The Prison for Women in Kingston, Ontario opened.

Over the years, a variety of Task Forces and commissions have examined the disadvantaged situation of federally incarcerated women and there were numerous calls for the closure of the Prison for Women in Kingston, Ontario.

With this in mind, a joint initiative by the Federal Government and relevant private sector groups was undertaken in 1989, through the establishment of the Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women.

After extensive consultations and research, the April 1990 Report of the Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women entitled Creating Choices, recommended the following:

• Close the Prison for Women in Kingston;
• Create four new regional facilities for women offenders;
• Create a healing lodge for Aboriginal women offenders; and
• Develop a community strategy for women offenders.

In September 1990, the Federal Government announced acceptance of the Task Force recommendations and initiated implementation.

The new regional facilities for women offenders began operations. Nova Institution (1995) in Truro, Nova Scotia; Joliette Institution (1997) in Joliette, Quebec; Grand Valley Institution (1997) in Kitchener, Ontario; Edmonton Institution for Women (1995) in Edmonton, Alberta; and the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge (1995) in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. Women offenders in British Columbia are incarcerated at the provincial Burnaby Correctional Centre for Women (BCCW) in B.C, which is shared with the federal government. (As a result of the B.C. Government's plan to close BCCW - CSC announced in September 2002 its plan to convert Sumas Centre in Abbotsford to a multi-level security facility for federal women in the Pacific region. This facility is expected to become operational in 2004).

In 1996, following several escapes and other incidents, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) determined that a small portion of the women offenders required a greater degree of structure and control than the regional facilities could provide; due to their disruptive behaviour, high escape risk and risk to the public. Within this group, there were several inmates who required intensive mental health programming.

This situation prompted CSC to incarcerate these women in small separate units in men's institutions, where the women are housed totally separate from the male population, and at the Prison for Women in Kingston. This allowed the women to remain in their home region while ensuring security concerns were addressed. Women offenders requiring long-term intensive mental health treatment were offered the opportunity to transfer to the mental health unit at the Regional Psychiatric Centre in Saskatchewan and later to the Prison for Women. However, CSC made a commitment to develop a national strategy for high risk-high need women.

In September 1999, Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay announced the Intensive Intervention Strategy, which called for the modification and expansion of the existing enhanced units of the regional facilities to accommodate women offenders classified as maximum-security. Structured Living Environment houses to also be constructed at each of the regional facilities to accommodate women, classified as medium- and minimum-security, who have mental health needs that require more intensive support. This would permit the small units in men's institutions and the Prison for Women in Kingston to close.

The new strategy is meant to provide safe and secure accommodation for these women while emphasizing intensive staff intervention, programming and treatment.

In April 2000, CSC announced interim measures to permit the closure of the Prison for Women ahead of schedule, by the Summer of 2000. Newly-sentenced federal offenders in Ontario classified as maximum-security to be temporarily placed in one of the existing maximum-security units for women located in Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova Scotia which would meet their security and programming needs. Medium- or minimum-security federal offenders would continue to be admitted directly to Grand Valley Institution (the federal facility for women in Kitchener, Ontario). These measures are to remain in effect until the Secure Unit at Grand Valley Institution is ready to receive maximum-security offenders.

On May 8, 2000, the last inmate was transferred from the Prison for Women in Kingston, Ontario.

On July 6, 2000, Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay presided over the closing ceremony of the Prison for Women in Kingston, Ontario.

Over these years, designs were developed, tendering processes completed and the construction of the new Structured Living Environment houses and the new Secure Units were underway.

By December 2001, the Structured Living Environment houses were in operation at the regional facilities.

On January 16, 2003, Solicitor General Wayne Easter presided over the opening ceremony of the new Secure Unit at Nova Institution. This was followed by the opening of the new Secure Unit at Edmonton Institution for Women on February 26, 2003.

On March 25, 2003, the women's unit at Saskatchewan Penitentiary closed. This is the first of three women's units located in men's institutions to close.

The new Secure Units at Joliette and Grand Valley Institutions are set to open in Spring 2003.

Once all four Secure Units have been established in the women's institutions, the remaining separate units in men's institutions will be closed except for the Regional Psychiatric Centre (Saskatoon) which will continue to provide voluntary intensive treatment for women on a national basis.