WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM?
CAEFS' believes that no useful purpose is served by assigning different security levels to federally sentenced women. It is a well-established fact that women prisoners pose very little risk to the community. Women are much more likely to harm themselves by self-mutilation, than to harm others. Nevertheless, CAEFS recognizes that current legislation requires CSC to classify each imprisoned woman. Until those laws are changed our remarks are set in that context.
The number of women who are classified as maximum security is far too great. The current system was designed for men and results in significant over classification of federally sentenced women.
Aboriginal women are disproportionately classified as maximum security. 41 % of federally sentenced women who are classified as maximum security women are Aboriginal, whereas Aboriginal women represent only 30 % of the total population of federally sentenced women, and less than 2% of the population of Canada.
Women are unfairly assessed according to social and personal disadvantages in their backgrounds over which they have no control. For example, if an individual is assessed as having been the victim of spousal abuse or was considered unemployed at the time of arrest, she will be identified as having a "need" in those areas. The greater the number of identified needs, the higher the resulting assessment of her risk and later security classification.
Women with mental health needs are too often categorized as maximum security, thereby denying them the supportive environment they need.
The "risk factors" used to assess probability of escape and the level of risk to the safety of the public cannot be reasonably applied. Escapes by women occur so rarely, the recidivism rate for women is much lower than that for men, and a much smaller percentage of the crimes committed by them are violent.
In the existing facilities, there is virtually no difference between the conditions of confinement in medium and minimum classification. Accommodation, program availability and access to the community are restricted to the medium level at best.
CAEFS' Proposal
A new classification system based on demonstrated behaviour and individual achievements within institutional settings. We are confident this would result in much lower classifications and many more community based sentencing and/or release arrangements.
Women with mental health disabilities properly supported by community-directed services to help them receive the treatment needed and so maintain a lower security level.
All federally sentenced women should be incarcerated in the new regional prisons.
All Aboriginal women who choose to commit to the healing focus should have access to the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge.
"The Risky Business of Risk Assessment": http://www.elizabethfry.ca/risky/Contents.htm