About the women

Between June 2006 and March 2007, 105 women were serving their sentences in Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI), in Kitchener, Ontario.

Sixty-nine of those women chose to participate in our interviews. They ranged in age from early 20s to over 60 years old with the largest group between the ages of 30 to 39.

Forty percent of the women were single and an equal number were either in a relationship, married or living common-law. Less than 20% were divorced or separated. Fifty-one of the women had children and half of this group had at least one child under 19 years of age.

The women varied in ethnic background (e.g., Caucasian, Asiatic, Aboriginal, Black) and in sexual orientation.

Many of the women reported having a disability, mental illness or struggles with addictions. Most had lived in poverty before GVI, and would return to a life of poverty.

Many had experiences of trauma and fear that comes with discrimination, assault and other abuses of power.