This presentation explores the unique realities of justice-involved women, whose experiences differ significantly from those of men. Issues such as victimization, relational difficulties, substance abuse, and socio-economic disadvantages contribute to their precarious social position. While the effects of incarceration on women are well-documented, much less is known about the impact of community-based sentences.
As more women are placed under correctional supervision worldwide, many receive probation or suspended sentences, intended as alternatives to incarceration that promote social reintegration. However, these measures have faced criticism for leading to increased violations of imposed conditions, which, in turn, overload the judicial and correctional systems by creating new charges, extending supervision, or leading to incarceration for breaches.
Despite this criticism, some research highlights the benefits of community-based measures, such as helping justice-involved women find employment and providing psychosocial support. Yet, scientific knowledge about the strategies used in community supervision, and women’s experiences with it, remains limited.
Based on over 30 qualitative interviews with women under community supervision, the presentation explores the challenges women face in community supervision and their views on its effectiveness, offering insights for improving practices.
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Amélie Couvrette
Professor, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada
Amélie Couvrette is a professor in the Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology at the Université du Québec en Outaouais. Her research interests focus on the issues of marginalized, criminalized or incarcerated women and she has conducted several studies on the motherhood of marginalized women. She has recently focused on the importance of gender-sensitive approaches in prison and their implementation difficulties. She is currently studying the supervision of community sentences for women.
She is a regular researcher at the International Centre of Comparative Criminology.
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Chloe Leclerc
Full Professor, University of Montreal, Canada
Chloé Leclerc is a Full Professor at the School of Criminology at the Université de Montréal, specializing in the judicial and penal systems. Her research has focused on plea bargaining negotiations, access to and costs of justice, the potential punitive shift in Canadian courts, and public perceptions of the judiciary. She is currently studying the supervision of community sentences for women.
She is the Director of the International Centre for Comparative Criminology, a research center that brings together more than 70 researchers from Quebec to explore criminological issues.
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Catherine Arseneault
Professor, Université de Montréal, Canada
Catherine Arseneault is an Associate Professor at the School of Criminology at the Université de Montréal. Her research focuses on the relationship between drugs and crime, examining both the needs of individuals who engage in these behaviors and the services available to them. She has a particular interest in the experiences of women who use drugs and engage in delinquent, marginal, or deviant behaviors. Additionally, she explores the experiences of those who support individuals involved in crime, seeking to understand the challenges they face in providing care and assistance.
