Archibald Centre. And for folks that didn't know this, The Salvation Army has over 150 years of correctional justice services history. And back at the turn of the century, William Booth, the Founder of the Salvation Army, actually came over to Canada. And he met with Brigadier W.P. Archibald, William Archibald, and William Archibald was actually the first parole officer in Canada. Before the correctional services of Canada even started this business, that corrections service Canada did a contract with William Archibald, and he was the first person to bring anybody outside of the gates of prison with some supervision. And at that time, it was called the Ticket of Leave Act, which is the precursor of the modern legislation that we have now that allows individuals who have gone through incarceration to come back into community towards the end of their incarceration, so they can be reassimilated. And at that time, what was really neat was that William Booth said, it was his vision that there would be an Archibald waiting at the gate for every person coming out of prison. So that's what we do here in Toronto and elsewhere in the province, and as well across Canada, in the correctional justice services department of The Salvation Army.

Kristin Ostensen 

Yeah, that's so neat. And for this particular facility, who do they serve? Who do you serve? And how do people end up coming here?

Art Rasmusson 

Yeah, so we serve persons that are in the federal system, that are that are coming here, after spending at least two years or more in prison, their sentences would have to be two years and more. And we're also working in house and are presently serving individuals who've been inside the prison system for more than 30 years. So, we've been providing services to those individuals as well. So it's a wide spectrum of crimes that these individuals would have created, from white collar crime—so, somebody maybe on Bay Street that had an inside job, had some opportunity to make some money illegally, on that level—right down to somebody who has been involved in street gangs all their lives, because maybe they haven't had that good present community and family to give them a good upbringing, and they turn to the gang as their source of nourishment and protection. So, we serve all sorts of individuals that have been given prison sentences for over two years.

Kristin Ostensen 

And how do people end up coming to you? What's that process look like?

Art Rasmusson

You get referrals, primarily from our funders. But we also provide an institutional in-reach program. So myself and the manager of spiritual care, Juliane Martin, we both actively take our staff into the provincial and to the federal jails. And we do what's called an in-reach program. So we get to know the applicants. So, people apply to us, we come to meet with them. And you know, some of them have, you know, tremendously horrible files and you're thinking, Oh, my goodness, you know, what type of person am I going to meet? And then you meet with them, and you realize they're a fellow human being who, through their own circumstances, or their upbringing, or just maybe that day may have committed a terrible mistake and made a bad choice. And so that allows us to kind of bring some humanity and build some rapport with those people who we would otherwise perhaps look at as just a file and think, Goodness, I don't know if I want to support that type of person coming back into my community, our community of Toronto, our community of Cabbagetown. But that helps to break down—it allows a lot of things to happen, which is good motivational interviewing for them to get them back on track, get them involved in programs, get them involved in their correctional plan and voluntary programs, whatever that may be to build their skills, get involved with chaplaincy, and then, you know, to the point that they reach that moment where they're going to go before the Parole Board of Canada and have to present their case to say, “Yeah, I'm actually ready. And I have the services and supports of The Salvation Army. And they're going to assist me to get back on the road and hold me accountable in varying different ways.” So that'd be through drug testing, alcohol screening, showing receipts of where you’re buying, where you're using your money, you know, making sure that they're, you know, getting to work on time, giving them a curfew that they have to come back to, making sure that they don't go anywhere in the city that they're not allowed to go. We're kind of like air traffic controllers—we have all these jets flying around, but we know where they are on all times and we can get them to check in and get them to land safely. And so, a lot of it is landing safely, is really what we're doing. We're helping people to come out of the system and land safely. And sometimes before you, you don't want to just throw them a parachute say, “Good luck.” You want to teach them how the parachute works, and where they're going to land, right. So that's important.

Kristin Ostensen 

Kenny is an ex-offender who got his safe landing at Archibald and Bunton. After serving 30 years of a life sentence, he was granted parole and stayed at the house from 2018 to 2020. Now on full release, he's just one of the facility’s many success stories. 

So first off, can you just tell me a little about yourself?

Kenny 

Let's see. I'm 57 years old, about to turn 58, hopefully. I went into prison when I was 18, came out when I was 52. I bought my own home with my sister. Unfortunately, right now I'm off on medical leave. I have stage four terminal cancer. I have had a kidney removed, adrenal gland removed, both lungs and thoracic lymph nodes have cancer tumours in them. And I have a cold. 

