COMMUNITY STRATEGY
FOR WOMEN OFFENDERS

COMMUNITY STRATEGY

INTRODUCTION

This Strategy provides a framework for the approaches to be taken with respect to women offenders on release in the community. It is based on several years of research and reflection and recognizes a well established community network. This document is a unique opportunity to incorporate the outcomes of significant changes in the field of corrections as well as the concrete conclusions of a variety of Task Forces and advisory bodies.

Supervision of women offenders in the community involves a set of interconnected elements. This Strategy describes the services and programs that should be available in the community; CSC is committed to working toward the objectives that have been set in this respect.

Approximately 60% of women offenders under federal jurisdiction are on conditional release in the community. While the figure varies from region to region, overall, women offenders have a high reintegration potential; a high level of motivation to take charge of their lives; they are active participants in the supervision process; and, are receptive to the forms of assistance they are being offered. These factors assist them to successfully reintegrate into the community. However, because there are so few women offenders in the community and they are geographically dispersed, programs and services to provide reintegration support are often less extensive than those available to men offenders on release. Therefore, in order to meet our equity obligations, we must develop or re-align our resources.

Background

There have been significant changes in the field of corrections over the past decade. In trying to define the orientation of women's corrections, we must take into account the numerous facets of these changes. The CCRA and its Regulations are part of a set of laws, including the Criminal Code , the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that have a direct or indirect impact on our activities. Significant influences include key documents such as CSC's Mission statement, and the Creating Choices report.

The Corrections and Conditional Release Act governs our practices and clearly prescribes our obligations in terms of respect for gender equality, ethnicity, and cultural and linguistic differences. Specifically, it requires the Service to consult regularly with interest groups and with experts who have experience working with women offenders in order to develop programs for women (s.77 of the CCRA ). The Act also sets out the role of Aboriginal communities for addressing the needs of Aboriginal offenders.

CSC's Mission statement commits us to meeting the specific needs of women and Aboriginal offenders. In addition, the Service recognizes that “offenders can best demonstrate their ability to function as law-abiding citizens in the community”. To this end, CSC will provide “programs, assistance and supervision to support the gradual release of offenders at the earliest time that such release can be safely effected”.

A major turning point in women's corrections was the acceptance by the federal government in 1990, of the Creating Choices report. This report recommended two changes of equal importance: replacing the Prison for Women with regional institutions and a healing lodge and the development of a community strategy for women offenders.

The opening of regional institutions between 1995 and 1997 was the first concrete step in the implementation the recommendations in Creating Choices . At the same time, work began on the development of a community strategy. In 1995, there was a national survey of parole officers responsible for supervising women offenders. At that time, 49% of federally sentenced women were on parole. The survey revealed that 92% of paroled women offenders were considered to represent a low or moderate risk of re-offending. The parole officers also indicated supervising women offenders required more time than supervising men offenders, especially during the first six months of release. Furthermore, the support requested or provided was not always related to the criminogenic factors that had been identified in research done with male offenders.

Following this survey, in 1996, a national workshop was held on the development of a community strategy for federally sentenced women. It brought together participants from all regions, including CSC employees and representatives from community and Aboriginal groups. The two-day workshop took stock of the latest research projects on women offenders as well as innovative community initiatives. This event made it possible to identify the broad outlines of what would become the February 1998 discussion paper "Community Strategy for Women on Conditional Release".

Based on this national discussion paper, each region was then asked to develop its own strategy. This exercise enabled staff to re-examine the services and programs provided to women offenders within their region. Clearly, over the past decade, CSC has continued its work to support women offender attempting to successfully reintegrate into the community.

This document is an extension of that effort, and it is also directly related to the second, and equally important, recommendation of the Creating Choices report. Regional strategies, research with supervised women offenders, and recent visits to every District all support the notion of implementing supervision standards specific to women and providing distinct programs and services to meet their needs.

