Research at a glance

Why we did this study

In recent years, researchers and practitioners have started to focus on understanding why people stop committing crime. Attention in the area has been concentrated on protective factors, or factors which make it easier to remain crime-free.

Most research in this area has focused on men; however, protective factors may differ for men and women offenders. Understanding these factors as they relate to women may allow us to identify ways to facilitate to women’s successful community reintegration.

What we did

To examine this issue, we asked for feedback from women offenders released to the community. In order to be eligible, women had to have successfully remained in the community for at least one year.

Data were collected through mail-in surveys and telephone interviews. Both the survey and the interview asked women about the challenges they encountered on release and what factors they perceived to contribute to their ability to remain crime-free. In total, 12 interviews and 22 surveys were completed.

What we found

Challenges to the reintegration process included the transition to a halfway house, difficulties within the halfway houses themselves, traumatic experiences, and the stigma associated with being an ex-inmate.

Employment and a personal commitment or decision to remain crime-free were mentioned most often as protective factors. Also very important, however, were women’s relationships with others.

Women who completed the survey were asked to rank a number of potential protective factors. Notably, the relationship with the parole officer was ranked as particularly important by about three-quarters of the survey respondents.

Most Important Factors in Remaining Crime-Free

What it means

The information from this study may be useful in creating new initiatives for women offenders who are being released to the community. We found that women offenders face varied and extensive challenges when they are released.

It is important to try to identify these challenges as soon as possible during each women’s sentence. We should also be flexible in understanding women’s unique challenges, as well as their protective factors, when making decisions relating to parole supervision and parole conditions.

For more information

Gobeil, R. (2008). Staying out: Women’s perceptions of challenges and protective factors in community reintegration. Research Report R-201. Ottawa: Correctional Service Canada.

http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r201/r201-eng.shtml

Prepared by : Renée Gobeil & Kim Allenby

Contact

Research Branch
(613) 996-3287
research@csc-scc.gc.ca