In an industrial warehouse on the outskirts of Montreal’s Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood, Azzi Noureddine Yahia lights up his welding rod, creating a swarm of sparks that flicker past his mask.
“I like the fact that the metal is malleable, like a human being. Something hard can become soft with a little bit of heat,” he said.
Yahia knows this from experience. He was released from federal prison last fall, after serving a six-and-a-half year sentence.
Today, Yahia, 35, lives in transitional housing in Montreal and is four months into a skills training program at Formétal. The provincially-funded non-profit helps people facing employment barriers — such as those with prison records or substance use challenges — acquire skills to work in the skilled trades.
Yahia says he is grateful for the opportunity to gain skills in a field he enjoys, and to spend time with his parents and girlfriend.
“I find it wonderful that we give people the chance to learn and to value themselves as human beings, as people who are part of society,” he said.
But the future of programs like Formétal is uncertain, as Ottawa cuts funding to support people transitioning out of jail — even as new legislation is poised to increase the prison population.
Negative perceptions
As of 2024, there were just over 14,500 incarcerated inmates in federal prisons and nearly 10,000 on conditional release.
Once released, many individuals struggle to find employment.
A Public Safety Canada study of formerly incarcerated individuals who had been out for 14 years found 41 per cent had received social assistance at some point — 10 times higher than the general population.
Kelly Babchishin, an author of that study and former research advisor at Public Safety Canada, says she was struck by how long former inmates can be plagued by employment challenges.
“You have a criminal sentence and you think it ends there,” said Babchishin, now an associate professor of forensic psychology at Carleton University.
“But the consequences will continue for decades, at least in terms of finding employment.”
A report by the John Howard Society, an organization that supports previously incarcerated people, found 87 per cent of Canadian employers are supportive of reintegration efforts. Yet just 30 per cent said they thought individuals with criminal records are honest.
“In theory, people support the idea of fair chances,” said Aileen Simon, manager of education and community engagement at the John Howard Society.
“But when it comes time to actually hire them themselves, that’s when we see those numbers kind of drop off.”
Simon says many employers “jump to the most extreme narrative” when they see someone has a criminal record. Yet turnover rates for previously incarcerated people are actually much lower than in the general population, she adds.
“They’ve had so fewer opportunities than the average person. So that first employer that gives them that job, they are going to be so loyal and wanting to work so hard for that employer,” she said.
Maria Mourani, a Montreal-based criminologist, says skills training can be essential for providing previously incarcerated individuals with a law-abiding path after prison.
“[I]f you don’t offer them other opportunities to make money, they will automatically return to what they know,” she said.
Reintegration
Since 1987, Formétal has been working to help previously incarcerated people avoid this fate.
Participants admitted to Formétal spend about six months in welding, industrial painting or precision sheet metal work programs. Thanks to $2-million of annual funding from the province, participants are paid minimum wage for full-time hours throughout the program.
The products made in the warehouse are used across Montreal. These include city flower boxes, bed frames for local shelters and garbage bins for the Montreal airport.
Ralff Anderson Castan, 30, is in his sixth month of Formétal’s industrial painting program. He says it has given him stability since finishing a one-and-a-half year provincial prison sentence last October.
Castan says that a difficult childhood led him to begin associating with negative influences. After serving his sentence, he knew he wanted a different life for himself.
“The reason why I started my program here is because I started to lose a bit of confidence in myself — I couldn’t find my personality,” he said.
“But thanks to the rehabilitation program here, I was able to find my personality. I was able to find my routine in the morning and in the evening as well.”
Simon, of the John Howard Society, says the first months after incarceration are the most important for reintegration. Finding housing, health care and identification services are often stumbling blocks, she says.
“The ideal scenario is to capture people in those few months when their needs are at the highest point coming out of incarceration,” she said.
Sabine Lacoste, an instructor at Formétal, says not all participants excel, but many do go on to thrive in the workforce.
“We’ve seen very competent, very professional people come out and they do wonders in their [careers],” she said.
“The goal is not to have six months at Formétal. The goal is that it is a springboard for a different life.”
As Canadian Affairs previously reported, there is a growing demand for workers in many of Canada’s skilled trades.
For Yahia, getting training for an in-demand field was part of his motivation to join the program. Once he finishes at Formétal, he hopes to complete a pressure welding exam, which would make it easier to find work.
“Every day I look on [the online job board] Indeed and there are dozens and dozens of posts for welding,” he said.
Lacoste focuses on helping participants improve their social skills. She says that, for many, adjusting to fixed schedules and team responsibilities can be a challenge.
“All the social [components] will decide whether the person keeps their job,” she said.
Castan says being part of a team has been a particularly beneficial part of the learning process.
“Everyone is communicating with each other, everyone is obliged to help each other,” he said. “If you don’t have discipline, the production line can stop.”
Since speaking with Canadian Affairs, Castan has begun his job search. He says he has already had multiple job interviews in his field and hopes to land a permanent job soon.
Program cuts
Despite a 39-year history of helping previously incarcerated people land back on their feet, Formétal’s future is not assured.
In June, Correctional Service Canada cut Quebec’s CEGEP programs in federal prisons.
Library technician and employment co-ordinator positions in federal prisons have also been cut. The agency is looking to slash around $132 million — on an overall budget of nearly $3.8 billion — and more than 400 jobs by 2028–2029.
Correctional Service Canada told Canadian Affairs it has plans for a new education model after its CEGEP contracts ran out earlier this summer.
“CSC will continue to support offenders across the country in pursuing post-secondary education through accredited colleges and universities,” the agency’s communications advisor Kevin Antonucci said in an emailed statement.
Babchishin, the professor, says in-prison and post-incarceration programs have a high return on investment. However, the benefits are only seen in the long run, making them an easy target for budget cuts.
“If [previously incarcerated people] are becoming employed and they’re not committing additional crimes, that saves society money,” she said.
Simon, of the John Howard Society, worries that public sympathy for previously incarcerated individuals has fallen. In response to public pressure, Ottawa recently passed Bill C-14, a law that strengthens bail and sentencing conditions and is likely to grow the prison population.
“The public narrative … doesn’t necessarily match our research and our findings,” said Simon. “Crime rates are actually going down, but the fear of crime has been increasing.”
For Yahia, the Formétal program has represented a firm step towards leaving crime behind.
And while some days are easier than others, he relishes the fact that he enjoys his trade and gets paid to learn it.
“We get paid to learn … I would have done it for free.”