Current Situation

The majority of women offenders serve their sentences at regional institutions and at the Healing Lodge. These institutions are multi-level, offering a range of programs and services. Since opening, the underlying philosophy is one of accountability and empowerment. This is manifested in concrete ways such as having inmates organize their daily lives in their living units and involving them in all stages of their Correctional Plans. An approach based on dynamic security and interpersonal relationships provides support to each inmate as she works toward reintegration into the community as a law-abiding citizen. The supervision of women offenders in the community needs to be based on this same philosophy of accountability/empowerment.

Supervision of women offenders in the community must recognize their specific needs. Over the past ten years, research, the survey of parolees, workshops with partners and most recently the comments from community workers, including parole officers, all point to the same conclusion: Women offenders are a distinct group within the prison population as well as under supervision, and must be recognized as such.

Their distinctiveness is reflected in the following, according to OMS data, on January 21, 2001:

•  357 women were incarcerated

•  523 women were on conditional release. Of these, 26% needed to meet their parole officers once a week.

•  The proportion of offenders in the community rose from 49.6% to 58.8% between 1997 and 2001.

•  More women than men were on full parole (71% compared to 51% ), 61% of women were assessed as low risk compared to 44% for men.

•  Their motivation and reintegration potential are greater than men's. 77% of women offenders compared to 61% of men offenders, have been assessed as ‘highly motivated'

•  75% of women offenders have high reintegration potential, compared to 55% of men.

•  Compared to men, women offenders have greater needs in the areas of marital/family relationships and employment but fewer needs regarding attitude.

•  The profile of the Aboriginal women offenders is somewhat different. Fifty-three point eight percent (53.8%) of Aboriginal women offenders were serving their sentences in the community and of these, 79% were in the Prairie region. This particular population of women are assessed as higher risk and have higher needs than non-Aboriginal women offenders on conditional release. However, while their motivation and reintegration potential is assessed as lower than non-Aboriginal women, it is still above 50% (60% for motivation and 56% for reintegration potential).

•  Women on conditional release in the community are dispersed geographically. Even in urban areas, they live in different parts of the city and it is difficult to form a group for program purposes.

•  Between April 2000 and January 2001, 35% of admissions were re-admissions based on a parole revocation (with and without a new offence). This number indicates this is an area for improvement - especially with respect to revocations without offence.

The successes on conditional release demonstrate that the approach adopted so far is effective. However, it is important to recognize how much energy staff are spending supervising women offenders and the creative approaches they are using in order to meet all their needs. The following factors must be recognized when resources are being developed and assigned:

•  A woman offender may request support and assistance in an area of her life where she is experiencing problems. As a preventative measure, parole officers respond regardless of whether this problem is directly linked to a criminogenic factor.

•  Programs need to be delivered individually or in small groups since the geographic dispersement of this population normally precludes group programming as well as meeting current programming standards.

•  One of the objectives a woman offender needs to work towards, with the support of her parole officer, is identifying and then becoming a part of, a community network that will provide support beyond warrant expiry.

PRINCIPLES AND PURPOSES

Supervision of women in the community must take an holistic approach, thereby maintaining the approach used in the institution and the concepts outlined in Creating Choices . To this end, the time available for supervision must cover all the clients' needs, such as those related to spirituality, to childcare and to physical and mental health. Since women offenders tend to want to establish trusting relationships, and will want to pursue their journey activities initiated in the institution, collateral contacts with key people or groups are an integral aspect of supervision and must be addressed due to their impact of reducing the potential for recidivism.

All conditional release programs available to offenders must be part of a global approach to sentence management. It must favour the least restrictive measures possible while taking public safety into account. Programs must facilitate the return of the women to their communities at the earliest point in their sentence with due regard to the women's safety and security as well as the public's. Re-establishing contacts with family members and/or significant others may provide women with the required ongoing support long after warrant expiry date.

Conditionally released women are thus motivated and their reintegration potential is high. They must receive the support they need to stay motivated in spite of the obstacles they will encounter throughout their supervision period. One of the continuous challenges women offenders face is turning the good intentions they had when they left the institution into concrete actions and tangible results during supervision.

