Neighbor Creates ‘Sanctuary’ to Help Formerly Incarcerated Citizens

Congratulations to Pine Street neighbor Liz Canfield!

She is featured on this WTVR report: VCU professor creates ‘Sanctuary’ to help formerly incarcerated residents ease back into society

Excerpts:

Virginia Commonwealth University and the Richmond City Sheriff’s Office have teamed up to provide formerly incarcerated Richmond-area residents and their families a place to learn, create, and transition back into society. Sanctuary, which opened March 30 at 101 W. Broad Street, will provide GED tutoring, job preparation and resources, resume building, and creative expression through art for members re-entering the community.

Sanctuary co-founder Dr. Liz Canfield is an assistant professor at VCU in the College of Humanities and Sciences’ Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies.

“We wanted to build a safe place on the outside where people can go when they got out,” she explained.

Sanctuary is an extension of Open-Minds, a program Canfield co-directs with VCU English professor Dr. David Coogan. Open-Minds provides dual enrollment classes for VCU students and incarcerated people at the Richmond City Jail.