Academic Upgrading Pine Grove Correctional Centre Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert is Saskatchewan's provincial prison for women. It primarily houses women with less than a two-year sentence, although there are some federally-sentenced women at the facility. The average daily count of incarcerated women is about sixty-seven. Virtually all of the women who are inmates are First Nations, primarily Cree. About twenty percent of staff are of Native ancestry.

The director and deputy director at Pine Grove focus on providing activities in the institution that are both culture and gender specific. While they are clearly aware of the difficulties and contradictions inherent in being woman-positive and culture-positive where women are incarcerated, both Annette Neustaedter and Wanita Koczka understand their work as preparing women as effectively as possible for release. All the programs at the Centre focus on this goal.

Elizabeth Fry Society, an advocacy and support group for women in conflict with the law, provides a two-week compulsory Women Education program based on health issues. A compulsory two-week Addictions Program is in place. A Healing Circle - funded by Health and Welfare Canada/National Drug Strategy and facilitated by two aboriginal women - provides support for women dealing with histories of sexual and physical abuse and chemical dependency, and the connection between them.

The women inmates are required to spend their days involved in some form of specific activity. After completing the Women Education program and Addictions program, they work in the Centre facilities such as the kitchen and laundry, and do general cleaning of the Centre. Women also work in the shop that produces environment-friendly goods such as diapers, shirts, mocassins, back packs, sleeping blankets, and a variety of other sewn items.

The academic upgrading program is a voluntary option for women.