People who have been incarcerated – How CALC can help

We provide free legal services to people living on a low income who need help with a variety of different legal problems, including income assistance (OW, ODSP, EI), housing, employment, and consumer and debt problems. We can answer questions, give legal advice, and in some cases, represent you at a court or tribunal. If we can’t help, we’ll try to refer you to someone who can. We do not practice in the areas of criminal or family law.

See the main page for persons who have been incarcerated for resource guides we have created.

Legal education for the community

We provide free legal information about common problems experienced by people who were formerly incarcerated. We can provide specialized legal information workshops for staff who work at organizations who help people in conflict with the law.

Helping our local community

We work with community partners on issues that people who were formerly incarcerated may be facing such as income assistance, housing, and consumer and debt problems.  Read more.

Improving legal rights

We work to improve legal rights for people who are incarcerated or were formerly incarcerated and are concerned about a lack of access to justice for this group in our community.

In 2018 with the help of a special grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario, we began a small research study into the unmet civil legal needs of people who are or have been incarcerated at the Quinte Detention Centre. Improving access to justice and the legal rights of people who have been in conflict with the law requires collaboration from many community and justice sector partners.  A full 77-page report of the results of this study is now available.  You can also download the 8-page report summary outlining the 10 recommendations.