Support needed for families of Spavor and Kovrig as they reintegrate

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig have been reunited with their families after being released from detention in China, marking the end of their time behind bars and the beginning of their reintegration into Canadian society.

Their families also have a long road ahead of them as their loved ones get used to the world outside again.

Sherry Edmunds-Flett, Director of Long-term Inmates Now in the Community Society (LINC), knows firsthand how hard that process can be for the loved ones of former inmates. She spent over three decades with her late husband Glenn, working on a marriage that was heavily influenced by his reintegration.

“As a family member, you want to support them, but at the same time you have your own feelings of what’s happened, your own grief, your own PTSD,” she said, “I just think it’s important to be able to listen to be steady, so that they have a safe place to seek help for yourself and for your kids, if you have kids, but you need somebody that’s an outlet for you you need to be able to take care of you.”

When Glenn was released, she says she noticed his moods were unpredictable and hard to manage.

Coping with that kind of trauma while navigating an unfamiliar world can make a person paranoid, anxious, and irritable, which can trickle down to impact their families, she says.

“They’re not used to being around people. You’ll find they’ll do things like put their back to the wall watching who’s coming in and out of the door,” Edmunds-Flett said.

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The families of the two Michaels could benefit from finding a sustainable way through that transition. Seeing a psychologist who understands prison and how it affects people can also help, as can Facebook groups for families of inmates, says Edmunds-Flett.

Welcome home, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. You’ve shown incredible strength, resilience, and perseverance. Know that Canadians across the country will continue to be here for you, just as they have been. pic.twitter.com/1UoLbBFGNv

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 25, 2021

“It’s going to take a long time for them to work through this. It’s going to be years and there’ll be some things that they’ll never be able to tell their families about what they’ve seen because they don’t want to hurt them or they don’t want to make them feel bad about what has happened or they just feel that they just can’t,” she said.