Due to the will and effort of people sensitive to the needs of incarcerated women, the Société Elizabeth Fry du Québec was founded in 1977.  At this time, community organizations dedicated to helping people in conflict with the law were few, especially for women who had no resource to assist them Community Supervision upon their release from prison.  Conscious of the difficulties and challenges of reintegration into society, the Board of Administration worked to create a halfway house in order to give women released from prison a supportive environment conducive to a successful release.  The Maison Thérèse-Casgrain opened its doors in August 1980 and welcomed its first residents.

The Société Elizabeth Fry du Québec has dedicated itself to the task of accompanying, informing, orienting, and supporting these women for more than 30 years.  Its mandate is to create services for women in conflict with the law in order to facilitate their reintegration into society.

Over the years, the Société has created many programs in an effort to respond to the specific needs of women involved in the penal justice system : a halfway house, prison activities, a program to prevent shoplifting, legal services, regional centres, and a volunteer network.  The Société has grown along with the needs of the clientele who are more and more numerous and complex.

The Société Elizabeth Fry has been able to meet this challenge thanks to the support of individuals and companies who are both sensitive to and willing to support its work.