Correctional programs for women

Correctional programs for women are holistic. They provide a gender- and trauma-informed approach to address the specific needs of women. The programs focus on how an offender’s behaviour can influence situations and relationships. Correctional programming offers a continuum of care — from admission to sentence expiry. The goal is for the offender to: 

• learn to live a crime-free life and
• successfully reintegrate into the community

Indigenous women offenders, or women offenders who have expressed a sincere desire to follow Indigenous programming and spirituality, may choose to take part in the Indigenous stream of correctional programs, also known as the Circle of Care.

Programs work best when offenders are in the right program at the right intensity level. The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) must assess this for each offender.

Programs for women offenders are not individual programs. They build upon one another through different levels of intensity. CSC refers women who need more intervention to programs at a high intensity level. CSC may refer women who need less to moderate intensity programs.

The differences between the high and moderate intensity programs include:

• the length of the program
• the number of sessions, and
• the lessons and materials used

High intensity programs are longer and have more sessions.

For more information on the types of programs that CSC offers women offenders, review:

• correctional programs for women
• correctional programs for Indigenous women