The Cabaret de la seconde chance

The project

The Association des services de réhabilitation sociale du Québec (ASRSQ) is proud to present the Cabaret de la seconde chance.

This artistic project is meant for a wide audience and presents renowned professional artists, social workers and talented individuals who all share the particularity of, at one point in their lives, having had trouble with the law. This event is first and foremost designed to raise awareness, break prejudices and reaffirm the importance of social and community reintegration of offenders, and the participation of the community in that process.

The Cabaret de la seconde chance hosts a quality show in a professional venue, in which the audience can discover multidisciplinary talents. The Cabaret is preceded by an art exhibit of paintings, sculptures, collages, performances, etc. by visual artists. The show also made up of different mediums, such as music, poetry, slam, comedy, etc.

We cannot wait to see you there!

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Why start this initiative?

Statistics say that more than 90% of inmates leave detention. Social and community reintegration through monitoring, follow-ups and appropriate services must be offered to these people when they are in detention and once out. With the Cabaret, we try to raise awareness on this issue that is, according to us, the best way to protect our communities on a long term basis.

“We lock someone up for years, lash out on them every night because they did something wrong and then let them out. Or we can choose to help them, provide them with a transitional period for a successful release. The question is not which of these methods is the best, but which of these two people would you want as a neighbour? If we do not give ourselves the means to welcome ex-inmates, we will never build a fairer and safer society. With the Cabaret de la seconde chance, we hope to welcome as many citizens as possible and provide them with a positive experience of justice,” explains Daniel Benson, host of the show.

Did you know?

  • 4.2 million Canadians have a criminal record.
  • In 2014–2015, Quebec’s provincial prisons admitted over 43,483 individuals.
  • On March 31, 2015, 14,865 individuals were detained in a federal penitentiary.
  • In 2013–2014, incarcerating a federal inmate cost an average of $115,310 per year. A provincial inmate cost $63,335, while keeping an offender in their community only cost $34,432.
  • In 2014–2015, 2.7% of releases on parole on the federal level ended following a non-violent offence, and no subsequent violent offence was committed.
  • Between 2006 and 2016, the number of individuals incarcerated in federal penitentiaries increased of 10%.
  • Since 1998, the global crime rate decreased 28.1%.