Appearance of the Commissioner before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security: March 24, 2021

Main and supplementary estimate

Table of Contents

• Main and Supplementary Estimates
  • Main and Supplementary Estimates Chart
  • Key Messages
    1. Structured Intervention Units
    2. Sexual Coercion and Violence
    3. Death in Custody
    4. Culture Audit
    5. Culture Change at CSC
    6. Transgendered Inmates
    7. COVID-19 Vaccination Program
    8. 2019-2020 Access to Information and Privacy Annual Report
    9. Systemic Racism
• Financial Snapshot
  • Annual Budget
  • Cost Structure and Constraints
• CSC’s Hot Issues
  • Structured Intervention Units
  • Employee Sexual Assault
  • Death in Custody
  • COVID-19 Vaccination Program
  • COVID-19 Planning for Federal Corrections
  • Risk Assessment Tools - Indigenous
  • Quebec Incident - Joint National Board of Investigation
  • Dry Cells
• Key Facts and Figures
  • Offender Population
  • Operational Environment
  • CSC Workforce
  • CSC Results
• Previous Committee Summary Reports
• Committee Overview
• Committee Logistics

1. Main and Supplementary Estimates

Main and Supplementary Estimates Chart - CSC Estimates

2020-21 Supplementary Estimates C - Total CSC Funding $243,160,279

2021-22 Main Estimates - Total Funding $2,793,675,395

Final supplementary estimates “C” by Vote

		2020-21 Mains	2020-21 Directed Supps "A"	2020-21 Fall Supps "B"	2020-21 TB Central Votes	2020-21 Authorities To-Date	These Supplementary Estimates
Vote #	Vote Name						Supps "C"	Proposed Authorities To-Date
-	-	A	C	C	D	E =A+B+C+D	F	G =E+F
1	Operating Expenditures	2 145 688 776	-	130 549 259	64 294 411	2 340 532 446	242 751 655	2 583 284 101
5	Capital Expenditures	187 796 912	-	-	21 630 659	209 427 571	-9 193 420	200 234 151
10a	CORCAN Revolving Fund	-	1	-	-	1	-	1
S	Statutory	220 353 432	-	23 630 328	-	243 983 760	9 602 044	253 585 804
-	Total:	2 553 839 120	1	154 179 587	85 925 070	2 793 943 778	243 160 279	3 037 104 057

 

Variance Between 2019-20 and 2020-21 Main Estimates by Vote

Vote	Vote Description	2019-20 Interim Estimates	2019-20 BIV	2019-20 Main Estimates	2020-21 Main Estimates (excluding BIV)	$ Variance	% Variance
-	-	A	B	C = A+B	D	E = D-C	F= E/C* 100
1	Operating expenditures, grants and contributions	2 062 950 977	95 005 372	2 157 956 349	2 145 688 776	- 12 267 573	-0,57%
5	Capital expenditures	187 808 684	-	187 808 684	187 796 912	- 11 772	-0,01%
Statutory	Statutory	234 334 808	-	234 334 808	220 353 432	- 13 981 376	-5,97%
Total Votes		2 485 094 469	95 005 372	2 580 099 841	2 553 839 120	- 26 260 721	-1,02%

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates Speaking Points:

• The Government of Canada is making the necessary investments to give Canadians the support they need to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic while establishing the essential conditions for a successful economic recovery.
• Total CSC estimates for the current fiscal year of 2020-2021, including Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A, B and C), represent a total of $478.7 billion. $159.5 billion of this amount represent spending authorities for COVID-related measures.
• Funds will be used to address actual and forecasted costs related to expanded COVID-19 testing, provision of Personal Protective Equipment to staff and offenders, enhancement of institutional cleaning practices, and for addressing costs incurred at institutions to offset negative impacts to the offender population.
• Through the Estimates, the Government of Canada is transparent and accountable to parliamentarians and Canadians by providing insight into how taxpayers’ money will be invested. 

