Printing a brighter future for offenders
December 23, 2024
The printing press revolutionized communications, helping spread ideas and knowledge to people around the world. Five centuries after its invention, printing is a vibrant industry and one that is helping offenders learn skills to turn their lives around.
A printing shop at a Quebec institution, is teaching 30 offenders valuable tips and techniques of the trade and positive social skills to help their reintegration.
Working in a printing shop is not a common career path, but it is an ideal learning ground for a number of job options. The printing shop has a reputation for its excellent service, variety of products, and meeting its contractual commitments and deadlines.
Printing innovative opportunities
Kempsmith machine that can produce 12,000 file folders per day.
The print shop produces file folders, forms, stationery (envelopes, business cards, note pads, training manuals) and material for Correctional Service Canada (CSC) and other government departments. It also produces engraved items like name tags, office name plates, and signs. The printing shop is offered through the CORCAN Employment and Employability Program (EEP).
Preparation of printing jobs where 20 offenders work together to ensure the quality of the final product.
Offenders employed and trained in the printing shop prepare orders, determine printing settings, learn, and perform tasks related to industrial production, such as preparing plates, papers and ink, as well as post-press or finishing work.
They learn to operate a wide range of equipment and are involved in every phase of print production, which provides them with transferable skills for community employment, whether in the printing field or other types of employment.
Above all, the printing shop helps offenders rehabilitate so they can reintegrate into society.
“Once back in the community, we occasionally have offenders who contact our instructors to ask if they can apply for jobs in a private printing shop,” says instructor Alain Paiement.
The production supervisor Patrick Lampron notes the range of employees’ ages and backgrounds.
“That’s the beauty of the world of printing: there is something for everyone!” he says. “Work on offset presses and in flexography means you have to work on your feet all day, so this is suitable for some offenders who are very active and in good health. On the other hand, we can bring offenders with mobility issues or who are older into the finishing side, since the work is done seated at a desk.”
Each stage of printing operations is overseen by experienced instructors who guide the offenders through the process, including flexography, finishing, and shipping and receiving. The printing team of three, Patrick, Alain, and Yvon, have amassed over 100 years of combined expertise in the field, thanks to their work experience in private-sector printing shops before joining CORCAN.
On-the-job training
At the printing shop, various training certificates are given in several specialized fields in each of the four printing workshops. This is why the shop is working with the Quebec Graphic Communications Workforce Sector Committee to provide relevant training and work experiences for labour market integration. In any case, offenders involved in the CORCAN program gain practical experience in the trade on site.
The printing press that can print hundreds of forms per day on No Carbon Required paper.
“I was never at the head of the class. What I like is learning with my hands, and then the head follows. At CORCAN, you learn by doing, and that suits me perfectly!” says an offender employed in the printing shop.
Canada's printing industry is the fourth largest industrial employer, with nearly 5,500 companies employing more than 98,000 workers across the country.
In Quebec alone, there are 770 companies, with nearly 15,000 employees. Even though it can be difficult to find a job without prior formal training, offenders gain the experience to work either in major printing shops, small shops, or with printing professionals.
Storage and shipping workshop where offenders send out items within 48 hours after the order is submitted.
To work in the trade, offenders receive technical training, and develop skills, such as attention to detail, because printing work demands precision and quality. They also gain a sense of responsibility, organization, and observation skills. The ability to stay focused under pressure while meeting deadlines is key, as is working in a team, being independent, and resourceful. Printing can be seen as a repetitive job, so patience is an asset.
For the printing shop, meeting contract deadlines is one of the priorities in the production process. Each day starts by pulling orders from the system. At the same time, the offenders responsible for shipping, gather, prepare, and organize the finished items to be sent to clients within 72 hours.
Marc, the finance specialist, says that since the start of the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, offenders and instructors have produced and prepared nearly 700 orders.
The size of orders varies from small to large volumes with hundreds of thousands of items to deliver. Major orders mainly come from service contracts signed with various federal government departments and agencies. This provides a market from coast to coast, making shipments across Canada.
Christian, the Operations Manager, notes the goal is, “That each printing purchase at CSC and in all federal departments is done through CORCAN. This increases the employment opportunities for inmates!”
The printing shop provides state-of-the-art training and significant work experience to offenders. Interestingly, the participants print training manuals for inmates’ correctional programs. This means CORCAN is making an indelible impression with materials that are printed by offenders for offenders.
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