Commissioner's directive 566-15: Closed circuit television systems

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. The Director General, Security, will:
   1. provide oversight of the operational parameters and placement of closed circuit television system (CCTV) cameras and viewing stations. These parameters are prescribed in Annex B, Annex C, and Annex D of this directive
   2. review and approve, in consultation with the Director General, Technical Services and Facilities, the installation of any CCTV cameras, or viewing stations and camera views available on each station that do not fall within the prescribed parameters.
2. The Institutional Head/District Director will:
   1. ensure bilingual signage is posted indicating that an area may be subject to video surveillance
   2. ensure access to video recordings is limited to those who have a need to know
   3. ensure local Standing Orders identify locations in which viewing stations are available, and Post Orders identify which camera views are accessible at these stations
   4. specify in Post Orders and Standing Orders which camera feeds should be available for live feeds at viewing stations, and which will be recorded for evidentiary purposes only. These Orders must also comply with the requirements in Annex D
   5. ensure proper security measures are in place to make sure that access to these systems is secure and limited to those who have authority to customize the system and download videos.

PROCEDURES

CCTV Systems

3. The main purposes of CCTV systems are:
   1. to gather evidence
   2. to assist in the coordination of incident responses and improve safety
   3. to deter specific behaviours, such as violence, contraband smuggling, self-injury, and escape attempts, as well as to facilitate the observation of such behaviours
   4. to provide a means of identification for remote access control
   5. to support inmate supervision when direct observation is not possible.
4. CCTV systems are deployed as part of one of three operational systems: the perimeter intrusion detection system (PIDS), the supplementary intrusion detection system (SIDS), and/or general CCTV systems. The date and time must be synchronized for all the CCTV systems within the institution.

CCTV Installations

5. All CCTV camera installation locations will be determined in accordance with Annex B and Annex C.
6. Any requests for CCTV camera installations not identified in Annex B, Annex C or Annex D will be submitted by the Institutional Head to the Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Correctional Operations, for review. If the request is supported by the Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Correctional Operations, it will be submitted to the Director General, Security, for approval following consultation with the Director General, Technical Services and Facilities.
7. Camera installations will be completed in a manner to provide optimum coverage of the assigned areas while minimizing blind spots.

Access to Live CCTV Feeds

8. All viewing station locations that provide access to live CCTV feeds, as well as which CCTV feeds are accessible, will be determined in accordance with Annex D of this directive.
9. Monitoring of available CCTV feeds in accordance with Annex D may also be used as supplementary surveillance and for controlling movement. Monitoring will never replace the dynamic security obligation of frontline staff.
10. In the event of an emergency, live viewing of all CCTV feeds will normally be available to the Main Communications and Control Post (MCCP), the office of the duty Correctional Manager, the Security Intelligence Office, and the Emergency Command Post. Where the pan, tilt and zoom cameras are controlled by multiple stations, the default user will be the MCCP officer unless directed otherwise by the duty Correctional Manager.
11. Access to live viewing of CCTV cameras for observation cells will normally be limited to the immediate control post.
12. Observation cell cameras will only be utilized for live viewing under the following circumstances:
    1. when occupied by an inmate placed for observation pursuant to Commissioner’s Directive (CD) 843 – Interventions to Preserve Life and Prevent Serious Bodily Harm
    2. when occupied by an inmate placed for observation following a possible overdose
    3. pursuant to the dry cell procedures described in Annex E of CD 566-7 – Searching of Offenders.
13. At women offender institutions, CCTV monitoring of observation cells will be done in accordance with CD 577 – Staff Protocol in Women Offender Institutions.
14. CCTV feeds and footage monitoring of cultural/traditional practices or spaces will be in accordance with CD 702 – Indigenous Offenders, CD 750 – Chaplaincy Services, Guidelines (GL) 750‑1 – Inmate Religious Accommodations, and CD 767 – Ethnocultural Offenders: Services and Interventions.