Key Messages - Structured Intervention Units

• Structured Intervention Units (SIU) are part of a historic transformation of the federal correctional system that saw the abolition of administrative segregation.
• We are strongly committed to the successful implementation of this new model and take it very seriously.
• There are some inmates who cannot be safely housed in the mainstream inmate population because of the risk they pose to themselves or others. It is for these offenders that SIUs were created.
• SIUs are not about punishment or causing harm. They are a temporary measure to help inmates and provide them with the continued opportunity to engage in interventions and programs to support their safe return to a mainstream inmate population as soon as possible.
• Inmates have daily opportunities for meaningful human contact and time out of cell, and continue to have access to correctional programming, interventions and services to address their specific risks or behaviours that have led to the transfer.
• A key safeguard in place is external oversight. The importance of this cannot be understated. Independent External Decision Makers across the country provide oversight of an inmate’s conditions and duration of confinement in a Structured Intervention Unit. Their decisions are binding.
• In cases where the inmate is not spending at least four hours out of cell or participating in meaningful human contact with others for the minimum two hours for five consecutive days or 15 out of 30 calendar days, their situation is reviewed by an independent decision maker. Often this happens because an inmate refuses the opportunities that are offered to them daily.
• As of February 28, 2021, there have been over 1,200 reviews by an Independent External Decision Maker. In 81 per cent of these cases, the Decision Maker has concluded that the Correctional Service of Canada has taken all reasonable steps to provide the opportunities and encourage the inmate to use the opportunities. In the remaining 19 per cent, the Decision Makers have made recommendations to the Service. Once the decision from an Independent External Decision Maker is received, the Correctional Service of Canada has seven days to act upon it. In 74% of those cases, the Independent External Decision Makers were satisfied with the actions of the Correctional Service of Canada.
• Dr. Sprott and Dr. Doob’s report on Structured Intervention Units has been carefully reviewed and their analysis identifies issues and data trends that we are following up on.
• We are committed to doing more to ensure conditions exist for inmates to leave their cells and participate in programming and activities.
• Important actions to address some of the trends and regional differences identified in the data have been taken. This is being addressed by providing further operational guidance and sharing best practices. Regular meetings and town halls take place on an ongoing basis with staff to understand challenges and adopt solutions. The sites are tracking and reporting on their progress.
• We are seeing changed behaviours in inmates. Due to active interventions and programming, and partnerships between regions, inmates who previously showed no interest in working on skills to help them adapt to living in a mainstream population are choosing to participate in programs offered in the SIUs. As a result, they are developing more positive attitudes and better conflict management skills, and we can see they are applying what they learn.

• There are significantly fewer inmates in SIUs than there were in the former model. In 2014, there were 780 inmates in administrative segregation. As of March 16, 2021, there are 188 inmates in SIUs across the country, which represents approximately 1% of the inmate population. This average continues to be the trend since their inception.

Key Messages - Sexual Coercion and Violence

• CSC has zero tolerance for any form of violence in federal corrections. The safety and security of people in our institutions is a top priority and nobody who lives or works in those facilities should ever have to fear for their safety.
• The core mandate of our correctional system is to rehabilitate and safely reintegrate offenders into our communities. We focus on providing safe environments to support inmates in becoming law-abiding citizens. This is our fundamental responsibility.
• The incidence of Sexual Coercion and Violence in our institutions is an issue that we take very seriously and we are taking a number of actions to address it and provide the necessary support to those in our care and custody, and we know there is more to do.
• We are currently developing a standalone policy however we have various requirements related to Sexual Coercion and Violence throughout a number of our policies.
• We immediately report to the  police of the jurisdiction any incidents or allegations of misconduct that could constitute a criminal offence.
• I would also like to note that offenders have a number of avenues to report inappropriate behaviours as either victims or witnesses, including the offender complaint and grievance system, which contributes to safer institutions by helping staff identify and respond to issues quickly.
• We are also working on increasing prevention and awareness through educational information to prevent these situations from occurring and ensuring inmates know how to come forward if they feel they are being victimized.
• Inmates also always have access to the Office of the Correctional Investigator’s (OCI). The OCI’s phone number is programmed into their phone accounts where they can confidentially place a call for assistance in these matters.
• We track and monitor all employee cases of misconduct, and inmate cases of Sexual Coercion and Violence. This data will help inform the development of evidence-based strategies to better work towards the prevention of Sexual Coercion and Violence, especially for those who may be more vulnerable.
• We know that more needs to be done to address Sexual Coercion and Violence in our federal institutions. The CSC has been working in collaboration with Public Safety Canada and are in the process of engaging our partners in the International Corrections and Prisons Association and in the provinces to conduct research and learn from their practices. This will help strengthen our approach and response to this going forward.
• We are committed to taking the necessary actions to strengthen our approach to this important issue. The safety and security of our institutions is key to successful rehabilitation of offenders and is fundamental to the work we do to uphold public safety.

