Prisoners United Organization

What Prisoners United Organization does

PASAN (Prisoners' HIV/AIDS Support Action Network), operating under the parent name "Prisoners United Organization," is a Toronto-based non-profit community organization founded in 1991 as a grassroots response to the HIV crisis in Canadian prisons. It provides harm reduction, HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) prevention education, overdose prevention, individual case management, reintegration support, and systemic advocacy for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people and their families, primarily in federal and provincial correctional facilities throughout Southern Ontario.

Its core product set includes the Cell Count quarterly bulletin (published since 1995 and now in its 30th year, distributed to prisoners, agencies, and individuals across Canada), a harm reduction program, individual support services and case management, policy and systemic advocacy (including legal action on prison needle exchange and participation in coroner's inquests), and a library of educational guides and fact sheets (prison letter writing, resource mapping, harm reduction "zines", program design guides). PASAN has no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is relationship- and content-driven via in-reach coordinators, community partnerships, and publications.

The organization operates as a registered Canadian charity funded by three government grants (Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care, Public Health Agency of Canada, City of Toronto), pharmaceutical company grants (ViiV Healthcare, AbbVie), a foundation grant (Tilling Foundation), and individual tax-deductible donations. All direct services are free to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and families; the Cell Count subscription is free for prisoners and families and $20/year for other audiences. Leadership is provided by Executive Director Janet Rowe and a volunteer Board of Directors with membership available to supporters.

Name

Prisoners United Organization

Legal name

Prisoners' HIV/AIDS Support Action Network (PASAN)

Website

https://pasan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PASAN is a Toronto-based non-profit, founded in 1991, providing harm reduction, HIV/HCV prevention education, case management, and systemic advocacy for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people and their families in Ontario, funded by government grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Harm Reduction and HIV/HCV Advocacy Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI)

Keywords

• Harm reduction services
• HIV prevention education
• Prisoner advocacy
• Reintegration support
• Community health outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Systemic advocacy work is exclusively funded through individual donations, while programs are funded by grants from different levels of government (Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care, Public Health Agency of Canada, City of Toronto).
2. Individual Donations: Individual donations support critical programs and services. Donations are tax deductible.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PASAN is a community-based harm reduction organization providing HIV/HCV prevention education, overdose prevention, case management, and reintegration support directly to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people in Ontario. It also publishes the Cell Count quarterly bulletin and produces educational guides and fact sheets on harm reduction, prison justice, and systemic advocacy. All services are provided free of charge to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families.

Product overview

PASAN (Prisoners' HIV/AIDS Support Action Network) is a community-based organization offering a coordinated suite of services focused on harm reduction, HIV/HCV prevention, and prisoner health advocacy. The core offerings include direct harm reduction services and individual case management for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, the Cell Count quarterly publication providing health information and community building resources, and various educational guides and fact sheets. The organization also conducts systemic policy advocacy and community capacity building work. These services are provided free of charge to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families in Canada, with subscriptions available for other audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cell Count: A quarterly bulletin by and for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, filled with articles, stories, art, poetry with relevant health information, news and resources

Products and services

• Cell Count Quarterly Bulletin A quarterly bulletin by and for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, containing articles, stories, art, poetry, health information, news, and resources. Distributed to prisoners, agencies, and individuals across Canada. Free for prisoners, ex-prisoners, and families; $20/year for other subscribers.
• Harm Reduction Program Provides harm reduction services, HIV/HCV prevention education, and overdose prevention support to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people in federal and provincial institutions throughout Southern Ontario.
• Individual Support Services and Case Management Provides individual support services including case management, referrals, system navigation, pre-release planning, reintegration support, and advocacy for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.
• Policy and Systemic Advocacy Advocacy work focusing on challenging and transforming systems that perpetuate harm against prisoners, including legal fights for access to safe needle exchange, standing at coroner's inquests, and participation in policy roundtables.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cell Count newsletter distributed to prisoners, agencies, and individuals across Canada
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Community Health CentrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPASAN works in partnership with community health centres to support the reintegration of people upon their release from prisons, providing wrap-around support services.
• HIV/AIDS OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with HIV/AIDS organizations across Ontario to provide comprehensive support, education, and advocacy for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• CATIE (Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange): Canada's national knowledge broker for HIV and hepatitis C, providing resources and education across the country. Overlaps with PASAN's HIV/HCV education and prevention work but at a broader, non-justice-focused scale.

Regional players

• PIVOT Legal Society: Vancouver-based human rights organization using litigation, policy, and mobilization to address systemic marginalization. Comparable to PASAN's systemic advocacy and policy roundtables, though broader in scope and BC-focused.
• Prisoners' Legal Services (BC): British Columbia-based legal advocacy organization serving incarcerated people with systemic reform, legal aid, and in-facility supports. Functionally analogous to PASAN's community advocacy stream but anchored in Western Canada.

Direct peers

• John Howard Society of Ontario: Ontario-based nonprofit providing reintegration, community-based supervision, and post-release support for people exiting the justice system. Directly comparable to PASAN's reentry, case management, and reintegration programming for formerly incarcerated populations.
• Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network: National nonprofit advancing the legal and human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, with documented work on prisoners' rights, needle exchange in prisons, and systemic advocacy. Directly comparable to PASAN's HIV-focused policy and legal advocacy work.
• Elizabeth Fry Society Toronto: Toronto nonprofit supporting criminalized women, trans people, and those affected by the justice system through case management, advocacy, and reintegration services. Comparable mission scope and target population overlap with PASAN's community-based justice-involved services.

Emerging players

• Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black-CAP): Toronto-based nonprofit providing HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and support to Black communities facing systemic barriers. Comparable on the HIV/HCV community delivery model in the same city, though focused on racialized rather than justice-involved communities.
• Maggie's Toronto Sex Workers Action Project: Toronto-based harm reduction and sex-worker-led support organization providing community outreach, education, and advocacy. Compares to PASAN's harm reduction and peer-support model and intersects with overlapping marginalized populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/pasan
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=9R7B1nGKICE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pasan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prisoners United Organization