The Evolution of the New Federal Women's Prisons in Canada

1 The Evolution of the New Federal Women’s Prisons in Canada Stephanie Frances Hayman Thesis submitted for the Ph.D. in Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science. 2002 UMI Number: U178633 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U178633 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 F “8106 02 ^1/6 2 Abstract The Evolution of the New Federal Women’s Prisons in Canada This thesis explores a unique experiment in penal reform; the final, successful attempt to close the sole federal Prison for Women in Canada and its replacement by five regional prisons. A government Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women, with representatives from the voluntary sector, produced a woman-centred document on penal reform. Wanting to create a plan reflecting the specific needs of Canadian women, they found that the country’s colonial history had an unanticipated impact upon their work, and that its Aboriginal (First Nations) members exerted a profound influence on the final report. Focusing upon the first three prisons to open, this thesis traces the work of the Task Force itself, then shows how the voluntary sector was largely excluded from the project once the Correctional Service of Canada began to implement the plan. The exception was the new Aboriginal Healing Lodge, which relied heavily on Aboriginal input throughout the planning process. What this study reveals is the manner in which the language of penal reform is both incorporated and reinterpreted by correctional authorities. It shows how reformers from both the public and private sector may help to legitimise ventures, while the discipline of the prison simultaneously re-asserts itself in order to neutralise reform. The thesis assesses the way in which public and political opinion affected the entire project and analyses two major outcomes of the venture. Firstly, an enterprise intended to provide imprisoned women with greater autonomy has led to many more now living with disproportionate levels of security. Secondly, the possible consequences for Aboriginals of allowing their culture and spirituality to become part of the language of corrections. What the study demonstrates is that new forms of penal governance closely reflect those which have preceded them, irrespective of how the language and intentions might have changed. 3 Contents List of illustrations 4 Abbreviations and Glossary 5 Acknowledgments 1 Introduction 9 1 A brief history; prelude to a Task Force 24 2 A journey begins; creating a Task Force 44 3 Struggling for consensus 81 4 Facing the central conundrum 117 5 Returning to the cottages; abandoning the prison? 148 6 Edmonton Institution for Women 188 7 Nova Institution for Women 228 8 Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge; a healing prison? 272 9 Learning the Lessons? 313 Bibliography 341 Addendum inside back cover 4 List of illustrations Plates The Prison for Women 40 Edmonton Institution for Women 206 Nova Institution for Women 238 Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge - the Spiritual Lodge 294 Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge - the living lodges 295 Map Locations of past and present prisons for federally sentenced women 141 Tables Table 1: Distribution of incarcerated federally sentenced 121 women’s population in 1989 Table 2: Average sentence length of federally sentenced 122 women in 1989 Table 3: Distribution of populations by offence in 1989 122 Table 4: Bed provision when new prisons first opened 321 Table 5: Anticipated bed provision upon completion of 322 re-building 5 Abbreviations and Glossary AWC Aboriginal Women’s Caucus CAEFS Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies CCRA Corrections and Conditional Release Act 1992 CD Commissioner’s Directive cedar tipi Spiritual Lodge at the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge CET cell extraction team CSC Correctional Service of Canada C-SPAC Corrections - Senior Policy Advisory Committee EAC External Advisory Committee EIFW Edmonton Institution for Women EU Enhanced Unit ExCom Executive Committee of the Correctional Service of Canada HLPC Healing Lodge Planning Circle IERT Institutional Emergency Response Team Ke Kun Wem Kon A Wuk Keepers of the Vision (at the Healing Lodge) Kikawinaw ‘Our Mother’ (in Cree). The Director of the Healing Lodge. Kikawisinaw ‘Aunt’ (in Cree). A more senior member of staff at the Healing Lodge. Kimisinaw ‘Older Sister’ (in Cree). The Healing Lodge’s equivalent of a Primary Worker. LEAF Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund NIC National Implementation Committee Nova Nova Institution for Women NWAC Native Women’s Association of Canada Primary Worker Guard / correctional officer RPC / RTC Regional Psychiatric Centre / Regional Treatment Centre ranges a series of tiered, barred