Key Messages - Death in Custody

• The Correctional Service of Canada takes the death of an inmate very seriously. The loss of a life is always a tragedy.
• As in all cases, the police and coroner are called to investigate all deaths in custody with the coroner determining the cause of death.
• We are also legislatively mandated to provide every federal inmate with essential health care and reasonable access to non-essential health care, in keeping with professional standards.

Key Messages - Culture Audit

• We are currently in the planning phase of an internal culture audit.
• The goal of the audit is to identify ways to make CSC a safer, healthier, respectful, and violence-free environment for all employees and offenders.
• This audit is an important way to help us assess all aspects of CSC’s environment. It will inform us of areas we need to focus on and guide us in planning changes that will help improve our culture and the way we work.
• The 2020 Public Service Employee Survey will also be an invaluable tool to help us to identify what we are doing well and where we need to improve.
•  The survey contains a range of questions about:
  • Mental health
  • Compensation
  • Leadership
  • Respect
  • Diversity
  • Harassment
  • Discrimination, and
  • Other workplace priorities
• The survey was designed to get feedback on how CSC was impacted in 2020, as the pandemic posed unique challenges for staff working in all aspects of the organization.
• The survey results will feed the audit and provide information to support the continuous improvement of people management practices in the federal public service, which will ultimately help us improve practices at CSC.
• We anticipate that the survey results will be representative of all regions, sectors, and occupational groups, and give us a clear snapshot of CSC’s culture.

Key Messages - Culture Change at CSC

Actions Taken to Increase Awareness:

• Respectful Workplace Campaign
• Workplace Climate and Employee Well Being Annual Report
• Information on the complain process and informal conflict resolution posted on Internal website
• Family Wellness Information Sessions held in the regions

To strengthen accountability:

• Commitments on the management of harassment intimidation and bullying included in performance agreements for all executives and supervisors 
• Implementation of Ethical Risk Assessment Initiative to promote a respectful workplace

To improve access/procedures:

• Implementation of a tip line to provide additional avenues to report misconduct
• Mandatory training sessions to staff on respectful workplace, violence and accommodation
• Employee 24/7 access to LifeSpeak, a digital wellness platform at no charge and anonymous
• Development and sharing of guidelines on Violence Prevention in the Workplace that promote informal conflict resolution
• Implementation of a Steering Committee for Workplace Mental Health Injuries

Comprehensive Strategy for Workplace Wellness and Employee Well-being

Pillar 1 - Improve culture and increase price

Establish an inclusive structure by reducing stigmatization, fostering communication, increasing pride, and assuming our shared responsibility in establishing and maintaining a healthy workplace, considering that health and wellness at work are based on a culture of respect, trust, diversity, inclusion and fairness.

Pillar 2 - Build Capacity

Promote integrated programs, initiatives, and services that are based on best practices and meet the changing needs of employees, managers and the organization in order to establish and maintain a healthy, safe and inclusive workplace.

Pillar 3 - Foster healthy, respectful and resilient environments free from harassment, bullying and violence

Ensure that all employees and managers have a greater awareness and better understanding that harassment, bullying and violence are unacceptable under any circumstances. Encourage the reporting of misconduct and ensure that every feels like equal members of the organization who are supported and treated equally.

Anti-racism framework

• Requires a coordinated, whole-of-department effort for CSC
• All actions will be interdependent and mutually reinforcing
• We must listen, learn, and identify gaps and agree, with our stakeholders, on realistic actions we can take to make tangible impacts

Employment equity and diversity efforts

• New Indigenous representation objectives to help build a workforce that is more representative of the offender population:
  • 30% weighting based on the offender population representation
  • 70% weighting based on the workforce availability (WFA)
• Similar objectives for visible minorities and a four-year plant to address representation gaps for women and persons with disabilities
• Cultural bias review being done on tools used for recruitment of correctional staff to ensure assessment tools are exempt of cultural barriers
• New Indigenous inventory in the Prairie Region for Indigenous peoples to apply for a range of positions. So far, 12 appointments have been made from this inventory.
• Increased representation in all EE groups between October and December 31, 2020.

