Forum to focus on the challenges facing women when they leave prison

A forum today looks inside and outside the walls of the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener.

Organized by the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council, the day-long event will focus on housing: the challenges female inmates face when they leave the prison.  

Crime Prevention Council spokesperson Jessica Hutchison tells 570's Jeff Allan Show the goal of the forum is to educate the community about the prison.

Among the speakers is a woman who has faced the challenges associated with trying to find safe housing after serving a federal sentence.  

There will also be panel discussions featuring current and former prisoners in addition to landlords who have rented to people with criminal records.