cells in the Prison for Women restraints handcuffs RI Regional Instruction SLE Structured Living Environment SLH / U Structured Living House / Unit SO Standing Order 6 TFFSW Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women WICL Women in Conflict with the Law 7 Acknowledgments I have been fortunate to meet many federally sentenced women across Canada. Their individual stories, their many kindnesses, their humour and their courage have stayed with me throughout the long process of completing this thesis, which I dedicate to them. Prof. David Downes and Prof. Paul Rock have been consistent, challenging and supportive supervisors. They provided encouragement when it was needed, patiently and sympathetically dealing with difficulties I thought unique to my own experience, but which they had probably encountered many times before. No Ph.D. candidate could have asked for more, and I am deeply grateful to them both. All Ph.D. research entails a degree of expenditure, especially when the field sites are in another country. I received significant help from the Economic and Social Research Council (Award No. R004204284) and from the Central Research Fund of the University of London. I was also fortunate to be awarded a Titmuss Research Scholarship, and the Metcalfe Studentship for Women, from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Without the assistance of these various bodies I would have been unable to carry out such extensive field work, and I thank them for their generosity. This research could only have been undertaken with the cooperation of the Correctional Service of Canada. I was freely allowed access to prisons across the country and am grateful for the Service’s unconditional help. It should be emphasised that the views expressed in the finished work are entirely mine, and do not reflect those of the Correctional Service of Canada, or its employees. Staff from the Women Offender Sector of the Correctional Service of Canada went to great lengths to facilitate my many requests. I owe a particular debt to Hilda Vanneste, who initially encouraged me to begin the task, and whose inexhaustible memory for detail frequently inspired me to pursue avenues I might otherwise have 8 ignored. Lisa Watson also provided invaluable aid, as did others within the Sector. In all the prisons I visited, over a period of five years, I was given considerable and unreserved help by all the Wardens and Kikawinaw, and their staff. Many often went out of their way to ensure that I met other people involved with the project in their provinces, and their assistance and welcome were greatly appreciated. Central to the planning of these new prisons was the involvement of the voluntary sector. Kim Pate, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of E. Fry Societies, offered me great support, as have many of her E. Fry colleagues across the country. The Association is a vigilant advocate for federally sentenced women. I have interviewed many Task Force members across Canada, from both the voluntary and public sector, as well as members of the Healing Lodge Planning Circle. I have vivid, warm memories of the time spent with them, and of their hospitality. Without their collective strenuous efforts Creating Choices: The Report of the Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women would not have been published and implemented. All projects, such as the one on which I have focused, are watched with critical interest by academics, and I have indeed been fortunate to have had the encouragement and advice of a number. Dr. Margaret Shaw and Prof. Kelly Hannah-Moffat have been particularly helpful in commenting on an initial draft of this thesis and I am in their debt. All such undertakings involve many people. None have been more supportive than my family, who have borne the brunt of my absences, even when I have physically been present. Edward, Jessica and Heloise Hayman have contributed to the completion of this thesis in ways they will never fully know. 9 Introduction It was a curious conjunction of history. In April, 1990 prisoners and prison officials experienced a severe breakdown of order within the English and Welsh prison system. The disturbances, beginning with a 25-day siege at HMP Strangeways, spread to over 35 other male prisons and received wide media coverage throughout the country. The ensuing Inquiry into the events, headed by Lord Justice Woolf, produced a report in 1991 which was heralded as a blueprint for prison reform, even if much of what it contained was not new and had been foreshadowed by other criminological commentators. As was argued, what was new and radical was that the ideas should be united in a ‘unique package of reforms which Woolf insisted “need[ed] to be considered together and moved forward together” ’ (Player & Jenkins 1994: 11).

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