Support, interventions and programs and services for women offenders are based on the following principles:

•  Woman-centred approach: All aspects of this Strategy recognize that women have had unique experiences and have a collective history different from men's. They will be encouraged to build on the positive aspects of their lives. All services / programs will take these distinctions into account.

•  Reintegration: This is an ongoing process that begins the first day of incarceration. Release should occur at the most appropriate time, and the case management documents in support of release must meet requirements. To deal with women's specific needs, parole officers in the community must be involved from the very beginning of the sentence in order to be able to identify the necessary support for successful reintegration. If long-term action is needed, such as development of special community support, under section 84 of the CCRA or accreditation of a private home to accommodate a woman on conditional release with her child, an action plan can be put in place immediately.

•  Continuity between institution and community: The mandates of the community and the institution are complementary and serve the same objective. This continuity is also evidenced in the identification of which programs women will take in the institution as opposed to the community. Involvement of partners such as halfway house staff, child welfare authorities, volunteers, elders, the community chaplains and other significant individuals is essential to developing a realistic release plan. The offender herself needs to be a full member of the team.

•  Individual approach: This approach is necessary in order to ensure the level of supervision and support appropriate to the needs of each offender in the community. While women offenders face many of the same problems, each woman develops her own approach to empowerment and accountability. Further, it is difficult to deliver programs to groups because these offenders are small in number and geographically dispersed, therefore interventions must be tailored to individuals.

•  Creativity and flexibility: To date, various parties in the community have adopted a creative approach to supervision, connected to and in harmony with the community in question. This flexible and creative approach should continue and be recognized as valuable and supported.

•  Partnership: The preferred approach is to use the community's existing resources for women. The long-term goal of supervision is to encourage women offenders to join local women's groups. This will allow them to make positive contacts, which will last well beyond warrant expiry. CSC recognizes the expertise of these partners in a variety of areas as the needs of women offenders in the community, are in many ways, similar to those of women in the community. Mutual exchange can only be beneficial. Further, as responsible citizens, women under supervision need to become active members of their communities.

•  Alternatives to readmission: When women offenders breach parole conditions, alternatives to readmission must be considered, with public safety as the paramount consideration. In these situations, a revocation occurs as a last resort, after other ways of managing risk have been considered.

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

It is vital that parole office staff work in partnership with community agencies in order to develop accommodation options for women offenders on release. Because their small numbers and geographical dispersal, staff should continue to develop innovative ideas to meet women's specific accommodation needs. While projects should be based on the guidelines set out below, they must also reflect the realities of the community in question. Over the years, each parole office has developed close relationships with local partners, and they must continue as they are an integral part of the present strategy.

Accommodation

Regional institutions and the Healing Lodge encourage a lifestyle that mirrors life in the community. The daily routine in the living units develops and maintains the skills an offender will need to take charge of her life. This approach should continue with respect to accommodation. Tasks such as making a budget, cooking for oneself or for a small group and maintaining their living area must also apply at halfway houses and in private homes.

A women-only halfway house needs to be developed and maintained in each region.

•  CCC/CRC : The preferred option is for women offenders to have an opportunity to stay in a women-only halfway house within their region. This facility would become a multi-service centre. A program officer will be assigned to the facility. Making programs available at the halfway house will make it easier to form small groups. Women on full parole or statutory release can also be included as well as provincial offenders on release, if possible. In addition, it will be easier in a women-only facility to set up a child care centre to look after the children of women on day parole or other residents so they may participate in the programs. If for some reason, based on an individualized evaluation, a woman will be staying in accommodation that also houses male offenders, there must be certain restrictions. The halfway house must have a section reserved exclusively for women, where they will not only be secure but also feel secure and protected from any form of violence or abuse.

