Margaret Shaw and Kelly Hannah-Moffat have also argued that "women need the language of success to see improvement" (36). More than one correctional officer has pointed that "in a men's prison you need a panic button whereas in the [segregated maximum security] units for women [in men's prisons], the staff need ‘a box of kleenex' to do the assessments on women." For instance, issues pertaining to children, especially child care and custody issues, seem to have a far greater impact on women than men during the intake process. Women and girls are often described as "high maintenance" because of their trauma and abuse issues. They are also described as extremely demanding and needy by many staff.

Young women are also especially likely to be seen as in need of protection from the street and their assessments are often tainted by the child welfare concerns of well-intentioned and caring front-line staff and social workers. Far too many young women are detained in custody as a result of perceptions about the risks they face in the community, not the risks they pose to others.

Young women themselves summarily describe the constraints of institutional living as follows, "you can't be happy or they'll [the staff] assume you're high and throw you in the hole; you can't be too sad or they'll assume you're depressed and throw you in the quiet room – another hole". The obvious consequence of such lived realities is that young women tend to have to mute their reactions in order to not attract the attention of their keepers and the corresponding high risk labels and resulting high security carceral conditions.

Furthermore, the criteria used in such risk and classification systems as those employed and adapted by federal, provincial and juvenile correctional systems are discriminatory. Many of the criteria target the disadvantages experienced by women and youth, particularly those who are poor and racialized. The result is that the most disadvantaged are likely to be considered the greatest risks to others. They are therefore likely to be classified as requiring high security supervision, which, in turn, means that they will be subjected to the most restrictive conditions of confinement. Furthermore, the effect of a high risk designation extends beyond the physical conditions of confinement and includes the opportunity to participate in institutional programs and recreational opportunities, as well as community integration services.

Restrictions based on disadvantage, without proof that the proposed restrictions are necessary, arguably contravenes the equality provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. There is clearly a significant adverse impact youth, women and all racialized prisoners, especially young racialized women who are disproportionately labelled as violent.