Audit of Culture

• Commitment under CSC’s 2019-2020 Risk Based Audit Plan
• Opportunity to examine all dimensions of CSC’s culture and ensure we are adopting the right approach in moving forward
• Led by the Internal Audit Sector with the support of our Departmental Audit Committee
• To be engaged: senior management, regions and sectors. Various subject matter experts from the National Advisory Committee on Ethics, external consultants, labour partners, and other federal government departments and organizations who have been undergoing changes in their organizational culture.
• CSC will review its corporate priorities to clearly communicate that the organization is committed to building a culture that will foster a healthy and respectful workplace

Notable annual events

• Bell Let’s Talk Day
• Pink Shirt Day
• CSC Respect Day
• Healthy Workplace Month
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• Diversity Week
• Black History Month
• Human Rights Day
• Women’s History Month
• International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
• Transgender Day of Remembrance

Positive impacts already measurable - 2019 PSES results

• Decrease of 6% in respondents indicating harassment from previous year
• Increase of 7% in respondents indicating their satisfaction with the quality of supervision they receive
• Increase of 6% in respondents indicating their satisfaction with how interpersonal issues are resolved in their work unit
• Increase of 5% in respondents indicating that their immediate supervisor seems to care about them as a person

Other findings from the 2019-2020 Workplace Climate Report

• 2% decrease in sick leave overall from 2018-2019
• Office of Conflict Management provided 2,088 services in 2019-2020, reaching 6,877 employees; mediations and facilitated discussions occurred in 95% of cases where OCM was contacted, and resolutions were found in 90% of these cases.

Key Messages - Transgendered Inmates

• The core mandate of our correctional system is to rehabilitate and safely reintegrate offenders into our communities. We focus on providing safe environments to support inmates in becoming law-abiding citizens. This is our fundamental responsibility.
• Regarding inmates who identify as transgender inmates, we are very committed to ensuring they have the right to the same protection, dignity and treatment as everyone else. Offenders can be placed in a male or female facility that reflects their gender identity.
• Transgender offender’s requests for transfers are assessed in a similar manner to any transfer request.
• We use a number of evidence-based approaches and tools to assess an inmate’s risk, including initial assessments, custody rating reviews, correctional plans, psychological risk assessments, and additional assessments.
• When an offender asks to be transferred to a facility more closely matching their gender identity or expression, the process includes taking into consideration the offender’s health, safety concerns, access to correctional interventions, and supports in the community.
• An offender will only be transferred to an institution after a rigorous review of their file and after adequate resolution of safety concerns.
• The transfer process aims to effectively manage institutional populations by transferring the offender to an environment consistent with their security requirements and facilitate their participation in correctional programs and other interventions identified in their correctional plan.
• There are currently 10 transgender women and 12 transgender men incarcerated at institutions for women. No transgender men have been transferred to a male facility.

Key Messages - COVID-19 Vaccination Program

• The health and safety of staff, inmates, and the public during these unprecedented times is our top priority.  
• We are mandated by law to provide essential health care to the approximately 18,000 inmates in correctional institutions across the country.
• We have worked very closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada to respond to every aspect of the pandemic, including the provision of vaccines to inmates.
• Our vaccination strategy follows the advice of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization and supports the timely allocation, distribution and administration of the vaccine for those in federal care as efficiently, safely, and equitably as possible.
• As part of phase one, and guided by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, approximately 600 older, medically vulnerable federal inmates were offered a vaccine.
• As of March 12th, 2021, 1,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine have been used to vaccinate inmates in federal penitentiaries. 
• CSC expects to roll out Phase 2 of vaccinations starting next month (April). Phase 2 priority groups include all staff and residents of congregate living environments, such as correctional institutions.
• CSC continues to work closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the provinces, and local public health authorities to facilitate access to the vaccine for correctional staff, in keeping with NACI Immunization Phase 2 priorities.

