Bishop's University is pleased to announce that Dr. Vicki Chartrand, professor of sociology and founding director of the Centre for Community Engaged Justices, has been awarded $1.4 million in funding from Public Safety Canada's Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative. The support will advance a four-year national project based at Bishop's that examines Indigenous community-led approaches to reintegration and healing for people returning home from federal incarceration.
Dr. Chartrand's research will help advance models that support Indigenous communities and organizations in designing and applying reintegration processes. Working with partners including Waseskun Healing Centre, the Centre for Community Engaged Justices, and Indigenous communities across the country, the project will document existing practices, identify culturally grounded pathways for healing, and develop practical tools that communities can use to strengthen their own reintegration initiatives.
"Communities have long been developing innovative and culturally grounded approaches to supporting people returning home from prison," says Dr. Chartrand. "This project is about learning from those experiences, sharing that knowledge, and supporting Indigenous communities in advancing their own visions of healing, reintegration, and community well-being."
Funding from Public Safety Canada recognizes Bishop's University's commitment to research that is collaborative, responsive, and grounded in community priorities. It also highlights the university's growing national role in advancing innovative approaches to justice, wellness, and social resilience.
"Being on the traditional lands of the Abenaki nation and considering our strong commitment to reconciliation, Bishop's is proud to see this important and significant work recognized and supported at the national level," said Kerry Hull, Vice-Principal Academic and Research. "As a nationally recognized inclusive institution rooted in close-knit community and high-impact teaching, Bishop's is continuing to demonstrate how research grounded in community partnership and human dignity can shape conversations and influence meaningful change."
