Commissioner's directive 715-4: Case preparation and supervision of women offenders with children residing at a community-based residential facility
Commissioner's Directive
Commissioner's Directive
- Number: 715-4
- In Effect: 2012-06-13
- Issued under the authority of the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada
Related Links
CONTENTS
POLICY OBJECTIVES
- To ensure the well-being of the child remains the preeminent consideration in decisions relating to the supervision of women offenders with children residing at a community-based residential facility.
- To provide direction for assessing and supervising women offenders at a community-based residential facility who apply to have children reside with them.
AUTHORITY
APPLICATION
- This Commissioner's Directive applies to staff involved in the pre-release planning and supervision of women offenders who have applied to have children reside with them at a community-based residential facility.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- The District Director will:
- develop and review partnerships with services that support mother-child relationships, including community-based residential facilities that will consider accommodating women offenders with children;
- ensure the community-based residential facility provides a safe environment for the child; and
- provide support to address the woman offender's basic needs through maintenance allowance when her requirement to reside at a community-based residential facility might deny her access to certain benefits otherwise available to her (i.e. via social service benefits) if she were living independently in the community.
- The Area Director will ensure facilities which accommodate women offenders with children:
- establish admission criteria for women offenders with children;
- do not accept women offenders with restrictions regarding child access, while a child is residing at the facility;
- develop a process to confirm that expectations and terms for accommodating a woman offender with children have been shared with the woman offender; and
- maintain:
- emergency contact information for alternate caregivers (when available),
- parenting agreements,
- liability waivers,
- positive parenting protocol,
- child sitting arrangements, and
- child health care information.
- The Parole Officer Supervisor will establish a protocol between the residential facility and the parole office for reporting and documenting incidents of neglect or abuse.
- The Parole Officer will:
- ensure that the woman offender's application to reside with children is consistent with the objectives of her Correctional Plan;
- confirm the custody status and any outstanding legal issues related to the woman offender's relationship with the children;
- consider parenting needs in the development of release plans; and
- assist the woman offender in developing and maintaining links to appropriate resources in the community.
- The Institutional Mother-Child Program Coordinator will consult with the woman offender and the Parole Officer to prepare and plan for release in a manner that is consistent with the offender's Correctional Plan.
- The Indigenous Liaison Officer and Indigenous Community Development Officer will work closely with an Indigenous community and the Case Management Team, for release under section 84 of the CCRA , encouraging culturally appropriate support for the woman offender and the children.
- All staff will immediately report any suspicion of child neglect or abuse to police and/or child welfare authorities.
- The woman offender with custody of children at a community-based residential facility will maintain full responsibility for their care, including financial responsibility.
PROCEDURES
- Pre-release and/or post-release decision making is in accordance with CD 712 – Case Preparation and Pre-Release Framework and CD 715 – Community Supervision Framework.
- When updating the Correctional Plan for release, the institutional Parole Officer will, in consultation with the Institutional Mother-Child Program Coordinator, where applicable, identify child care and maternal relationship issues which may impact on reintegration.
- The community Parole Officer will consult with child welfare officials if they are involved, prior to recommending placement in a community-based residential facility.
- The community Parole Officer will, in consultation with the community-based residential facility and Case Management Team, consider the risk and needs of all facility residents, including any risk posed to the child, prior to recommending placement.
- The Parole Officer will obtain from the community-based residential facility, written confirmation that the woman offender is aware of the expectations of the facility and the terms under which accommodating children would be reviewed or terminated.
- When a woman offender on conditional release applies to have children reside with her in a community-based residential facility, the Parole Officer will consult with the community-based residential facility and Case Management Team prior to approving the request.
ENQUIRIES
- Strategic Policy Division
National Headquarters
Email: Gen-NHQPolicy-Politi@CSC-SCC.GC.CA
Commissioner,
Original signed by
Don Head
ANNEX A - CROSS-REFERENCES AND DEFINITION
CROSS-REFERENCES
DEFINITION
- Mother:
- biological or adoptive mother, legal guardian or step-mother.
For more information
- Government-wide Forward Regulatory Plans
- The Cabinet Directive on Regulatory
- The Federal regulatory management
- The Canada–United States Regulatory Cooperation Council
To learn about upcoming or ongoing consultations on proposed federal regulations, visit the Canada Gazette and Consulting with Canadians websites.
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