Women offenders need new strategy, Auditor General reports

Community Action, April 14, 2003

OTTAWA -- The Correctional Service of Canada needs a new strategy to replace a 12 year old approach to reintegration of women offenders, states Auditor General of Canada Sheila Fraser.

The CSC has made significant improvements in the conditions of incarceration for women offenders over the last 12 years; however, there are still critical areas that need to be addressed,

The Auditor General points out that since the Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women reported in 1990, the CSC

* closed the Kingston Prison for Women and replaced it with five new regional facilities, and

* developed a number of rehabilitation programs designed specifically for women.

"The Task Force and its overall strategy Creating Choices is more than a decade old. Now would be a good time for Correctional Service to update its objectives and priorities for the future effective reintegration of women offenders," concluded the Auditor General.

Fraser indicates areas where improvements are still needed. The tools used to assess women offenders initially when they enter the correctional institution have not been tested to ensure that they are applied in a consistent and predictable way. This testing should ensure that the right decisions are made about the offender's level of security and rehabilitation plan--decisions that are critical, as they determine an offender's access to programs and exposure to the community.

The report states that:

* Women offenders do not always receive their rehabilitation programs on time while incarcerated.

* Though substance abuse is a wide spread problem of women offenders, CSC has not yet implemented a sufficiently comprehensive substance abuse program tailored to women's needs.

* There are few meaningful work opportunities for women offenders, an essential element in their preparation for reintegration into the community.

* CSC needs to increase the use of temporary absences and work releases for offenders, and special release provisions for Aboriginal women--all important in helping women maintain positive contacts in the community.

The CSC should pay more attention to the needs of women released on parole in the community. In particular, timely access to mental health programs and substance abuse programs are key in helping women through their reintegration.

613-952-0213 x6292

To read the full report website: communityaction.ca/stories.htm