What we do

“A major challenge of [the prison abolition] movement is to do the work that will create more humane, habitable environments for people in prison without bolstering the permanence of the prison system. How, then, do we accomplish this balancing act of passionately attending to the needs of prisoners-calling for less violent conditions, an end to state sexual assault, improved physical and mental health care, greater access to drug programs, better educational work opportunities, unionization of prison labor, more connections with families and communities, shorter or alternative sentencing and at the same time call for alternatives to sentencing altogether, no more prison construction, and abolitionist strategies that question the place of the prison in our future?” - Angela Y. Davis  

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This question and balancing act are at the heart of the work of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, and the 23 local Elizabeth Fry societies located across the country.  

 

At the CAEFS office, we don’t provide services like the local Elizabeth Fry societies do. Instead, we take on the key issues that impact criminalized women and gender-diverse people in Canada. 

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CAEFS’ advocacy be broken down into three categories. See below to find out more: ​