The Manitoba Human Rights Commission has mediated a new agreement between the province and the Elizabeth Fry Society to resolve complaints over conditions for female prisoners in the province.

The society, which works with incarcerated women and girls, filed two human-rights complaints in 2002 on behalf of incarcerated women in Manitoba.

As a result of the complaints, the women now have better access to computers, to one-on-one counselling, and to their lawyers by telephone. A new cultural worker has been added to jail staff and spiritual services have been improved, the human rights commission said.

A new committee has also been established to ensure the government follows through on its promises to incarcerated women.

"The women's program advisory committee … will have accountabilities to the community, will have ongoing consultation and input into programs and services, as well as the human-rights training that the correctional staff with be undertaking and which will be mandatory throughout corrections," said Elizabeth Fry president Debra Parkes.

The agreement also outlines a new program for mothers to have better access to their children while they are in jail, Parkes said.

Future initiatives include abuse and trauma counselling and improvements in dealing with women with mental and physical disabilities.

The agreement will affect conditions for women incarcerated at the Portage Correctional Centre as well as those in other provincial facilities in Winnipeg, Brandon and The Pas.

In April 2006, the provincial government announced it would build a new jail for women just west of Winnipeg to replace the 113-year-old Portage Correctional Centre, which has long been criticized for overcrowding and its lack of services.

The $25-million facility was expected to open in 2009.