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Commissioner's Directive 715: Community Supervision Framework

Authorities

Purpose

To establish a framework for the supervision and support of offenders in the community that promotes their reintegration and active involvement in meeting the objectives of their Correctional Plan

Applications

Applies to staff responsible for community operations or who work in a community operational setting


Commissioner's Directive

Correctional Service Canada badge

Number: 715

In Effect: 2026-05-04

Related links

Responsibilities

  1. The Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Correctional Operations, will ensure:

    1. community supervision policies are effectively communicated to operational units

    2. support to operational units is provided

    3. operational reviews of policies, procedures and compliance are conducted on a regular basis

    4. any policy gaps are promptly communicated to the Assistant Commissioner, Correctional Operations and Programs, and

    5. significant staff safety issues are dealt with in accordance with the Employee Protection Protocol.

  2. The District Director will ensure:

    1. the efficient and effective management of community operations, including the distribution of resources that supports the workload and ensures the supervision of offenders is maintained in a secure and safe manner during staff absences

    2. parole offices and Community Correctional Centres have a sign-in/sign-out system in place accessible for all staff and visitors, as well as up-to-date emergency plans

    3. staff who have contacts with offenders outside parole offices or Community Correctional Centres have access to the Community Safety Alert System prior to any contact in the community. All incidents involving the safety of community staff, volunteers and contractors are documented and monitored and appropriate action is taken in accordance with Commissioner’s Directive (CD) 568-1: Recording and Reporting of Security Incidents

    4. a process is established to monitor compliance of policies, including verifying, on a monthly basis, compliance with the frequency of contacts and the special conditions

    5. policy gaps are promptly communicated to the Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Correctional Operations

    6. information is exchanged with Sentence Management to support the effective administration of sentences and long-term supervision orders pursuant to paragraph 3(a) of the CCRA and in accordance with CD 719: Long-Term Supervision Orders

    7. a Community Correctional Intervention Committee is established

    8. communication processes are in place to manage the supervision of offenders residing:

      1. in a community-based residential facility pursuant to the contract between the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and the agency, or

      2. with community resources in the context of a day parole to an other location

    9. an up-to-date inventory of community resources and services, including volunteer services, is maintained and reviewed annually to identify gaps

    10. partnerships are established with Indigenous communities and organizations, as well as relevant communities and organizations representing other marginalized groups where available, including local, remote, or isolated communities and organizations, in support of offender reintegration

    11. information is provided to the Victim Services Unit pursuant to section 26 of the CCRA and in accordance with CD 784: Victim Engagement

    12. the territorial boundaries for each parole office are clearly defined, and

    13. when volunteers are used to support reintegration efforts of offenders:

      1. processes are followed in accordance with CD 024: Management of Correctional Service of Canada Volunteers

      2. information is provided to the volunteer about the offender to minimize any risk to their personal safety, in accordance with CD 701: Information Sharing, and

      3. tandem supervision practices are conducted in accordance with CD 715-1: Community Supervision, as applicable.

  3. The Area Director will:

    1. provide support and guidance to Parole Officer Supervisors and Community Correctional Centre Managers in relation to their role within the management and operation of their workplace

    2. ensure they are aware of issues and events that could influence the re-entry of specific offenders into that community

    3. implement additional operational procedures in the workplace, when required, to ensure a safe and secure working environment for staff and contractors

    4. collaborate with Contracting and Material Services at Regional and National Headquarters to issue and manage contracts for residential and supervision services

    5. establish a process to monitor compliance with the frequency and content of case conferences between the Parole Officer Supervisor and Parole Officers to ensure they are conducted at regular and opportune times and address all critical elements specific to each case

    6. ensure identified policy gaps are promptly communicated to the District Director, and

    7. engage in relationship building with Indigenous communities and organizations, as well as relevant communities and organizations representing other marginalized groups where available, including local, remote, or isolated communities and organizations, to establish partnerships in support of offender reintegration.

  4. The Parole Officer Supervisor and the Community Correctional Centre Manager will:

    1. review and approve Assessments for Decision and Correctional Plan Updates describing offender progress, as well as ensure the Indigenous social history was considered for Indigenous offenders and social history was considered for other marginalized groups, when applicable

    2. ensure reports are shared with the Parole Board of Canada within prescribed timeframes

    3. conduct case conferences with Parole Officers on an ongoing and regular frequency, at opportune moments throughout the supervision, or more frequently for complex cases:

      1. to identify and confirm the least restrictive and most effective supervision strategy that is consistent with the offender’s Correctional Plan and aligned with the protection of society as the paramount consideration, and

      2. to ensure communication with varied collateral contacts is done with appropriate individuals at opportune times throughout the supervision, and the content of the discussion is relevant to the risk factors

    4. ensure issues that have a possible impact on staff or other individual(s) are identified and promptly communicated to the Area Director, action is taken to manage potential risks in accordance with Guidelines (GL) 254-1: Occupational Health and Safety Program, and an incident report is completed as necessary

    5. establish a process to ensure the Case Documentation Checklist is complete

    6. review and manage intelligence information as required

    7. oversee the work of the Community Assessment and Parole Supervision contractors

    8. ensure information is shared between CSC and partners as required, in accordance with CD 701: Information Sharing, and

    9. prior to any community contacts, obtain all relevant contact information (such as name and phone numbers, name and phone numbers of emergency contact(s), relationship(s)) from authorized tandem supervision partner(s).