Kristin Ostensen

On top of all that. 

Kenny

Other than that, I’m doing OK.

Kristin Ostensen 

I'm very sorry to hear about your diagnosis. And I thank you all the more for taking the time to come and chat with us and tell us a bit about your story. 

Kenny

No problem.

Kristin Ostensen

So, I understand you were incarcerated for about 30 years before you were paroled. How would you describe that period of your life?

Kenny

Oh, wow. Addicted to heroin. Constantly fighting, constantly in trouble. I was not a model inmate by any sense or any stretch of anyone's imagination. It was a continuous constant turmoil of fighting, in addiction, which was brutal, although I didn't know it at the time. About halfway through, maybe two-thirds of the way through my sentence, I reached a crossroad. A good friend of mine had just died of a heroin overdose, smartest man I'd ever met. And I decided, if I keep doing this, I stay here and continue on with all of this, and that wasn't working for me anymore. I commit suicide? Yeah, I like myself, so I'm not going to do that. Change everything there is to change and maybe—maybe—I get a chance to get out? Well, here I am, I’m out. It was a long, hard road. Getting clean was no easy task. But then once you're clean, you got to figure out what made you use in the first place and how you're not going to do that anymore. Which I did. At the time I decided to change all of this, I was lucky enough to have all the right people around me—the right parole officer, the right psychologist, the right program people. It just was one of those lucky star days kind of thing where it all became possible. So, I started down that path. It was rocky. I mean, I had, on one hand all the people around me that I had when I was active—they don't want you to go, or they think you're becoming an informer or something foolish like that. So, there was all those issues that potentially could have become very violent. And then I had all the staff that knew me that were constantly saying, OK, what kind of scam are you running now? So, it was not an easy road to get clean and start looking at a possibility of parole, which I never, ever thought was really possible. So willing to give it a roll, see what happened. And here we are. 

Kristin Ostensen 

Yeah, absolutely. And I have to commend you on that journey, because it's amazing to see and hear about how you're doing now, given that that was your experience. 

Kenny's experience with The Salvation Army is not limited to his time at Archibald and Bunton. Over the years, Kenny encountered the Army through various in-reach initiatives. And he's known Art since the mid-90s.

Kenny 

I was at Joyceville penitentiary, a medium security. And he came in to CORCAN industries, which is a worksite inside the penitentiary. He needed some furniture and stuff built. Now, that was probably mid-90s somewhere. So we, myself and my friend Lawrence, we did computer-assisted design, we mocked up everything he needed and built a bunch of furniture for them. And the relationship just carried on from there. We'd see him periodically, he was in at the […], doing this or that, and we'd sit and talk and all that kind of stuff. And then we’d get in trouble and end up in somewhere else. And he'd be in there doing something and run into us and say, you know, like, what are you guys doing here? You know, he never, he never changed. Even though we had misbehaved and done stuff we shouldn't have, Art never changed—his relationship toward us had never changed. He was Art. Right? And that meant something to us. You know, he didn't talk down to you or preach at you or anything like that. He just talked to you, which is a rare thing, especially in the higher securities, to find somebody that's in his position—even though he doesn't work for corrections necessarily—he just spoke to us. He just became a friend. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Kristin Ostensen 

Between the three houses that make up Archibald and Bunton, along with additional spots at the nearby Toronto Harbour Light facility, the Army has 90 beds dedicated to this corrections ministry. For residents at Archibald and Bunton, there are many programs and services to help with rehabilitation and reintegration, as Art explains.

