'It's just been very rewarding': Executive director reflects on 3 decades at John Howard Society
CBC
The first time Cindy Murphy walked through the doors of the John Howard Society was in 1992.
At that time, she didn't have any intention of working in corrections, but a guest speaker in a university class piqued her interest about a volunteer program at Her Majesty's Penitentiary.
"I just had this feeling that this was … probably a good place for me," Murphy said. "That I could probably hope to make some kind of difference here."
And 33 years later, she's walking out the door for the last time as she retires from what she calls an amazing career.
The John Howard Society is a non-profit organization that works with people in the criminal justice system. Its goal is to reduce and prevent crime, educate, and reform through restorative justice principles.
"I just kind of knew that was my place," Murphy said, sitting in her office on Pennywell Road in St. John's.
A bouquet of flowers sits on a cabinet — a retirement gift from a client — and a homemade retirement card on her desk.
"I think the work is rewarding," Murphy said.
Murphy has spent the last couple of months reflecting on her two decades as the executive director, and as a volunteer before that. She said the time she's spent in the community, working with people in the justice system, held lessons that she will take with her.
"I think one of the biggest ones is understanding that people are more than just a criminal record, you know. So understanding that they are human beings who deserve support and understanding … that they're just not about locking people up and throwing away the key. That people are so much more than that," she said.
And it's not an easy line of work advocating for people in the system, working with the government for change and balancing public opinion about incarceration.
That, she said, has been one of the biggest challenges of her career.
She said people should be held accountable for their actions and crimes, but punishment is not just about incarceration.
"When someone is punished, they lose their freedom. That is the punishment," she said. "But it doesn't mean that we continue to punish them day in and day out by subjecting them to inhumane conditions, many of which we've seen at HMP as an example, for many, many years."
A holiday event that began in 2020 during the pandemic with three floats on pickup trucks has now become one of Kelowna’s big winter events, drawing thousands to the city’s downtown core.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
It’s been hard to keep track of how many legal challenges and active court proceedings the United Conservative government has tried to quash or pre-emptively block in the last six weeks, but let’s try to tally:
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
For years, there has been “glaring inequity” in the way the province has allocated the millions of dollars in its county roads budget, according to Department of Transportation Minister Chuck Chiasson.
Six months after passing a law aimed at making it easier for new grocery stores to open, Manitoba's premier says lower grocery bills could be on the horizon.
Timothy Smith was acting in self-defence when he punched Landon Waddell, and shouldn't be found guilty of manslaughter, his lawyer says.