Policy bulletin 640

Commissioner’s Directive (CD) 081 – Offender Complaints and Grievances

Guidelines (GL) 081-1 – Offender Complaint and Grievance Process

Modifications were made following ongoing reviews to ensure that the above-noted policies are in line with the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) and the Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations (CCRR).

Technical modifications were made throughout both policy documents. The most significant modifications are as follows:

CD 081 – Offender Complaints and Grievances

• Removed the option of rejecting a complaint or grievance on the grounds that it is offensive, and clarified that only complaints may be rejected as frivolous, vexatious or not made in good faith, pursuant to subsection 74(4) of the CCRR.
• Clarified the role and legislative authority of an Inmate Grievance Committee, specifically that only the Institutional Head may refer the initial grievance to that committee.
• Clarified the role and legislative authority of an Outside Review Board, specifically that they are limited to an examination of the same information and documentation that was before the decision maker at the time the grievance decision was rendered.
• Specified the Commissioner’s legislative authority to designate staff members to make decisions with respect to grievances at the national level.
• Revised some of the definitions for clarity.

GL 081-1 – Offender Complaint and Grievance Process

• Several of the grievance codes in Annex B of the Guidelines were revised and/or are no longer applicable.
• Grievance codes created after 2013 were added to Annex B of the Guidelines:
• 01C – Placement or Maintenance in Observation Cell
• 01D – Living Conditions in Observation Cell
• 03H – Opioid Substitution Therapy
• 03I – Dental Services
• 15D – Placement in a Dry Cell
• 15E – Living Conditions in a Dry Cell
• 23A – Mother-Child Program – General Issues
• 23B – Mother-Child Program – Access to Residential Component.

The Rights, Redress and Resolution Branch revised these policy documents in consultation with the Strategic Policy Division.

All staff and offenders engaged in the offender complaint and grievance process.

As outlined in the policy documents.

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