Shedding light on the lived experiences of federally sentenced women in Canada

On November 17, the event “Inside and Out: Exploring Lived Experiences and Challenges for Federally Sentenced Women in Canada” brought together a powerful group of voices to shed light on the realities, challenges, inequities, and opportunities for transformation within Canada’s federal correctional system.

Organized by faculty members Danielle Murdoch and Zachary Rowan, this insightful event featured women with lived experience in the prison and legal system, Senator Kim Pate, and Ivan Zinger, the Correctional Investigator of Canada.

Throughout the event, the panelists with lived experience in the prison and legal system shared personal stories that highlighted key challenges inside federal penitentiaries and how difficult it is to navigate life after incarceration.

“When you spend so many years inside, and then you come out to a big area, and everybody is just kind of walking, doing their own thing, it's like, what do I do? Where do I go? Nobody was helping me,” says Kim Williams, a woman with lived experience in the prison and legal system. “The rules change, the community changes. And when people find out that you're from jail, the first thing they do is turn around and walk away, without even finding out the story behind it. Nobody cares what the story is. The only thing they hear is jail.”

Senator Pate and Dr. Zinger added further depth by contextualizing those experiences within policy and research. The panel spoke at length about persistent gaps in support, services, and accountability.

Further, they acknowledged the persistent overrepresentation of Indigenous and Black peoples in federal correctional populations, as well as people who are experiencing mental health issues, learning disabilities, and substance use disorders.

The event offered a safe space for reflection, and it was an amazing learning opportunity for the attendees.

The School of Criminology extends its gratitude to the David and Cecilia Ting Foundation for their continued support in making these events possible, and to our phenomenal guests for sharing their insights and experience.