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Uncertain Futures

Recommendations

Current thinking at the federal level of government reflects a “get tough on crime” attitude. This is at odds with the women-centred philosophy of corrections which found expression in the 1990 report of the Federal Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women entitled Creating Choices. As long as society fails to address the systemic barriers to a more inclusive and equitable society and ignores the issues of poverty, trauma and hopelessness that many of these women face, it is questionable whether the potential of initiatives which aim to enhance rehabilitation and reintegration will be realized. Our recommendations fall into four primary areas that are critical to getting women’s corrections back on track.

  • ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
  • FINDING A PLACE IN COMMUNITY
  • EMPLOYMENT AS A KEY TO REINTEGRATION
  • DEVELOPING COMMUNITY CONNECTION, NOT DISCONNECTION

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL:

  1. Whenever possible, apply harm reduction measures and enhance community corrections for women.
  2. Further develop addiction prevention and treatment programs in community.
  3. Ensure community programs receive core funding to develop circles of support, such as the Stride Circles program offered by Community Justice Initiatives.
  4. Increase resources for mental health training for personnel both within and outside the prison system.

FINDING A PLACE IN COMMUNITY:

  1. Step up community corrections for women, and especially pursue private home placement opportunities in communities currently not served by halfway houses.
  2. Remove halfway houses from “drug culture” areas of cities.
  3. Provide enhanced transportation subsidies to women on parole.
  4. Seek cooperation with the Region of Waterloo so that it may become more accessible to women coming out of prison and allow for transitional housing to be developed within the region.
  5. Vigorously pursue development in the subsidized housing sector to ensure the viability of affordable housing for women and their children.

EMPLOYMENT AS A KEY TO REINTEGRATION MEANS:

  1. Offer a wider range of training opportunities in the prison for women.
  2. Step up the Work Release program, which would also broaden the range of training opportunities for women.
  3. Designate an officer to lead the Work Release Program who can undertake vigorous promotion activity with community employers.
  4. Provide practical and realistic job training and employment on site for women through CORCAN.

DEVELOPING COMMUNITY CONNECTION, NOT DISCONNECTION:

  1. Streamline the procedures for securing temporary absences from the prison, including adding additional staff resources so that there are consistent volunteer co-ordinators to train escort volunteers. Ensure efficient and effective review and approval processes and enforce deadlines for issuing temporary absences for women.
  2. Enable women to more frequently and readily connect with their families and children to assist in maintaining relationships in ways that foster healing and understanding, especially in regard to mothering and supporting women in becoming “mothers again”.
  3. Encourage the development of volunteering in the community, with engagements like the supper club, through Chaplaincy Services and other committed groups, to provide education to the public and to enable the community to witness the women in positive pursuits.
  4. Foster greater openness within the community, including the media, to encourage coverage of positive activities, to help balance the presentation of images and stories that deepen public fear and stigmatization of the women.
  5. Aim for greater stability among staff functions and personnel, especially Primary Workers and administrative staff concerned with assessing women’s progress and approving/authorizing releases.