Women lose court challenge to keep minimum-security prison
May 12, 2008
Stark Raven Media Collective

Last year the Correctional Service of Canada announced it was going to close the Isabel McNeill House in Kingston, Ontario. They say it is too expensive to operate.

The women argue that the closure violates their constitutional rights. In a multi-level prison they would be treated essentially the same as prisoners classified as medium security. At the multi-level regional women’s prisons they would be confined behind razor wire fences and would be under the gaze of surveillance cameras. Isabel McNeill House has no perimeter security nor cameras and the women are free to move throughout the house.

Part of the reason the Correctional Service of Canada wants to close the jail is because it is underused. It has space for 10 women but in recent years has held six, on average. Correction claims it can't get more women to go there, but the lawyer representing the women argues that it is the prison system that sets the criteria for admission and controls the process.

There are 13 stand-alone men's prisons across the country.

The four women are appealing the ruling.