October 31, 2000, after flying to Adelaide, South Australia, the CAEFS' Executive Director participated in the opening plenary and presented the keynote address at the Australian Institute of Criminology Conference on Women in Corrections. Nancy Stableforth and one other Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) employee also attended the conference from Canada. In addition, there were participants from Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Japan: China, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom and European Union, the United States, New Zealand and Australia. The talk will be published as part of the proceedings of the conference and is also available on the Australian Institute of Criminology and CAEFS' home page.

Immediately following the conference, The Executive Director participated in a meeting of women who are working as advocates with and for women in the justice system throughout Australia. The Executive Director also had the opportunity to visit some local services, in South Australia, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. Finally, as a result of the exposure received during the conference in Adelaide, the Executive Director has been invited to be a keynote presenter at a conference that is being organized by and for women prisoners in Queensland, Australia, November 28-30, 2001. A number of women from Australia also hope to participate in our conference in the fall.

b) Osgoode Hall Law School

During the latter half of November 2000, the Executive Director spoke at the Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, regarding the issue of mandatory minimum sentences and the need for reform to the law of self-defence. Sadly, while The Executive Director was in Toronto for that speaking engagement, she also attended a memorial for Katie Baird, a young woman who she first met at the Prison for Women in Kingston. Since her release from prison, Katie worked for PASAN (Prisoners Aid Support and Action Network).

c) American Society of Criminology Conference

In November 2000, the Executive Director travelled to San Francisco, where she spoke at the American Society of Criminology Conference. Margaret Shaw and Shoshana Pollack also presented and made excellent contributions to the conference. The Executive Director strongly encourage all of the CAEFS' membership to obtain copies of their remarks.

d) CASAC Speaking Engagements

Also in November 2000, the Executive Director travelled to Vancouver, to speak to the Canadian of Association of Sexual Assault Centres" Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter regarding the issue of prison abolition. This speaking engagement also provided an opportunity to meet with members of DAARE (Direct Action Against Refugee Exploitation) and to meet the women who are currently detained pursuant to the Immigration Act at the Burnaby Correctional Centre for Women.

e) Colloquium on Mandatory Minimum Sentences