Mr. Speaker, tomorrow national Elizabeth Fry Week is being launched on Parliament Hill. It takes place every year, the week preceding Mother's Day, to acknowledge the fact that the majority of Canadian women who come into conflict with the law are mothers.
This year the week's theme is alternatives to incarceration, focusing on new avenues in corrections for women and working to enhance public awareness and education regarding the circumstances of women involved in the criminal justice system.
Most women at the time of their incarceration are the sole supporters of their families. When mothers are sentenced to prison their children are sentenced to separation. Elizabeth Fry Week ends on Mother's Day to draw attention to this reality.
Let us show our support for the hard work of the volunteers and employees of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies. We are welcome to the Commonwealth Room tomorrow between 9 and 5 to talk about these important issues.
I thank the volunteers for their dedication to justice in Canada.