"When thee builds a prison, thee had better build with the thought ever in thy mind that thee and thy children may ocupy the cells." Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845)

The Council of Elizabeth Fry Societies of Ontario (CEFSO) is the provincial voice for the ten Elizabeth Fry Societies in Ontario. With funding from Solicitor General Canada, CEFSO is the Regional Advocate for federally sentenced women in Ontario. CEFSO monitors the conditions for both provincially and federally sentenced women in prison, through visits to jails and direct contact with women, and advocates for improvements to those conditions. We also promote public understanding about women in the criminal justice system and contribute our expertise through membership on key government committees, testimony at inquests into deaths in custody, submissions to task forces and the legislative process, and research.

We believe...

... women are criminalized by poverty, racism, social inequality, and abuse

... there must be fair, equitable and compassionate treatment of women who are, who have been, or who may be at risk of coming into conflict with the law

... preventative and corrective interventions are most effective when delivered in the community and permit women to retain ties with family and social networks

... women have needs different from men that demand a holistic response to address addictions, health, safe and affordable housing, access to education and vocational training, healing from abuse and trauma, and their roles as parents

... each woman is unique and has the right to dignity, respect, confidentiality, and high-quality service delivered with compassion

... the non-profit and voluntary sectors have the responsibility and expertise to assist governments with responding to women in conflict with the law

... women found guilty of criminal offences should be subject to the least restrictive penalty that is appropriate given the severity of the offence and the need for accountability

... the community has a responsibility to be active in the criminal justice system and the work of volunteers is vital

For more information, see our Annual Report 2003. Annual Report 2005

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