Key Messages - 2019-2020 Access to Information and Privacy Annual Report

• We are very committed to providing Canadians with timely responses to Access to Information and Privacy requests.
• We work diligently to ensure the privacy of Canadians is protected and that information is shared only where appropriate and in compliance with all existing laws, policies, and guidelines.
• Continuous improvements are being made to the Access to Information and Privacy function to strengthen the Service’s commitment to this key responsibility.

Key Messages - Systemic Racism

• Systemic racism is a complex issue that must involve all of us - at multiple layers of the criminal justice system. We must all play an active role in addressing it.
• Racism and discrimination have absolutely no place at the Correctional Service of Canada, and we have no tolerance for these behaviours.
• We recognize that systemic racism exists within the Correctional Service of Canada.  Acknowledging this is key to working together with Indigenous peoples, Black Canadians, stakeholders, and the communities we serve, to take focused action on this important issue.
• We are committed to working harder to address systemic racism, including building greater diversity in our leadership positions, and more inclusion and equity in everything we do.
• We have completed an initial review of our current policies and programs that address the unique needs of racialized offenders, as well as those aimed at increasing the diversity of our employees. The review took into consideration existing studies on the issue of over-representation of Black Canadians and Indigenous people in the criminal justice system, including recommendations from the Parliamentary Black Caucus.
• To build on this work, we are in the process of developing an anti-racism framework and action plan.
• We are currently consulting with stakeholders, and Indigenous and Ethno-cultural groups, on what our focus areas need to be moving forward. Employees will also help inform our way forward.
• We require employees to complete mandatory Diversity and Cultural Competency Training, as well as provide ongoing professional development opportunities and resources to continually promote and increase staff awareness and inclusive practices.

2. Financial Snapshot

Annual Budget

• As per the 2020-2021 Main Estimates, CSC’s annual budget is $2,553.8 million, composed of:
  • $2,365.9M in Operating, including Employee Benefit Plans;
  • $187.8M in Capital funding; and
  • $0.1M in Grants and Contributions.

• This represents a ($26.3M) or - 1.0% decrease over the previous year. The decrease is mainly attributable to:
  • A decrease in the Operating Vote of ($12.3M) mainly related to funding approved for Support for the Correctional Service of Canada (Budget 2019), offset by funding received for Transforming Federal Corrections (Bill C-83);
  • A decrease in the Statutory Vote of ($14.0M) for the department’s allocation of the employer’s share of the employee benefit plan; and
  • A decrease in the Capital Vote of $0.01M for CSC’s contribution to the Back Office Transformation initiative.

Cost Structure and Constraints

• Approximately 90% of CSC’s budget is non-discretionary, such as expenses related to:
  • Front-Line workforce / Collective Agreements; and
  • Statutory obligations.
• Operational costs are largely fixed and related to both static and dynamic security.
• In the context of Program Integrity, through Budget 2020, CSC received a positive response to its funding request following the comprehensive review.
• CSC has an uncertain financial situation and will be in a better position to assess it once:
  • A decision is made on its funding request for COVID-19 incremental expenditures; and
  • Supplementary funding for anticipated court settlements is approved.
• CSC had an Operating Carry Forward of $51.8M, (2019 to 2020), 2.2% of its total available authorities (2019 to 2020).
• Changes to operations could produce savings, but would also have an impact on the results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. CSC’s Hot Issues

Structured Intervention Units

Speaking Points:

• Structured Intervention Units (SIU) are part of a historic transformation of the federal correctional system that saw the abolition of administrative segregation.
• We are strongly committed to the successful implementation of this new model and take it very seriously.
• There are some inmates who cannot be safely housed in the mainstream inmate population because of the risk they pose to themselves or others. It is for these offenders that SIUs were created.
• SIUs are not about punishment or causing harm. They are a temporary measure to help inmates and provide them with the continued opportunity to engage in interventions and programs to support their safe return to a mainstream inmate population as soon as possible.
• Inmates have daily opportunities for meaningful human contact and time out of cell, and continue to have access to correctional programming, interventions and services to address their specific risks or behaviours that have led to the transfer.
• A key safeguard in place is external oversight. The importance of this cannot be understated. Independent External Decision Makers across the country provide oversight of an inmate’s conditions and duration of confinement in a Structured Intervention Unit. Their decisions are binding.
• In cases where the inmate is not spending at least four hours out of cell or participating in meaningful human contact with others for the minimum two hours for five consecutive days or 15 out of 30 calendar days, their situation is reviewed by an independent decision maker. Often this happens because an inmate refuses the opportunities that are offered to them daily.
• As of February 28, 2021, there have been over 1,200 reviews by an Independent External Decision Maker. In 81 per cent of these cases, the Decision Maker has concluded that the Correctional Service of Canada has taken all reasonable steps to provide the opportunities and encourage the inmate to use the opportunities. In the remaining 19 per cent, the Decision Makers have made recommendations to the Service. Once the decision from an Independent External Decision Maker is received, the Correctional Service of Canada has seven days to act upon it. In 74% of those cases, the Independent External Decision Makers were satisfied with the actions of the Correctional Service of Canada.
• Dr. Sprott and Dr. Doob’s report on Structured Intervention Units has been carefully reviewed and their analysis identifies issues and data trends that we are following up on.
• We are committed to doing more to ensure conditions exist for inmates to leave their cells and participate in programming and activities.
• Important actions to address some of the trends and regional differences identified in the data have been taken. This is being addressed by providing further operational guidance and sharing best practices. Regular meetings and town halls take place on an ongoing basis with staff to understand challenges and adopt solutions. The sites are tracking and reporting on their progress.
• We are seeing changed behaviours in inmates. Due to active interventions and programming, and partnerships between regions, inmates who previously showed no interest in working on skills to help them adapt to living in a mainstream population are choosing to participate in programs offered in the SIUs. As a result, they are developing more positive attitudes and better conflict management skills, and we can see they are applying what they learn.
• There are significantly fewer inmates in SIUs than there were in the former model. In 2014, there were 780 inmates in administrative segregation. As of March 16, 2021, there are 188 inmates in SIUs across the country, which represents approximately 1% of the inmate population. This average continues to be the trend since their inception.

Background - Structured Intervention Units

Structured Intervention Units (SIUs) allow inmates to be separated from the mainstream inmate population, while providing the opportunity to maintain their access to rehabilitative programming and interventions. Inmates in an SIU:

• Receive interventions and programming specific to the reasons that led to the transfer;
• Have an opportunity to be outside of their cell for at least four hours a day, with additional time for a shower;
• Have an opportunity to interact with others for at least two hours a day; and
• Receive daily visits from healthcare professionals who may recommend for health reasons that the inmate’s conditions of confinement be altered or that they not remain in the unit.

SIUs are for inmates who cannot be managed safely within a mainstream inmate population. An inmate could be transferred to an SIU if they are a threat to any person or the security of the institution, their safety is in jeopardy or their placement in the mainstream population would interfere with an investigation, and there is no reasonable alternative.

Inmates in SIU’s are provided with opportunities to participate in structured interventions, hobbies, leisure and physical activities, as well as research-based programming to address their specific risks and needs, with the goal of facilitating their reintegration into a mainstream inmate population as soon as possible. It is expected that SIUs will enhance correctional outcomes, as well as assist in reducing the rate of institutional violent incidents, resulting in a safer environment for staff, offenders and visitors.

Visits, engagement with partner agencies, Elders, cultural and spiritual leaders, and opportunities for inmate interaction are available in providing opportunities for meaningful human contact. When visits are restricted due to measures related to reducing the spread of COVID-19, alternatives are available, such as video visitation.

The opening of SIU’s at men’s sites has been a gradual, phased in approach with the first 10 SIUs opening as of November 30, 2019. All five women’s institutions opened an SIU as of November 30, 2019. We are completing resource reviews of each SIU to evaluate if current resources meet operational needs.

Implementation Advisory Panel (IAP)

The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness established the SIU Implementation Advisory Committee in 2019 as part of the Government’s efforts to provide accountability and transparency of the operationalization of SIUs. The eight-person panel was intended to help monitor and assess the implementation of SIUs established by Bill C-83, which was adopted by Parliament in June 2019. The new SIU model establishes minimum requirements for time out of cell and meaningful human interaction for inmates. The new model is subject to independent external oversight.

The Advisory Panel was intended to provide non-binding recommendations and advice to the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, and reports to the Minister on its views as to whether the SIUs are being implemented as intended by the legislation.

