Prison consulting firm aims to help inmates avoid harm

Armed with knowledge and know-how, two St. Albertans are trying to prevent unnecessary harm in Canadian correctional facilities by offering consulting and support services to current and soon-to-be inmates.

Through their business, DeadEyes.NoLies Inc., Amy-Rae Goodman and Darin Edward share first-hand experience of incarceration to clients seeking advice and counselling on what to expect when serving sentences, and how they can stay safe. 

The idea for the business originated from Edward, 41, who has served more than 20 years in various correctional facilities, including an eight-year sentence for charges stemming from a spree of robberies in 2003. The robberies included two St. Albert banks.

Goodman said starting up the business was something Edward had "thought about for a little while but didn’t really know how to put into action until recently." The pair launched their business in February, and have been able to gradually build a client base, Goodman said. Edward was not available for an interview.

Goodman said over the years of incarceration, Edward witnessed many incidents of extreme violence amongst inmates that "could have been avoided if the person had more knowledge on how to conduct themselves."

"[Edward] spent time in some of the most dangerous prisons in Canada and has seen so many good people die or [be] maimed for something as small as having a TV too loud at night," Goodman. "He was just disgusted with his own inaction to make things a bit better around him for other people."

Goodman said she wouldn't consider this kind of work easy, but she and Edward are driven by passion.

“We just feel the rising number of unnecessary deaths and injuries sustained by people incarcerated as a result of ignorance show there’s a real need for our services,” she said.

"Each of our potential clients are all going to look really different depending on their specific situations. We’re really dedicated to tailoring each individual's plan based on our initial conversations with them, and no two clients will necessarily want or need the same kind of services." 

Prison consulting is more common in the United States, Goodman said, and there's only one other business offering these services in Canada. Located in Toronto, Ont., Lee Steven Chapelle has been offering prison consultation since 2010 through his business Canadian Prison Consulting Inc. 

Release planning

Goodman and Edward do more than advise people on how to avoid trouble while serving their sentences, as they also provide support for people about to be released and reintegrated into their communities.

“The period of transition from custody to community can be particularly difficult for offenders, and contributes to the stress that comes with being supervised in community afterwards," Goodman said. 

"When a person is integrating back into the community from a correctional facility, they have to consider conditions of their release, pay attention to their health and find supports in the community, find appropriate housing, secure employment, sustain family and social relationships, and those are just some of the main obstacles faced when released from jail."

Another service Goodman and Edward offer is aiding in "online image clean up" for the purpose of diluting online search results related to criminal activity, as these can negatively affect a person's life after being released.

“It can definitely be a problem for some people," Goodman said. "One thing we can do is ask for certain articles to be removed, and that doesn’t necessarily mean that the publisher will remove them, but that’s one step we take."

They also help set up new social media accounts, encourage people to post frequently, and set up Google alerts for a person's name in order to monitor their online presence.

DeadEyes.NoLies also offers to help families or loved ones understand the prison system and how they can support somebody who's incarcerated, for example by adding money to their account, or by sending care packages.

Although they currently rely on word-of-mouth referrals for clients, Goodman said "we’re planning to introduce our business services to lawyers ... because the first person people get in contact with when they’ve been arrested is a lawyer.”