Art Rasmusson  

So, I think one of the most important programs that we've undertook over the last few years is called The First Steps program. And so, we created that program right around the time when the pandemic was hitting us—and just before that actually—and we've modified it since. But these are based upon working with individuals who have been incarcerated a very long time. So we're talking 10, 20, 30, in some cases, 40 years. I'm actually seeing a gentleman in Millhaven prison who has been inside for 40 years, and those are just conversations we're having now—we're not even near having him get to the gate where he can apply to come out. But what we've learned is that taking people out and being very methodical about that, and reintroducing to the community slowly and gradually, with staff accompaniment, is the way to go. And, you know, a lot of men, we will say we're fine; we will say, “I've got this and I'm strong.” But in many cases, we may have guys that are deep down inside spiralling and dealing with emotions that they've not had to deal with in a very long time. So being present and walking them through and giving them programs and saying, you know, you're not going to work for 60 days, you're not going to go volunteer anywhere; we're going to go with you—especially for the first two to three weeks—you know, you're going to go get your IDs at Service Canada or Service Ontario. We're going to open up a bank account—that can be a very daunting, daunting thing. Going to police reporting can be daunting, getting on the TTC. So let's not rush, let’s not hit the ground running; let's hit the ground softly—like I said, that soft landing, where we're with you. There's a multitude of programs. So The First Steps is one of those programs. And within that, we offer relapse prevention programs. So we're helping individuals who are still potentially struggling, or come out of a larger addictions program that need, you know, step-by-step reminders in a timely fashion. We also are working with the victim impact program. This is a really key program for us because we feel that, you know, we're bringing people back into the community. And, you know, we care about you as people residents that have been through the system. But we also care about the victims, and we want to make sure that we instill, if you've already done it, instill that continued empathy for them and understanding of what it must have been like for them to become a victim of their crime. And whether that's an individual who they’ve personally harmed, or whether that's an institution that they've robbed from, there's still impacts on society. And every crime has a victim. So that's been tremendously successful as well, in allowing the Parole Board of Canada to assist individuals moving on to full parole. So people don't just stay with us—they stay with us for an average of six to nine months. But I've also had individuals here for three months, and some of them here for five years. And then last, but not least, we have the emotions management and violence prevention program, which is kind of a fancy term for anger management program. But we think it's very purposely named because we are getting people to help to manage their emotions. And that's really the key to violence prevention. It's like, how do you take a step back from a situation that normally would really upset you? And maybe those situations upset you because you witnessed those as a child, or as a teenager growing up. And that might have been violence inherent in your family. It might have been amongst your friend groups, or it might have been at school, you might have been bullied. And so, you know, not reacting in a violent way back, taking a step back and, “What are my choices in this situation? I always can make a good choice. But I also can make some bad choices.” So it's really about making good choices and making good decisions, and in providing the feedback in a group setting for the people that come to the to the community residential facilities here in Toronto.

Kristin Ostensen  

Along with those programs, Archibald and Bunton offer chaplaincy and spiritual care, which are provided by chaplain Juliane Martin. 

So, what exactly do you do as the chaplain at Archibald and Bunton? What's a typical day look like for you?

Juliane Martin 

Yeah, well, I guess I wear two hats. I wear a chaplain hat, and then I'm also the manager of spiritual care. So, they're very interconnected, but a little bit different. So as a chaplain, you know, just being a spiritual support to our staff and our residents and, I would say also, by extension, sometimes the family members of our residents, because lots of times that first point of contact we have is a family member reaching out and saying, you know, “Oh, I have a loved one who's incarcerated, how do they apply to come to your house?” And so that is often an opportunity to provide some spiritual care to the individual on the phone or email that is calling on behalf of their loved one who's incarcerated. So yeah, as far as what a typical day looks like, there is no typical day; every day is different. The days that I have the longest to-do lists are the days that none of those things will get done. Because there's just always, you know, chaplaincy at its core is really responding to the needs in the moment, right? So, there's things that you can anticipate. So sometimes, you know, I might be accompanying somebody to an appointment. I know a few weeks ago, I brought somebody to visit his mom. She was, you know, in palliative care, she has since passed. But I accompanied with him to the hospital so that he wouldn't have to go by himself. And then other times, you know, praying with guys about different things. Also trying to minister to whatever interfaith needs they have, you know, if we have—I know a couple of months ago, we had someone who arrived here who observes a Jewish diet, so we got him a kosher microwave that just he would use. So, you know, sitting with him and figuring out, what else does he need in order to meet his spiritual needs?

Kristin Ostensen

And are there certain programs or services that you run as well?

Juliane Martin 

We do have fellowship opportunities throughout the year. We have a gathering called Dismas, which is Friends of Dismas, which is a prison fellowship that meets, not just in this house, but in other halfway houses as well, and there's also community members. So we do that virtually. And then we also have in-person meetings, which aren't held at our site, but a group of guys from here will go together, and we'll have the meal in that church. We also have Bible study and grief groups and things like that, that pop up as, you know, the guys that are here, whenever they have specific needs, or things that they want to discuss, then we will gather to discuss those things. And spiritual support can look like a lot of different things, right? Sometimes it is those somber moments where you are going to a hospital with someone. Other times, I get to do exciting things like help guys move out of the halfway house. So, there's one gentleman that comes to mind. I met him, actually, originally in the institution. I was meeting with him for probably a couple of years before he was eligible for parole. And then he resided with us for about two years when he was on parole. And then he got his own place. So, whenever he was leaving the halfway house, I actually got to help him pack up all his belongings and bring him to his new condo. And it was a pretty sacred moment to be standing there with him in this space. And he's like, wow, I'm going to be sleeping here by myself tonight. You know, this is someone who had been incarcerated for about 15 years. So, for 15 years, he had, you know, somebody's checking on him every single night. And now he was going to be in this space, independent. And so, you know, we had a moment of prayer and then we went and got a sub. And it was a great day!

