Imprisoning Our Sisters : The New Federal Women's Prisons in Canada

The federal Prison for Women in Kingston, an isolated, unsafe penitentiary characterized as "unfit for bears, much less women," finally closed in 2000. Stephanie Hayman charts the development of the five new prisons that replaced it, including an Aboriginal healing lodge, placing her study within the context of Canadian colonial and political history. This book describes the decision to close Canada's federal Prison for Women in 2000, and replace it with five smaller, lower-security institutions, including an Aboriginal healing lodge, for native offenders. It reviews the work of the Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women, and assesses the opening of the first three prisons. The author questions the notion that prisons can simultaneously "heal" and punish, suggesting that the power of "the prison" inevitably triumphs over the good intentions of reformers. The book also looks at the disproportionate number of Aboriginal women prisoners and shows how the concept of a healing lodge has led to the integration of Aboriginal culture and spirituality into official penal discourse Contents Acknowledgments Glossary Introduction 1 Prelude to a Task Force 2 A Journey Begins 3 Struggling for Consensus 4 Facing the Central Conundrum 5 Returning to the Cottages: Abandoning the Prison? 6 Edmonton Institution for Women 7 Nova Institution for Women 8 Shared Birth, Shared Problems 9 Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge: A Healing Prison? 10 The Lessons Learned? Notes References Index A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T V W Using extensive interviews and previously unexplored archival material, Hayman examines the work of the Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women and assesses the opening of the first three prisons. She questions the notion that prisons can simultaneously "heal" and punish, suggesting that the power of "the prison" inevitably triumphs over the good intentions of reformers. Stephanie Hayman. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [285]-294) And Index.