Facts
& Figures
The following facts and figures relate to different
areas of concern at the Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa. Data have been collected
from a variety of sources, which are noted at the end of each section. For further
information on these topics, see the list of links elsewhere on our website.
See also: Women
in Jail
Women at Risk
- A Local Profile of Women
in Conflict with the Law: Pathways to Crime
Findings based on a one-day snapshot
of the women at the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre
Background
On
Friday, January 25th 2002, a questionnaire was administered to 15 women at the
Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre as part of a research project. The goal of the
project was to discover commonalities among the local women in conflict with the
law, in order to gain a better understanding of the programming needs of this
population.
The following highlights some of the key findings of the project
and can be used as a fact sheet for exploring some of the issues faced by local
women in conflict with the law.
Demographic Information
-
The average age of respondents was 36, with ages ranging from 21 to 52 years
-
67% of respondents had children
- 40% of the charges laid were for administrative
offences such as breaches of probation or undertaking and failures to appear or
comply
- 18% of the charges laid were for property crimes such as break and
enter, thefts, robberies, frauds, and possession of a stolen vehicle
- 18%
of the charges laid were for crimes against a person such as assaults and obstructions
of justice
- 12% of the charges were for the possession of an illegal substance
-
8% of the charges were prostitution-related
Socio-Economic Conditions
-
60% of the women who participated in the study had not completed highschool
-
26% of the women had completed College or University courses
- 45% of the women
who had not usually worked in adulthood relied on prostitution for survival
-
27% of the women who had not usually worked in adulthood relied on other crime
for survival
- 32% of the women in the study did not have stable housing and
lived in hotels, shelters, rooming or boarding houses, couch-surfed or lived on
the streets
Victimization
- Physical violence: 87% of the
respondents had been the target of physical violence at some point in their lives
-
Sexual abuse: 67% of the respondents had been the target of sexual abuse or a
sexual attack at some point in their lives
- Emotional or verbal abuse: 73%
of the respondents had been the target of emotional or verbal abuse at some point
in their lives
Substance Use
- 67% of the women indicated
that drugs and alcohol were a factor in their getting into trouble with the law
-
Women were often under the influence of drugs or alcohol when the crime was committed
-
Crimes were often committed to support a drug or alcohol addiction
Mental
Health Issues
- 60% of the women had experienced depressive symptoms
-
60% of the women had experienced insomnia
- 47% of the women had experienced
anxiety
- 27% of the women had experienced eating disorders
- 27% of the
women had experienced suicidal thoughts
- 67% of the women had experienced
more than one of these conditions
For a more detailed copy of this research
report, please contact the Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa.
