Edmonton John Howard Society is now enCompass Community Safety Agency (enCompass). enCompass provides holistic services and wraparound supports that address the root causes of crime and social disorder. We do this through preventative and restorative activities including release planning, housing, safety planning, employment transition, education, substance recovery, cultural supports and more.
We have a proud 75-year history of serving the Edmonton community. In 2024, we established enCompass to reflect an organization whose programs, purpose and approach had evolved beyond the traditional mandate we served as an associate member of the John Howard Society.
Despite our departure from the John Howard Society, we are grateful for the accomplishments we have achieved together. We have deep respect for the hard work of the JHS affiliates across this province and across Canada – and will continue to provide support and collaboration moving forward.
Our History
1949
From a handful of dedicated volunteers and a $7,000 budget, the Edmonton John Howard Society was established and tasked with looking after the immediate needs of released offenders in the community.
Mid-1980s
We developed our Vision and Mission statements and articulated our core values through a collaborative process that involved the Board, staff, program users and community stakeholders. These statements helped to focus our development into an organization that increasingly sought the participation and involvement of the greater community in achieving its goals.
Early-1990s
The new Vision guided a flurry of activity as we expanded our focus to include employment, literacy and housing supports. The goal was to provide ex-offenders with the tools to get back into mainstream society.
Early 2000s
In 2001, we developed a 50-year Business Plan to guide and direct the organization. That same year, the Society purchased a building as a permanent home for over 100 staff members and 60+ volunteers.
There was growing recognition that crime exists due to a series of underlying social issues (poverty, unemployment, substance addictions, discrimination, family instability and poor education). The focus was to address root causes as a means to decrease crime, incarceration and punishment.
November 2024
enCompass Community Safety Agency is established as an independent, not-for-profit society, dissolving the formal affiliation with the John Howard Society.
Today
enCompass oversees a $14M budget and relies on a staff of over 200 employees to manage a wide range of services.
While our agency continues to play its traditional role serving individuals who are navigating the justice system and seeking the necessary supports to reintegrate into the community, we also work to reduce the social determinants of crime and disorder. We do this through restorative justice, specialized court support, family violence prevention, a continuum of housing and community supports for youth and cultural supports and connection.
enCompass continues to support and advocate for individuals through our services and programs – while taking a more visible role in promoting public safety through inclusivity, understanding and compassion. Working to reduce social determinants of crime and disorder has created far more opportunities to enhance community safety.
We look forward to building upon our strong foundations to create a dynamic and visionary agency that delivers even greater value and impact within the Edmonton community. We will continue fostering the collaborative relationships that have been the key to our success.