Kristin Ostensen 

That's amazing. 

Juliane Martin 

So yeah, chaplaincy is a real treat because you really never know what the day is going to look like. And so I do consider it a real honour and privilege to get to journey with the guys who come to our CRF because they invite us into their lives, right, and share things with us. And that's an honour, right? To be able to give somebody a high five, when something awesome is happening; to sit with them in a moment of prayer. And really, it's a ministry of presence, right—being there for them. Because lots of times they're grappling with some very difficult things that there's nothing that you can say that is going to always change the situation for them. But being there with them and, you know, just acknowledging, you know, I hear you, I see you, and Jesus loves you.

Kristin Ostensen  

As essential as Archibald and Bunton’s official programs are, what the facility offers goes far beyond that. It’s not just a halfway house; it’s a home. And the residents take care of the place as if it were their own. Each building has a kitchen where residents cook their own meals and share recipes—teaching each other and even the staff new tips and tricks. The residents also take on chores, such as cleaning or yard maintenance, so everyone contributes to the upkeep of the facility. The social hub of each house is the lounge, where residents can watch TV, read books, play games and do other activities. At Christmastime, each lounge has its own tree, decorated by the residents, with each house hoping to win the prize for being the most festive. Outside in the yard are picnic tables and a barbecue, as well as a community garden, which the staff and residents constructed together. Between the houses, there are seven case workers on site, providing one-on-one support to the residents. And for many residents, including Kenny, it’s the personal relationships that matter most when it comes to making a successful transition back into the community after incarceration.

When you look back now, what would you say were some of the most helpful or meaningful experiences for you while you were living there?

Kenny  

My conversations with Cheryl and Jim were great. Jim and I didn't talk so much about life stuff. We talked about other things. And he had a kind of twisted sense of humour like I do. So, you know, we talked about everything but kind of what was going on there, which was nice. It was a break. It was a good conversation. And he was funny and I enjoyed it.

Kristin Ostensen  

Looking back, how were you feeling by the time you left Archibald and Bunton? How do you think the experience helped you grow or change?

Kenny  

It's a break between prison and the street. You're not quite in prison. But you're not quite on the street yet either. So, you have a little sanctuary you can get to and allow it to block the noise that is life sometimes. And when I left, I was ready. I had a full-time job. I had a place in Barrie where I lived. I went and lived with my dad for a while. And I got laid off for COVID when COVID first started. Couldn't stand sitting around, doing nothing, so I went and got another job in Barrie with a fantastic company. So, I was ready to meet those opportunities, to take advantage of those opportunities. But I don't advertise who I am, but I don’t hide either. So, I haven't found anybody yet that has had a problem with me being an ex-con on parole. I haven't run into one person yet. It's, generally speaking, quite the opposite. “Really?” And then follows a litany of questions. You know, what was this like? How did that happen? You know. It's kind of weird, but really nice, too. I don’t have to hide who I am. I don't have to lie about who I am. I don't have to be who I'm not to please somebody else. I can just be me and do me.

Kristin Ostensen

As you tour the Archibald Centre and Bunton House and speak to staff and residents, it's easy to see how The Salvation Army's mission and values are the foundation of everything they do. They recognize the worth of every person who comes through the doors and serve them without discrimination. They give hope, by living the gospel. 

And what would you say makes a Salvation Army halfway house different from, say, one operated by another organization?