  5. The Parole Officer will:

    1. manage the risk posed by offenders by exercising safe, humane and reasonable control through appropriate correctional planning

    2. ensure the supervision strategy and established monitoring terms and conditions are applied and adhered to, and modify them as necessary to manage risk

    3. interview offenders and consult with appropriate professional and third parties to collect, analyze, corroborate, and manage relevant information for the supervision

    4. recognize offenders’ needs and refer them to the appropriate resources to support and promote their reintegration into the community

    5. make and implement case management decisions in consultation, when appropriate, with the Parole Officer Supervisor

    6. monitor progress against the Correctional Plan and make adjustments as required, and

    7. use the security tools and practices made available to them by referring to the Community Staff Safety Tool.

  6. The community Security Intelligence Officer will:

    1. plan, coordinate and administer the security intelligence activities within the district. This includes the development and implementation of standards, procedures, strategies and practices pertaining to security information and intelligence

    2. disclose security information and intelligence to staff as required

    3. prepare a gist of Protected C intelligence information, as required

    4. participate in release planning and consult with staff on supervision strategies for offenders as required, particularly in relation to risk assessments, security threat groups, and other cases as deemed necessary, and

    5. inform staff, management and partners of CSC intelligence procedures and requirements.

  7. All staff members will ensure:

    1. safety needs are identified and promptly discussed with and reviewed by their immediate supervisor

    2. prior to the first meeting with an offender in the community (excluding contacts at a parole office, at a community-based residential facility or in public areas with a high concentration of individuals):

      1. the Staff Safety Assessment in Annex B of CD 715-1: Community Supervision is reviewed

      2. the Staff Safety Assessment is discussed with the tandem supervision partner if applicable, and

      3. the review is documented in a Casework Record

    3. to use properly the available sign-in/sign-out system

    4. to use the Community Safety Alert System for all contacts with offenders outside parole offices or Community Correctional Centres

    5. offenders are not interviewed when a staff member is alone in the parole office, unless in exceptional circumstances approved by the Parole Officer Supervisor. Under no circumstance will an exception be made for offenders requiring tandem supervision, and

    6. significant or unusual activities, behaviours or information related to the supervised offenders are reported in an Electronic Statement Observation Report (eSOR).

Enquiries

  1. Strategic Policy Division
    National Headquarters
    Email: NHQ.Policy-Politiques.AC@csc-scc.gc.ca

Commissioner,
Talal Dakalbab

Annex A

Cross-References and Definitions

Cross-References

Definitions

Case conference:

a formal meeting, consultation or discussion about an offender between two or more individuals.

Collateral contact:

any person with whom the offender interacts occasionally or on a regular basis and who is required to have contact with the offender as part of their supervision. They can be individuals in the offender’s immediate environment or other individuals who take part in their reintegration, including CSC employees, CSC external partners as well as organizations.

Community contact activities:

home visits, collateral contacts, community assessments, workplace visits, and correctional facility visits.

Community Correctional Centre:

a federally operated community-based residential facility that provides a structured living environment with 24-hour supervision, programs and interventions for the purpose of safely reintegrating offenders into the community. These facilities, which may also have an enhanced programming component, accommodate offenders under federal jurisdiction who have been released to the community on unescorted temporary absences, day parole, full parole, work releases, statutory release, as well as those subject to long-term supervision orders.

Community Correctional Intervention Committee:

a multidisciplinary team that reviews interventions and contributes to recommendations or decisions for complex cases. Any key players involved in the supervision of the case being reviewed may be called upon to participate in this committee.

Community Safety Alert System:

a combination of personal portable alarm equipment and smartphone application software, and web-based monitoring applications, designed to maintain safety of staff in the community (outside of the office) by electronically registering information about appointments, meeting locations and other notes regarding offenders and community contacts they are meeting with.

Day parole to an other location:

a location that provides accommodation to an offender on day parole, other than a penitentiary, community-based residential facility or provincial/territorial correctional facility, as set out in subsection 99(1) of the CCRA. An other location may include a private home or private facility that has not been designated as a community-based residential facility.

Indigenous social history:

the various circumstances that have affected the lives of most Indigenous people. Considering these circumstances may result in alternate options or solutions and applies only to Indigenous offenders (not to non-Indigenous offender who choose to follow the Indigenous way of life). These circumstances include the following (note that this is not an exhaustive list):

  • effects of the residential school system
  • sixties scoop into the adoption system
  • effects of the dislocation and dispossession of Inuit people
  • family or community history of suicide
  • family or community history of substance abuse
  • family or community history of victimization
  • family or community fragmentation
  • level or lack of formal education
  • level of connectivity with family/community
  • experience in the child welfare system
  • experience with poverty
  • loss of or struggle with cultural/spiritual identity
Sign-in/sign-out system:

a system designed to ensure all movements in and out of the facility by employees and visitors are accurately recorded, enabling attendance tracking for security and access management purposes.

Tandem supervision:

the requirement to conduct community supervision visits with a second authorized individual.

Tandem supervision partner:

the second individual required to complete tandem supervision. Authorized individuals include:

  • any CSC staff member
  • Peace Officers (including Police Officers and Provincial Probation/Parole Officers)
  • Community Assessment and Parole Supervision contractors, and
  • individuals authorized by the District Director by name.
Territorial boundaries:

defined geographical boundaries (either by a radius in kilometres or by city limits) within the parole office’s jurisdictional boundaries that correspond to the area of supervision within which the supervised offender must remain.

Annex B

Community Supervision Framework

The Community Supervision Framework is comprised of the following stages:

Page details

2026-05-04