December 2003

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1

A Profile of Federally Sentenced Women: Who Are They?

1.1. Basic Characteristics of the Inmate Population
1.2. Aboriginal Status
1.3. Age
1.4. Family Status
1.5. Abuse
1.6. Social Condition
1.7. Health and Disability

Chapter 2

An Overview of Federal Correctional Facilities for Women

2.1. Five New Facilities
2.2. Women Offenders in Collocated Units
2.3. Regional Psychiatric Centre
2.4. Intensive Intervention Strategy

2.4.1 Structured Living Environment
2.4.2 Secure Environment

2.5. Provincial Facilities (Exchange-of-service Agreements)
2.6. Minimum Security Facilities
2.7. Section 81: Option for Aboriginal Offenders
Map of the Facilities for Federally Sentenced Women

Chapter 3

Ensuring Human Rights in the Provision of Correctional Services

3.1. How Human Rights and Correctional Services Fit Together
3.2. The Link Between Protecting Human Rights and Effective Corrections
3.3. Protecting Human Rights in the Provision of Correctional Services

3.3.1 Definition of Discrimination
3.3.2 Identifying Discrimination Against Federally Sentenced Women
3.3.3 When Differential Treatment May Be Allowed
3.3.4 Ensuring That Differential Treatment in Correctional Services Is the Exception
3.3.5 Compound or Multiple Discrimination
3.3.6 Using Comparisons to Achieve Human Rights for Federally Sentenced Women

3.4. Enforcing Human Rights in the Provision of Correctional Services

3.4.1 Guiding Principles for a Human Rights Analysis

Chapter 4

Human Rights in the Assessment and Classification of Need and Risk

4.1. Offender Intake Assessment

4.1.1. Dynamic Risk Assessment

4.1.1.1. A Human Rights Analysis

4.1.2. Security Classification and the Custody Rating Scale

4.1.2.1. A Human Rights Analysis

4.2. Classification of Offenders Serving Life Sentences

4.2.1. A Human Rights Analysis

Chapter 5

Human Rights and Safe and Humane Custody and Supervision for Federally Sentenced Women

5.1. Health

5.1.1. A Human Rights Analysis
5.1.2. Mental Health

5.2. Supervision and Inmate Management

5.2.1. Issues Concerning Male Guards

5.2.1.1. A Human Rights Analysis

5.2.2. Segregation

5.3. Facilities

5.3.1. Minimum Security Facilities for Women
5.3.2. Women in Maximum Security

Chapter 6

Human rights and the duty to assist federally sentenced women with rehabilitation and reintegration

6.1. Meeting the Rehabilitation Needs of Federally Sentenced Women

6.1.1. A Systemic Flaw in Identifying Program Needs
6.1.2. Poor Access to Programming
6.1.3. The Promise of an Aboriginal Program Strategy for Federally Sentenced Women
6.1.4. Progress in Substance Abuse Programming
6.1.5. The Need for Improved Employment and Employability Programming
6.1.6. Meeting the Need for Violent Offender Programming for Federally Sentenced Women

6.2. Ensuring the Reintegration of Federally Sentenced Women

6.2.1. Appropriate and Adequate Community Housing
6.2.2. Community Programs and Services
6.2.3. Community Release Options for Federally Sentenced Women

Chapter 7

Strengthening Internal Responsibility for Human Rights

7.1. Coordinating Efforts to Enhance Human Rights Protection
7.2. The Need for an Anti-harassment Policy for Inmates
7.3. The Need for a Comprehensive Accommodation Policy for Inmates
7.4. Human Rights Education and Training for Staff and Inmates
7.5. Mechanisms for Informal Dispute Resolution
7.6. Formal Dispute Resolution Mechanism
7.7. Human Rights Audits

Chapter 8

Protecting Human Rights Requires Effective External Redress

Conclusions

Annex A

Annex B