Art Rasmusson 

Well, that's a great question. You know, we actually have a lot of remarkable similarities, because we all have the same contract. So our contracts require the same, you know, basic elements. But I think the key for the Army, in our case, is that we can still proclaim the love of Christ and say it. You know, it's at the front of every, our mission statement’s at the front of every proposal; we put it in all of our slideshows when we do government educational videos for the Parole Board of Canada or for the Immigration Refugee Board. And the other thing, which is kind of neat, is that at Christmas, we get to bring in food and bring music into the institutions. And I'm actually, even though I'm a director of a federal halfway house, that's one of the greatest joys that I have, is going in with my manager of spiritual care and our other staff and bringing fellowship at a time that can be very, very challenging for individuals—even challenging for individuals while they're on the outside, never mind being in jail and having lost your freedom. And yes, I get it, I know those people have done some terrible things, and they've had their rights taken from them—and rightly so. They're being incarcerated and they're being punished. But one of the great things about Canada—and you judge a country, really, on how does it take care of its most vulnerable people. And I think Canada does a really good job of making sure that we have rehabilitation. And it's one of the key pieces—it's a cornerstone of everything that we do. It's not just about punishment. It's about, let's get this person back and let's restore them. And let's give them some of the things that they need so that they don't return to a life of crime. 

Kristin Ostensen  

And from the perspective of a chaplain or a spiritual director, how does a halfway house help ex-offenders transition from prison life to everyday life? How do you help facilitate that?

Juliane Martin 

I would say through relationship, really. You know, we try and do what we can to get to know them, to sort of see where they're at, not just in where they're at in regards to the normal reintegration things like getting a job, saving money, you know, getting their ID—all of those things, which are very important parts of reintegration. But also helping them, you know, come to terms with the fact that they're returning to a community that is maybe different from whenever they left it. Or maybe they're returning to a community that isn't always welcoming to them. And so, we do what we can to come alongside them, and journey with them through that. And so, one thing that's really important for us is we do a lot of in-reach services. So, ideally, we've met them before they're showing up for their first day to live here. So, we are regularly going into the institution, you know, try to let these individuals know that we care about them as human beings, right? And, you are not the worst thing that you ever did. Right? You're so much more than that. And we firmly believe, you know, you'll never look in the eyes of someone who God doesn't love. And so, treating everybody with kindness and compassion and, I would say, curiosity, you know—trying to get to know them as an individual. What are the things that you really care about? What are the things that you're passionate about? What are some of your hopes? What are some of your dreams? And really, just because I think, you know, us being part of The Salvation Army, we know the difference that hope can make. It makes all the difference. And so, a lot of chaplaincy, I would say, and a lot of what we do here, is really helping people find that hope that they have and build on that.

Kristin Ostensen 

After residents complete their time at Archibald and Bunton, and start their new life in the community, they are welcome to stay in touch and receive support for as long as it’s needed. Some alumni, such as Kenny, will even come to special events like the facility’s annual Christmas party. Kenny also gives back to the facility, offering input into new programs that Juliane is putting together, and sharing his story with offenders who are still inside. He is proof that there can be new life after a life sentence, and The Salvation Army is here to help.

And I understand you do keep in touch with the house and especially Juliane—what makes that important?

Kenny 

Well, with Juliane, I didn't know she was the chaplain. I was sitting outside having a smoke one night, I don’t know, 10 or 11 o'clock at night, and she was still there. And she just stopped to talk to me. I don’t know, she's fun. She's got to get a quick wit, too, so that plays off well with me when I get in the mood. And I just wanted to stay in touch with her. She's a great lady. And I stay in touch with the house through her. You know, make sure everybody's doing good and pass on my. And they ask about me and how I'm doing and stuff. And she's a great lady. You'd go a long way to find a better lady than her, I'll tell you. It's great. I enjoy it. It's good to have good people in your life. It makes me happy. I like The Salvation Army for, they don’t specify: we only help these people, or these people. They help everybody. They don't look at what you are, they look at who you are. You know, a street person, an ex-con—we all get the same treatment. We all get the nice personality. They're just a giving bunch, all of them. And Bunton Lodge, in particular, they really helped me just kind of adjust and move from prison to the street. You know, they just gave me the opportunity and didn't get in my way of taking advantage of it. They are fantastic people. I have nothing but praise for them. They are good people.

Kristin Ostensen  

Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you so much for your time today. Thank you so much for sharing and being candid with me. It's been such a pleasure to talk to you and hear about your experiences and I really wish you well in your health journey in the days ahead.

Kenny 

Well, thank you. It was nice to meet you too. I'm delighted to talk and maybe help somebody see things differently. It is possible to get out.

Kristin Ostensen

Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Salvationist podcast. For more episodes, visit Salvationist.ca/podcast.