Other approaches to accommodation can also be considered and developed, depending on the specific needs of the offenders or the regional realities, especially when the number of offenders in an area is small. Every district must make available some form of accommodations for women only. The following avenues represent viable options:

•  Satellite apartments: These apartments, attached to a halfway house / community organization, offer a more private environment and a degree of supervision reflective of real needs. Some women have a greater need for support rather than control. In other words, some women do not need the level of supervision of a halfway house. These apartments also provide an exclusively woman living environment, where the number of offenders is limited.

•  Private homes: In regions where halfway houses are not economically viable, private homes are an option that can provide support. Each District must be able to offer alternative women-only accommodations, such as a private home. The time required to identify and accredit such a placement is lengthy, and is most often intended to meet the needs of one particular woman offender. It is therefore important to give consideration to this option at the outset of the sentence and in the correctional planning process. Private homes may also be the best solution in remote and rural areas.

•  Other resources for women : Establishing a service contract with shelters for victims of violence, for homeless women, for women with disabilities or for women in difficulty whether provisional or long-term, is an option that must not be discounted. Often such shelters are strongly rooted in the community and recognized for the community support they offer to women. They may also have links with other agencies, thus providing offenders with an opportunity to create a support network.

•  Accommodation for children: As children are an important part of the lives of many women offenders, accommodation for women offenders only, including private homes and satellite apartments, must accept children. The mother-child program is an integral part of the programs provided at the regional women's facilities and the Healing Lodge. Therefore, to ensure continuity in the community, it is vital that the reintegration process take children into account where appropriate.

Programs

For program development and delivery, the preferred approach is on an individual basis or small groups of two or three participants. It is rare that there is a sufficient number of women offenders in the same area, requiring the same program at the same time, to form a group. Co-ed groups should be avoided, since women will be in a minority and the environment is not conducive to women's full participation. Core programs should then be delivered on an individual basis, or, when possible, to a small group.

The principles within the Correctional Program Strategy for Women Offenders apply to community programs.

Many offenders' release is suspended or revoked because they have abused drugs or alcohol, so special attention will be paid to substance abuse treatment programs.

•  Addiction: One treatment centre must be available in each region for women offenders requiring intensive treatment for alcohol or drug addiction. Each region must have, at minimum, a service contract with a treatment centre that meets community standards in terms of accommodation and services. However, CSC must ensure that with mixed programs, a balance is maintained with regard to the number of men and women within that group. Also, CSC is committed to ensuring the quality of the services provided by these treatment centres.

•  Relapse prevention: Abuse of alcohol or other intoxicants is a significant problem for many women offenders on release. They need to ultimately get involved in community groups for citizens with alcohol or drug problems. For those who need additional support, or a transitional step prior to their participation in community groups, CSC provides a relapse prevention program. CSC is pursuing research in this area in order to establish a program that will better meet the specific needs of women. The connection between being a victim of abuse and addiction needs to be further explored, and the relapse prevention program should be adjusted to reflect this factor.

As mentioned in the 2002 Mental Health Strategy for Women Offenders, attention should be paid to ensuring continuity of psychological and psychiatric services from institution to community.

•  Psychological services: Psychological services are available to women offenders wishing to deal more thoroughly with psychological issues. Also, these services may compensate for the lack of a core program by providing therapeutic support. Some needs, may initially be dealt with in the context of a program, but more intensive therapy may be required as well. This may be the most appropriate way of dealing with emotional needs.

•  Psychiatric services: Regional institutions provide a range of services and programs for women offenders with mental health needs. Before these offenders are released, contacts and appointments should be established with local resources to ensure timely follow-up in this regard. Upon their release, offenders should be in possession of the medication they require until their next appointment. The provincial health system may be an avenue worth exploring for women under supervision with significant mental health problems. Release plans for these offenders should include an assessment of this option.

Without minimizing the importance of the following issues, CSC and Parole Officers should be focused more on referring women to community based and other agencies to have their needs met rather than on delivering the services directly.

•  Victims of Trauma and Abuse: Women under supervision in the community who wish to work on their history as victims of trauma or abuse, or continue what they were working on inside the institution, will be referred to existing community resources such as community centres and peer support groups. CSC's role is to make referrals and liaise with such groups and if appropriate, initiate action. In the case of family violence, shelters for women will be the preferred resource.

