QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Commission of Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston
March 26, 2026
Senator Moreau, in her report examining the mass rights violations of women in prison, former Justice Arbour affirmed that when someone is sentenced to prison, separation from the community is the punishment. Further punitive measures must be subject to the rule of law.
She recommended:
If illegalities, gross mismanagement or unfairness in the administration of a sentence renders the sentence harsher than that imposed by the court, a reduction of the period of imprisonment may be granted . . .
When Charter and human rights violations occur in prisons pre-sentencing, they result in sentence reductions or even stays of charges. When they occur after sentencing, there is no meaningful remedy.
This gap in the law has persisted for decades and undermines the integrity of the rule of law. What concrete measures is the government taking to redress this and implement the Arbour remedy?
Generally speaking, the Arbour report was a defining moment in exposing systemic failures in the treatment of women in federal custody, and I agree with the premises of your question.
That is the reason for some implementation of the recommendations of the report, like Recommendation 4 for a Deputy Commissioner for Women, Recommendation 7 for healing lodges for women, and investment to make sure that the infrastructure is maintained.
There are many questions today concerning the Arbour report. There is a serious commitment on the part of this government to make sure that the recommendations are taken into account. It is a long process, but it is a very serious commitment of our government.
