Prisons: The International Response to
Poverty, Abuse & Mental Illness
Presented at the Monash University Conference – June 21, 2005 - Prato, Italy
Presented by
Kim Pate, B.A., B.Ed. (P.D.P.P.), LL.B., M.Sc. (in progess)
Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
Past President of the National Associations Active in Criminal Justice
A feminist lawyer and teacher by training, Kim is an advocate, activist and ally of women and girls in prison in Canada. She has worked with and on behalf of marginalized, criminalized and imprisoned youth, men and women for more than two decades.

Abstract:

This address will provide an overview of some of the issues and trends related to the context and challenges of working with and on behalf of women prisoners. In addition to exploring the current trends toward the increased criminalization of women, especially poor and racialized women, as well as those classified as having mental and cognitive disabilities, Kim will discuss the historical and global tendency to further such oppression in 'correctional' settings. This session will highlight issues related to the appropriation of feminist theory and language, the resulting impact on women's abilities to survive criminalization after being over-classified and cognitively programmed in high security prison settings, as well as the particular issues related to the increased criminalization of women who experience violence. In addition, Kim will highlight some of the policy and law reform initiatives that have been advocated by equality-seeking women’s groups in Canada and internationally.

Thank you to Rosemary and Monash University for inviting us to this conference in beautiful Italy! I think it is important to be here despite having to be spurred on by an Australian ally and friend who does have the lived experience of imprisonment, and despite finding the title of the conference problematic –positioning criminalized and imprisoned women as ‘other’ than us, allows us to distance ourselves and label some women as the object of our attention, forever defined by sometimes as few as one named breach of the law.

For too many of us doing this work, even if our lived experience includes oppression, our presence here is testament to the fact that we have transitioned into a position of privilege that separates us from the women who are the subject and object of our work and this conference. This makes it all the more important that we work with every fibre of our being to challenge oppressive language, practices and institutions.

Our non-governmental organization is an association of 25 grassroots members across Canada who work with women and girls in the justice system, everything from early intervention and community-based social services to prison aftercare. As one of two staff in our national office, I am responsible for policy and law reform activities. To do this, we participate in research, court actions, human rights reviews, commissions of inquiry, coronial inquests, parliamentary legislative reviews, in addition to meeting with individuals and organized groups of women in and from prison and working directly with and on behalf of women with the lived experiences. It is a tremendous privilege and responsibility.

So, to begin with, I want to honour and acknowledge the women who are with us or at home who have the lived experience about which we presume to speak. I urge you to unite and together to challenge and hold us accountable for all we say and do, not just here, but in our daily work and lives, especially when we try to describe or represent your realities.

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