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 is in the process of converting Sumas Centre in Abbotsford to a multi-level security facility for federal women offenders in the Pacific region. This facility is expected to start accepting inmates in March 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 were 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. At that time, CSC made a commitment to develop a national strategy for high risk, high need women.

In September 1999, Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay announced details of 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. The Strategy also called for the construction of Structured Living Environment houses 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 will permit the small units in men's institutions and the Prison for Women in Kingston to close.

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 would 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. The Secure Unit began accepting inmates on January 21, 2003. The women's unit at Springhill Institution subsequently closed in June 2003. The Secure Unit at Edmonton Institution for Women began accepting women on February 13, 2003. The women's unit at Saskatchewan Penitentiary subsequently closed in March 2003. The Secure Unit at Joliette Institution started accepting inmates on May 21, 2003. It is anticipated the Secure Unit at Grand Valley Institution for Women will open in March 2004. Once open, the women's unit at Centre régional de réception (CRR) in Quebec will close.

The Churchill Unit at the Regional Psychiatric Centre (RPC) in the Prairies will remain open as a voluntary, 12-bed, national mental health unit for women offenders.

The Auditor General's Report on the Reintegration of Women Offenders (Chapter 4) was tabled in Parliament on April 8th, 2003. Action plans developed in response to the recommendations outlined in this report were transmitted to the Office of the Auditor General in July 2003.

Subsequent to the release of the Auditor General's 2003 report, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts held hearings on the audit results. Findings and recommendations, detailed in the Standing Committee on Public Accounts' 26th report, were presented to the House of Commons on November 6, 2003.

As a result of expressed complaints and concerns on behalf of several Non Governmental Organizations, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) conducted a review of CSC's management of women offenders. The CHRC is expected to release its special report on the situation of federally sentenced women in January 2004.