Storage, Access and Retrieval of Archived CCTV Recordings

15. All CCTV video recordings will be recorded on a centralized video archiving system and retained pursuant to CD 568-8 – Authority for Use of Surveillance Equipment and CD 228 – Information Management.
16. Access to archived CCTV recordings will be available at CCTV viewing stations installed within the central equipment room, the Security Intelligence Office, and the offices of the duty Correctional Manager and the Correctional Manager, Operations, or the Assistant Warden, Operations.
17. In the event that archived CCTV recordings are required as a result of an incident or for evidentiary purposes, recordings will be transferred by the Security Intelligence Officer or the Correctional Manager via a viewing station equipped with the ability to write to blank DVD media and/or USB keys.
18. For the purpose of use of force review, it should be ensured that any related recordings, including CCTV, that are relevant to a use of force intervention be immediately identified for inclusion in the use of force package pursuant to CD 567-1 – Use of Force. The CCTV recordings will be uploaded to the Offender Management System pursuant to the Use of Force Review (UFR) User Guide.

ENQUIRIES

19. Strategic Policy Division
    National Headquarters
    Email: Gen-NHQPolicy-Politi@csc-scc.gc.ca
     

Commissioner,
Anne Kelly

ANNEX A

• CD 001 – Mission, Values and Ethics Framework of the Correctional Service Canada
• CD 004 – National Standards for the Deployment of Correctional Officers
• CD 340 – Electronic Systems
• CD 560 – Dynamic Security and Supervision
• CD 566-7 – Searching of Offenders
• CD 567-1 – Use of Force
• CD 577 – Staff Protocol in Women Offender Institutions
• CD 568-1 – Recording and Reporting of Security Incidents
• CD 568-4 – Preservation of Crime Scenes and Evidence
• CD 568-8 – Authority for Use of Surveillance Equipment
• CD 650 – Technical Security Systems
• CD 714 – Community Correctional Centre Standards
• CD 843 – Management of Inmate Self-Injurious and Suicidal Behaviour
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• Access to Information Act
• Privacy Act
• Criminal Code
• Treasury Board Policy on Government Security

Central equipment room : a room usually located adjacent to the MCCP and which serves as a secure area for the servers, switches, interconnections and maintenance interfaces that support the suite of Electronic Security Systems.

Closed circuit television system (CCTV) : televised scenes broadcast to selected receivers for evidentiary and surveillance purposes.

Dynamic security : regular and consistent interactions with offenders and timely analysis of information and sharing through observations and communication as well as proactive practices that mitigate security incidents. Dynamic security is the action that contributes to the development of professional, positive relationships between staff and offenders, and is a key tool to assess an offender’s adjustment and stability.

General CCTV systems : systems which consist of fixed and pan, tilt and zoom cameras installed to provide CCTV coverage in areas that are not provided with coverage under the PIDS or SIDS. These areas may include living units, ranges, dining halls, kitchen areas, visits and correspondence areas, recreation areas, walkways, corridors, and the principal entrance.

Need to know : information that is pertinent and necessary to an individual performing their duties.

Perimeter intrusion detection systems (PIDS) : the CCTV system, as a component of the PIDS, consisting of fixed cameras deployed around the perimeter of an institution that are controlled through the PIDS integration unit in the MCCP.

Supplementary intrusion detection system (SIDS) : the SIDS CCTV camera systems which may consist of fixed and pan, tilt and zoom cameras controlled by the MCCP or designated control posts to enable enhanced video assessment of incidents adjacent to the perimeter areas of the institution.

ANNEX B

*For the purpose of clustered sites, security level of the unit applies.

“Permitted” is considered an area where cameras would reasonably be expected, but are not mandatory.

For the purpose of this policy, the standards for minimum security institutions in Annex B will apply to Healing Lodges.

ANNEX C

For the purpose of this policy, the standards for minimum security institutions in Annex C will apply to Healing Lodges, with the exception of Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge, where cameras in observation cells are permitted.

“Permitted” is considered an area where cameras would reasonably be expected to be located, but are not mandatory.

ANNEX D

Note: At minimum security institutions, including Community Correctional Centres, viewing locations will be determined by local requirements and infrastructure.

¹ Required
² Permitted
³ Access by galleries and unit control posts will only be available when the natural sightlines are obscured or otherwise unavailable and/or to allow a single officer to monitor multiple locations simultaneously.

* Access limited to emergency situations.