CAROW – The Canadian Association of Residential Options for Criminalized Women

Background

The Canadian Association of Residential Options for Criminalized Women (CAROW) is a network of 25 organizations across Canada dedicated to providing women with access to housing and resources in their home communities when transitioning from prison to independent living.

Grant Description

A grant from the Foundation will support CAROW to mentor the Waterloo Regional Police Service and selected courts in introducing the approach tested in British Columbia. The project will also have a focus on building the case for wider dissemination through extensive assessment of community safety, impact on individuals and cost savings to the justice system.

The project will be considered a success if ambitious diversion targets for individuals are met (including 60% reduction in the number of bail hearings at project sites for women who appear before the court for specified charges); a significant evidence base is developed and presented to relevant stakeholders; and the results are repeated in at least two other courts with two other police services, and the support of two court worker programs.