Protecting their rights

The objective of the Commission’s review was to identify ways of bringing the correctional system into line with the purpose of the Canadian Human Rights Act.1 The Commission used several sources of information to prepare this report. [...] Initial discussions were held with the Correctional Service of Canada, the Elizabeth Fry Societies and the Office of the Correctional Investigator to clarify the scope of the review. [...] Acknowledgments The Commission would like to acknowledge the assistance we received from the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, the Correctional Service of Canada and the Office of the Correctional Investigator, the workshop and roundtable participants and those individuals and organizations that took the time to prepare submissions. [...] The purpose of the federal correctional system is to carry out sentences imposed by courts through the safe and humane custody and supervision of offenders, and to assist in the rehabilitation of offenders and their reintegration through the provision of programs in penitentiaries and in the community. [...] Given the concerns raised by the Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies and others, the treatment of federally sentenced women on the basis of their sex, race and disability are the focus of this report.40 3.2 The Link Between Protecting Human Rights and Effective Corrections The Correctional Service of Canada’s duty to protect and promote human rights is reiterated throughout the Corrections and