Redirecting Structured Intervention Unit (SIU) Authorizations: Trends in Five-Day Decision-Making

Number: RIB-25-32
Date: 08-06-2026

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Background

Structured Intervention Units (SIUs) were incorporated into the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) on November 30, 2019. As per section 34.1 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA), SIUs are intended to provide intervention-based accommodation to individuals whose placement in a mainstream unit would interfere with the safety of others or security of the institution (34.1 A), the individual’s own safety (34.1 B), or the integrity of an investigation (34.1 C). Following initial authorization to an SIU, reasonable alternatives^{Footnote 1}  are to be explored in advance of the Institutional Head’s decision to approve or not approve the authorization within five working days (“five-day decision”)^{Footnote 2} .

The current analysis examines the relative prevalence of cases in which the SIU authorization corresponded with a decision to end the stay within a five-day period. Drawing on a dataset of SIU authorizations between November 30, 2019, and March 31, 2025, patterns in five-day decisions were explored, including trends over time and across regions, with a comparison between SIU sites and Restricted Movement (RM) sites^{Footnote 3} .

Trends in Five-Day Decisions 

Approximately half of all SIU authorizations since November 30th, 2019, have corresponded with a decision to end the authorization within five days. The national percentage across fiscal years has fluctuated moderately (between 43% and 53%; see Table 1). Decisions to end the SIU authorization do not necessarily correspond with an actual movement out of the SIU (such as, due to refusals to leave the SIU). However, the discrepancy between decisionsand actual movement out of the SIU has narrowed over time. In fiscal year (FY) 2024 to 2025, around 93% of five-day decisions to end the authorization corresponded with actual movement out of the SIU. At the same time, median stay length for the small group who remained in the SIU following the decision to end the authorization increased (such as, 48 days in FY 2024 to 2025). This is likely due to the complexity in remaining cases where movement out is not actualized, which may also contribute to longer stay length.

Patterns in five-day decisions varied by institution type. RM sites were considerably more likely to have a decision to end the stay (for example, in FY 2024 to 2025, around 74%, contrasted with around 31% at SIU sites)^{Footnote 4} . Over time, there has been a decrease in the percentage of cases with a five day decision to end the stay at SIU sites, but an increase at RM sites. There has also been an increase in the percentage of SIU authorizations commencing at RM sites rather than SIU sites (such as, from around 16% in FY 2020 to 2021 to 38% in 2024-2025; see Table 2). This increase is likely a factor in the overall narrowing discrepancy between five-day decisions to end the SIU stay and actual movement out.

Outcomes of five-day decisions are also subject to considerable regional variation. For example, in FY 2024 to 2025, SIU authorizations corresponding with a five-day decision to end the stay accounted for around: 48% of cases in the Atlantic region; 55% in the Quebec region; 58% in the Ontario region; 25% in the Prairie region; and 34% in the Pacific region. Regional variation is also evident in the relative prevalence of SIU authorizations at SIU versus non-SIU (RM) sites.

What it means

The five-day review period presents an opportunity for decision-makers to identify reasonable alternatives to the SIU. Over the past six fiscal years, decisions to end an SIU authorization within five days have increasingly corresponded with actual movement out of the SIU (over 90% of cases in the most recent fiscal year). This suggests an increase in the efficacy of efforts to identify reasonable alternatives to redirect individuals from the SIU to mainstream options. Overall trends are influenced by an increase in the number of cases commencing at non-SIU (RM) sites relative to SIU sites, which are subject to regional variation.

For more information

Please email the Research Branch at research@csc-scc.gc.ca. You can also visit the Research Publications section for a full list of reports and one-page summaries.

Prepared by: Adrian Murphy (Performance Measurement and Management Reports) & Laura McKendy (Research Branch)