The provincial government is responsible for institutions for individuals who have been sentenced to less than two years in jail, or who are on remand (JHS, 2015). Remand is the term for people who have not been sentenced yet, but who are in custody because they are awaiting a bail hearing, trial, or sentencing and could not be released into the community in the interim for various reasons (JHS, 2015). According to the JHS (2015), 60% of people in provincial jails are on …show more content…
Federally sentenced women are "... among the fastest growing sub-populations in federal corrections today" (Sapers & Zinger, 2014, p. 45). The dilemma that exists between protecting society or protecting individuals is increasingly apparent with this population due to their high needs and increasing vulnerability. Females in the federal correctional system have disproportionately higher levels of self harm (Borrill, Snow, Medlicott, Teers, & Patton, 2005). Furthermore, Sapers and Zinger (2014) indicate that 50% of these women have histories of self harming behaviour, over 50% of them struggle with addictions. 85% have experienced physical abuse, and 68% have experienced sexual abuse. Compared to male offenders, they enter the system with more previous hospitalizations for mental health concerns (Sapers & Zinger, 2014). The significant over-representation of female offenders with histories of self-harm and previous hospitalizations demonstrates that this population is in significant need of protection and support while in