Exploring women-centred, holistic, and trauma-informed programming for provincially incarcerated women in Canada : a case study of the New Brunswick Women’s Correctional Centre

Abstract

This thesis considers current program implementation at a provincial jail in New Brunswick, Canada, to explore the research question: how do women offenders experience services and supports relating to the women-centred programming regime implemented at The New Brunswick Women’s Correction Centre (NBWCC)? Women-centred programming, which combines a trauma-informed approach with holistic health principles, was originally designed for Federal prisons, and was only recently adopted by this provincial jail. This qualitative research project involves semi-structured interviews with a sample of women. Women offenders’ comments are analyzed using feminist criminological perspective. Data were analyzed thematically to reveal two overarching response categories: ‘Lack (or Inadequacy) of Programming’ and ‘Lack of Mental Health Supports’. Research results suggest that although the interviewed women perceive a lack of programming and services, the majority report an improvement in their overall health status post incarceration, a finding that is not noted in a recent 2018 provincial governmental report.