•  Employment/Education: Women offenders with low levels of education or limited labour market experience will need support to increase the level of their skills / knowledge. They will be referred to local resources such as employment centres and employment assistance / adult education programs. In some cases, looking after her children on a full-time basis could be deemed a valid form of employment for an offender. An individual assessment must be made, taking into consideration all aspects of the offender's situation.

•  Relationship with child welfare agencies : Women offenders who do not have legal custody of their children may require assistance in approaching social services with regard to visiting rights or obtaining custody. The parole officer will facilitate contact between offenders and the staff at social service agencies and youth centres.

Section 84

For a variety of reasons, the majority of Aboriginal women offenders plan to go to urban areas upon release. Whether or not they originally come from an urban area, they often want to settle where resources or significant individuals are available to provide reintegration support.

Section 84 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act provides for agreements with Aboriginal communities concerning the supervision of offenders in the community. It is one of the tools available to offenders making release plans. The procedure begins at the institution, strengthening contacts between the offender and her community. As the woman offender is the one who makes the request, she plays an active role in plans affecting her future. Both offenders and communities must be given all available information on Section 84, on the implications of an undertaking in this regard, and the support required when concrete plans are being made. It calls for each party to make an undertaking to work toward a common objective and for contacts to be established that will last beyond warrant expiry.

Appropriate alternative options for Aboriginal women in the community should be pursued to ensure that all their needs are met.

•  Accommodation managed by Aboriginal non-profit agencies must be available to women offenders.

•  Community services and programs must also be sensitive to Aboriginal realities and be able to meet all the cultural and spiritual needs of Aboriginal women.

•  The key role played by Elders in the healing process is recognized. Elders contribute to the successful reintegration of offenders who have begun a healing process, while incarcerated and wish to pursue this path upon release or for those women who wish to initiate one. In this regard, Elders at the institution will play a key role in release planning. In order for women offenders to make a transition from their services to outside resources, Elders must be consulted by case management team members and guide the offender to Elder services that can best provide continuity, depending on her needs.

PARTNERS

Because of women offenders' geographical dispersion and small numbers, combining provincial and federal women offenders could assist in the development of programs and services. Partnerships with other government or non-government organizations are among the tools available to parole officers to provide these offenders with additional support.

CSC encourages partnerships with other levels of government, the community criminal justice sector, and women's resources with a view to encouraging discussion and sharing information on women's criminality and developing programs and services. It also encourages such initiatives as focus groups, multi-sector working groups and inter-jurisdictional committees. Each District or parole office must find the approach that suits both its own situation and that of its partners.

Creating partnerships is an integral part of a parole officer's supervision work. It should be recognized and encouraged.

ADMINISTRATIVES STRUCTURES

In accordance with the approaches for women offenders in the community that have been outlined in this report, responsibilities are allocated as follows:

•  Institution: Each institution has a reintegration committee under the head of the Case Management Team. The committee includes staff members involved in a case: the institutional parole officer, the program co-ordinator and primary workers and others. The committee's mandate is correctional planning for the inmate, including pre-requisites for release and development of realistic release plans. The inmate is an integral part of this process, and is involved at each stage.

•  District: District directors and heads of area parole offices must work in collaboration with local agencies to develop and maintain resources that can meet the needs of women offenders, as described in this Strategy. Their mandate also includes ongoing assessment of programs and services available to these offenders, to ensure these continue to be appropriate.

•  Regional Headquarters: In each division at RHQ, a manager ensures equitable distribution of resources and the development of initiatives to meet the needs of women offenders.

•  National Headquarters: The Women Offender Sector at NHQ, under the leadership of the Deputy Commissioner for Women, is responsible for development of programs tailored to women offenders, and reviews research proposals, to better identify the specific needs of women offenders in the community. There is a manager in the Women Offender Sector responsible for all matters connected with the community sector, who co-ordinates the work of NHQ divisions, the regions, institutions and districts.