NCJ Number
73943
Date Published
1978
Length
103 pages
Annotation
This report presents narrative discussions and statistical information on women in various correctional institutions in British Columbia and makes recommendations for changes in current policies and practices.
Abstract
The report's first chapter provides background information on the incarcerated female offender, based on Canadian criminological literature. Factors contributing to the small number of women in Canadian jails are suggested. Four major Federal reports on issues related to incarcerated women are next briefly discussed. The third chapter reports on studies conducted on provincial institutions, recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women and of the National Advisory Committee on the Female Offender, and actions taken in British Columbia. The fourth chapter describes each of British Columbia's five correctional centers which house women offenders. The fifth chapter contains descriptive statistics on the number of women admissions from 1973 to 1976, and population levels in each of the British Columbia correctional centers housing women offenders. The final chapters present conclusions and recommendations regarding four specific issues related to the incarceration of women in British Columbia. It is recommended that a permanent group be established within the Ministry of the Attorney General to make sure that women's needs are incorporated into all planning. It is also recommended that the range of correctional facilities available for women be widened, that correctional staff training be improved, and that special correctional program positions which could be filled by men or by women be established. Tables and figures are included.