Who We Are & What We Do
The Laren Society: Journey From Inside Out had its beginnings in Victoria, British Columbia when Father Bill Mudge was appointed Chaplin at William Head Institution in 1974.
It was his desire to develop a mutually supportive community inside the institution — and eventually outside to support men as they make their journey back to society. At the heart of this community is the concept that we are all brothers and sisters and we are all capable of turning our lives around.
The Society is a multidenominational charitable organization dedicated to a safe and just society and works with the criminal justice system to help people make a successful transition to a responsible life in the community.
Our Mission
To achieve our vision we offer:
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A communal home setting for men on conditional release;
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A broad spectrum of support that promotes and encourages personal growth and renewal; and
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Public education on the benefits of supervised community re-integration.
Through these services and harm reduction strategies, we increase the well-being of people in our care and enhance public safety.
Our Philosophy
We believe that the initiative to promote change comes from within and that everybody has the ability to become a productive member of the community.
We believe in professional support, guidance and risk management to parolees in transition to the community.
We believe that we are accountable to the community and have a responsibility to be the best we can be.
We believe in meeting the challenge for safer more effective communities.
