Why we should form an international coalition against women's imprisonment...
Brisbane, Australia - November 29, 2001

Presented by
Kim Pate, B.A., B.Ed. (P.D.P.P.), LL.B.
Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
President of the Canadian National Associations Active in Criminal Justice
A feminist lawyer and teacher by training, Kim is an advocate,
activist ally of women and girls in prison in Canada. She has worked with
and on behalf of criminalized youth, men and women for the past two decades.

Abstract: Women are the fastest growing prison population world-wide. This paper will focus on the recent global trends to increasingly criminalize women and girls, especially those who are poor and racialized. It will also explore the factors that are contributing to women and girls being characterized as becoming more violent.

This paper will highlight the potential possibilities of a world-wide coalition to end the imprisonment of women. It will also focus attention upon the nature and circumstances under which women are criminalized. By so doing, it will also encourage conference participants to examine their own perspectives as to the manner in which women who commit violence, as well as those who enjoy greater privilege should be dealt with by the criminal justice system. All of the foregoing will be explored within the context of class, race, and sex/gender.

Wearing the wisdom of past work and fuelled by the excitement of the forthcoming possibilities, I will attempt to provide you with an overview of our challenges and achievements as well as a glimpse into the future that is possible...

As we gather together here for these few very important days, my government and yours are in the process of manipulating our respective citizenries to believe that they are working to better protect our collective security with an increased focus on "organized crime". Yet the authorities of the State are still really focussed on catching and jailing the disorganized ones, and by cutting legal aid, charter protections, et cetera. What they are really up to is a transparently veiled plan to diminish and/or remove constitutionally enshrined human and civil rights of any groups and individuals whom they decide to define as subversive, organized and/or terrorist in orientation. Meanwhile they are also creating ever greater numbers of disenfranchised and unconnected members of our communities by openly slashing health, education and social services in order to feed and finance corporate profit and greed.

In the less than 48 hours since I left Canada, I have been notified of one lifer's death in custody, another woman who just lost her children to the state and yet another whose child was suspended from school after reacting physically to racist taunts from another student - the racist taunter was given a "talking to", but was not suspended. We all know and live the realities of these very graphic illustrations of discriminatory applications of criminal law and social policy.