Independent External Decision Makers

Independent External Decision Makers (IEDM) provide oversight related to an inmate’s conditions, frequency, and duration of confinement in an SIU and review cases.

As of February 28, 2021, there have been over 1,200 reviews by IEDMs. In 81% of these cases, the IEDM has concluded that CSC has taken all reasonable steps to provide the opportunities and encourage the inmate to use the opportunities. In the remaining 19%, the IEDMs have made recommendations to CSC. Once the decision from an IEDM is received, CSC has seven days to act upon it. In 74% of those cases, the IEDMs were satisfied with the actions of CSC.

This external oversight contributes to the continued enhancement and shaping of SIUs.

Structured Interventions Units - Technological Services

CSC uses a technological application to enable the collection of SIU data to facilitate reporting on performance to institutional and senior management.

The “Long-Term Evolution (LTE) SIU project” creates a modern application for the management of offenders in SIUs. This application collects critical information in the daily interactions between staff members and offenders, allowing near real-time status updates on the inmates’ opportunities for interaction with others; net and total time spent in the SIU; time outside of cell; delivery of programs and interventions; leisure time; visits by correctional/intervention staff; health care review; and executive overview, among other things.

Interactions with inmates, programs referral, and decision information are also captured to ensure compliance with associated policies and legislation.

Employees Accused of Sexual Assault

Speaking Points:

• CSC has zero tolerance for any form of violence in federal corrections. The safety and security of people in our institutions is a top priority and nobody who lives or works in those facilities should ever have to fear for their safety.
• When an offender comes forward with an allegation of sexual assault, the institution’s health services staff immediately sees the offender, providing any medical interventions required including mental and physical health supports as needed. 
• All of our employees are entitled to due process as per Treasury Board guidelines. 
• We track and monitor all employee cases of misconduct, and inmate cases of Sexual Coercion and Violence. This data will help inform the development of evidence-based strategies to better work towards the prevention of SCV, especially for those who may be more vulnerable.
• In the event of misconduct resulting in criminal charges, we fully cooperate with police partners in their investigation.
• We immediately report to jurisdictional police of any incidents or allegations of misconduct that could constitute a criminal offence.
• We are currently developing a standalone policy; however, we currently have various requirements related to Sexual Coercion and Violence throughout a number of our policies. An interim report will be available this spring.
• Ensuring the safety and security of federal institutions, staff, victims and the public is a top priority for the Correctional Service of Canada.

Background - Employees Accused of Sexual Assault

Employees of the CSC are responsible for adhering to the Standards of Professional Conduct. Each employee is also expected to be conversant with, and adhere to, the various Acts, Regulations and policies affecting employees, as well as the instructions and directives of CSC:

• Source: CD 060: Code of Discipline

CSC assesses each incident of employee misconduct on a case by case basis. The disciplinary measure(s) taken may vary from an oral reprimand to a termination of employment. For privacy reasons, CSC cannot comment on the circumstances or details of any individual case. In the event of misconduct resulting in criminal charges, CSC cooperates fully with police partners in their investigations.

Mistreatment of Offenders

All CSC staff members have the obligation to report any situation where they believe an offender is being mistreated, harassed or discriminated against by a staff member. CSC is responsible for resolving situations of mistreatment, harassment, or discrimination of which they are made aware, whether or not a complaint/grievance has been made, and to take immediate corrective action as appropriate. Upon becoming aware of such allegations, CSC will take action and assess the validity and seriousness of the allegations by obtaining the specific details of the case.

Disciplinary Action

CSC does not tolerate failure by staff to abide by the rules of professional conduct and code of discipline that are outlined in CD 060: Code of Discipline. All allegations of staff misconduct are thoroughly investigated by CSC and disciplinary measures may be taken, where appropriate, in accordance with the Government of Canada’s Guidelines for Discipline and the CSC’s Instrument of Delegation of Authorities in the area of Human Resource Management. The provisions of the Privacy Act prevent the disclosure of the specific names and positions of the employees involved.

