Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies

ANNUAL REPORT 1997-1998

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

1997-98 has been a challenging and demanding year for CAEFS. Again we have had some successes and disappointments, and I continue to have great confidence in all of the staff and volunteers of our organization to continue our work for the women we serve. I believe that the solidarity of our organization is strong and effective, and that we will continue to face all of our future challenges as well as we have. My leadership of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies has included the dedicated assistance of our Executive Director, Kim Pate, and the members of the Executive Committee: Dawn McBride, Mollie Both and Margaret Shaw.

This year one of our priority concerns has involved the decision of the Correctional Services of Canada to transfer maximum security women to men’s prisons or other institutions. Our efforts to negotiate this matter with the Correctional Service of Canada failed and under direction from the CAEFS’ Board of Directors, we undertook legal action. As a result of our action, and that of the women at the Prison for Women in Kingston, we succeeded in preventing CSC from moving them to the Kingston Penitentiary. We have wanted to achieve the same result for women in other regions, but in view of our limited resources we can only persist in our continued work towards the same result throughout the coming year.

After many years of work, this year we saw four women receive some relief as a result of the government’s response to the Self Defence Review. CAEFS remains committed to ensuring that other women who have been jailed for defending themselves against abusive partners also receive justice. We will continue to follow-up with the Minister and Department of Justice in respect of the law reform components of our battered women’s defence work. We are very proud of our work on this issue to date and will continue to advocate for the release of women who have been jailed for defending themselves against abusive partners.

In 1996, the CAEFS’ Board of Directors elected to establish a regionalization process and we continue to be extremely pleased with the results of that process. Our regional representatives and advocates are committed to updating the agencies in their regions and maintaining involvement with their CAEFS’ work throughout the year, particularly between meetings of the Board of Directors. Indeed the transition to regionalization in the CAEFS’ organization has proceeded with relative ease as a result of the impressive commitment of the staff and volunteers of all of the agencies across the country.

In the past year, Kim Pate, our Executive Director, has visited each of the regional prisons, the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge, as well as the Prison for Women on several occasions. Kim Pate will continue to visit the Prison for Women in Kingston on a monthly basis until the time that P4W finally closes. As well, the regional advocates visit with the women and wardens of the regional prisons on a monthly basis. The regular reports of the regional advocates to the Executive Director of CAEFS and the regional agencies help to ensure that the CAEFS’ office and membership are continually informed and updated about emerging issues for federally sentenced women throughout the country. The regionalization process has emphasized the need for communication and I am proud to state the regional advocates and agencies within our organization have worked hard to advance our goals for regionalization.

As time permits, I also visit the prisons and I am continuing in the CAEFS’ position on the Kekuwemkunawuk, the Keepers of the Vision Circle at Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge. CAEFS continues to promote the successes and lessons being learned by and via the elders, women, staff and Nekaneet community members who support the Lodge. We continue to encourage the Correctional Service of Canada to learn from and follow the leadership, staff training and humane intervention approaches modelled and exemplified by the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge. I believe that CSC has much to learn from its Aboriginal staff, non-governmental partners and prisoners alike.

This year we also continued to push for the full implementation of Madam Justice Arbour’s recommendations in her report of the Commission of Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston. The CAEFS’ membership continues to be extremely disappointed in the lack of response to the implementation of the Arbour recommendations. The Correctional Service of Canada continues to exhibit persistent disregard for the law and disrespect for the rights and entitlements of prisoners. Regrettably, there continues to be a deflection and defensive refusal to acknowledge responsibility or accountability for the action and inaction at the Prison for Women, in the regional prisons and the segregated maximum security units for women in men’s prisons. This continues to be a priority issue for CAEFS and we will continue to seek government response to that Inquiry.

Our Social Action Committee has had an overwhelming agenda and has made considerable contributions on issues such as segregation, classification, cross-gender staffing, mental health, community strategies, and law reform. I continue to be impressed with the professional commitment towards the work on these important issues by our staff and volunteers.

In closing, I would like to state that I continue to be optimistic about the recommendations that have evolved from Inquiries such as the Morin Inquiry, and continue to look forward to the implementation of the Arbour recommendations. I am also optimistic about the relationship with the Correctional Service of Canada, and particularly with the Solicitor General, the Commissioner of Corrections, and the Deputy Commissioner for Women. Again this year, I commend the staff and network for another year of tremendous effort and diligent commitment to our work. I continue to be inspired by the women and the work of CAEFS and I am reminded of the work of Elizabeth Fry who said:

It has been an honour and a pleasure to serve as the President of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies.