The Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society is reassuring the public while standing by its policy of hiring people with criminal records after the non-profit received anonymous letters expressing concern about a particular employee.

Bree Denning, executive director at the Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society, said she and the societySA国际影视传媒檚 board chair both recently received notes, which included 10-year-old print-outs of a news story, detailing the arrest and conviction of an individual who SA国际影视传媒渨orks in one of our programs.SA国际影视传媒�

The Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society operates a number of community-based support agencies and programs under its auspices in the city, including Yellowknife Housing First, Yellowknife Work Ready (Common Ground) and the Street Outreach Program. In these programs, which cater to adults only, the society undertakes an SA国际影视传媒渋ndividualized approachSA国际影视传媒� to hiring, according to Denning, allowing residents with criminal records to be employed in certain positions, so they can contribute to their community in a meaningful way.

SA国际影视传媒�(The unknown sender) was concerned because we also operate a daycare,SA国际影视传媒� Denning told Yellowknifer in an interview late last week.

The Centre for Northern Families, a society-run agency located on 54 Street, offers daycare and family support services and plans are underway to add another daycare space at the Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 SocietySA国际影视传媒檚 main building on 47 Street in the next six months.

Before a recent move, Housing First and Common Ground were both housed in the 47 Street building. Street Outreach still operates out of the location.

Denning said she believes the anonymous sender was concerned the employee in question would be sharing a space with the new daycare once it opens, a worry she called SA国际影视传媒渃ommendable.SA国际影视传媒�

But like all other program employees who have criminal records, Denning said the individual in question is prohibited from being on daycare property.

Only employees with both a clean criminal record check and a vulnerable sector check SA国际影视传媒� the latter is a look into someoneSA国际影视传媒檚 history with children through, for example, child protection databases SA国际影视传媒� are allowed on daycare premises, said Denning.

Denning added the Street Outreach Program will have moved from the 47 Street building before the new daycare opens, meaning all daycare services will be separate from adult-serving programs. SA国际影视传媒淚t will be moved to a separate location for that same reason,SA国际影视传媒� said Denning. SA国际影视传媒淏ecause we wonSA国际影视传媒檛 have people with criminal records on the premises.SA国际影视传媒�

Denning herself must undergo checks every three years.

For the aforementioned society-run programs that serve adults only, including the Franklin Avenue emergency womenSA国际影视传媒檚 shelter, criminal record checks are required for new hires entering into positions of trust, or if the employee will be spending one-on-one time with clients or other staff members.

But for those employed by Common Ground, a program that connects residents experiencing homelessness or addiction with work opportunities SA国际影视传媒� hires sometimes have SA国际影视传媒渆xtensiveSA国际影视传媒� or SA国际影视传媒渟eriousSA国际影视传媒� criminal records, said Denning SA国际影视传媒� criminal record checks, in general, arenSA国际影视传媒檛 required.

Denning said thatSA国际影视传媒檚 because the employees mainly work outdoors: shoveling snow, cleaning the streets and moving furniture. Workers arenSA国际影视传媒檛 in positions of trust and are SA国际影视传媒渘ever alone with anybody,SA国际影视传媒� she added.

A lot goes into the decision process before someone with a criminal record is determined to be a good fit in one of the non-daycare programs.

SA国际影视传媒淔or each role, we consider the individualSA国际影视传媒檚 history, as well as the nature of their position and have a conversation with the individual about (their criminal record), what they have learned from the experience, and what they have done since their offence to improve their lives,SA国际影视传媒� wrote Denning in an email. She said an offence that happened last year is taken SA国际影视传媒渁 lot more seriouslySA国际影视传媒� than one committed 25 years ago.SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a case-by-case basis,SA国际影视传媒� said Denning.

Denning said programs like Common Ground are giving people with criminal records a chance to reintegrate into the community, allowing them to regain independence and self-respect while bettering the city at the same time.

SA国际影视传媒淥nce theySA国际影视传媒檝e done their time and theySA国际影视传媒檙e out in the community again, theySA国际影视传媒檙e not going anywhere. We canSA国际影视传媒檛 exclude people and put them on the margins of society because thatSA国际影视传媒檚 what keeps people offending; keeps people from re-committing to themselves and to the community,SA国际影视传媒� said Denning.

SA国际影视传媒淚f we marginalize people and donSA国际影视传媒檛 allow them to participate and make a living for themselves, that really only leaves them with criminal involvement as their option,SA国际影视传媒� she added.

At the same time, Denning said, the society takes the safety and well-being of children in its care SA国际影视传媒渆xtremely seriously,SA国际影视传媒� and acts diligently to ensure staff and clients are not put at risk.

SA国际影视传媒淲e would never employ somebody we thought posed a risk to our staff and our clients,SA国际影视传媒� assured Denning.

Denning declined to say which program the individual is employed in, but said that if the society was to change its policy, and SA国际影视传媒渙nly employ individuals with clean criminal record checks, multiple programs would (be) impacted.SA国际影视传媒�

In an email, Denning stated the Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society SA国际影视传媒渟tands by our decision to provide empowerment opportunities to individuals with criminal records, when appropriate,SA国际影视传媒� adding the society is committed to the SA国际影视传媒渉ighest safety standardsSA国际影视传媒� at its daycare. By creating clear divisions between adult and child programs, Denning said she believes the society is accomplishing both of those goals.