Sexual Coercion and Violence (SCV) involving Inmates in Correctional Institutions

The 2019-2020 Annual Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator made four recommendations to CSC and two to the Minister of Public Safety related to SCV in institutions. The recommendations include the development of an evidence-based strategy for the prevention of SCV, as well as a Commissioner’s Directive; education, awareness and training programs on SCV, as well as a specific flag in OMS for perpetrators. The recommendations to the Minister were to direct CSC to designate funds for an independent national prevalence study and introduce a legislative package that endorses a zero-tolerance approach to sexual violence and establishes a public reporting mechanism.

A zero-tolerance approach to SCV is consistent with CSC’s policy and is fundamental to its operations. CSC’s priority is to protect the physical and mental health and overall safety of those who live and work within federal correctional institutions. CSC agrees with the OCI that it is important to gain a better understanding of SCV in Canada.

CSC has a framework in place to establish safe correctional environments, which promotes effective correctional operations and interventions through the use of dynamic security, and contributes to the safety of the public, staff, and offenders (Commissioner’s Directive (CD) 566 - Framework for Safe and Effective Correctional Environments). Specifically, all staff who directly interact with offenders must apply dynamic security practices while carrying out their responsibilities. This includes continually enhancing their knowledge of offenders’ activities and behaviours (both positive and negative) through direct observation and interactions. CSC promotes the use of dynamic security practices for the prevention of security incidents, including incidents of SCV. Cases of sexual violence, when made known to staff, must immediately be reported and investigated. As well, inmates also have the Office of the Correctional Investigator’s phone number programmed into their phone accounts where they can confidentially place a call for assistance in these matters.

In the case of a sexual assault or an allegation of a sexual assault, the Correctional Manager, Operational Desk, must notify the police force of primary jurisdiction, as per CD 568- 4 - Preservation of Crime Scene and Evidence.  As well, any staff member made aware of a sexual assault must report it under CD 568-1 - Recording and Reporting of Security Incidents; sexual assaults also require a Warden’s Situation Report under CD 041 - Incident Investigations. This would require the site to collect all the relevant facts surrounding the assault/allegations in order to have the Warden’s report completed.

A survey on SCV in federal corrections is being led by Public Safety and will be conducted by external, fully independent experts. The survey will be collecting information that will help inform correctional policy and practice in responding to sexual violence in federal institutions. The research will collect information and data in order to identify gaps in knowledge. The research will consider the unique challenges faced by vulnerable populations, including inmates with prior trauma, LGBTQ2++, women, and those with mental health issues. An interim report on the work undertaken is set to be available by Spring 2021 and will help inform future actions required to detect, prevent, and respond to sexual violence in correctional institutions.

Moreover, given the serious nature of the issue, the Minister of Public Safety has agreed to write to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security requesting that consideration be given to undertaking an independent study, along with a report on their findings, on SCV in federal corrections.

Death in Custody

Speaking Points:

• The Correctional Service of Canada takes the death of an inmate very seriously. The loss of a life is always a tragedy.
• As in all cases, the police and coroner are called to investigate all deaths in custody with the coroner determining the cause of death.
• We are legislatively mandated to provide every federal inmate with essential health care and reasonable access to non-essential health care, in keeping with professional standards.
• I can confirm that when a newly admitted inmate arrives at all institutions, they receive an admission assessment by a registered health care professional to determine their immediate and long-term health needs.
• Due to the Privacy Act, I can’t comment on specific cases, however, I can say that all protocols were followed and when a newly admitted inmate arrives at all institutions, they receive an admission assessment by a registered health care professional to determine their immediate and long-term health needs.

Background:

At the time of his death, Dwayne Simard was serving a sentence of 2 years, 8 months and 15 days for Aggravated Assault. Simard had been brought back to the prison after he was arrested on February 27, for violating conditions of his parole from a previous sentence.

On March 1, 2021, Dwayne Simard, incarcerated at Stony Mountain Institution, a multi-level security facility in the Prairie Region, died while in CSC’s custody.

Deaths in Custody

CSC has very clear legal responsibilities when an inmate dies in custody. Any time an inmate dies in custody, CSC must promptly notify the following parties, regardless of the cause of death:

• The police;
• CSC regional and national headquarters;
• The coroner/medical examiner who has jurisdiction over the area in which the penitentiary is located, this includes situations when an inmate dies outside the penitentiary (e.g. in a community hospital);
• The local person responsible for the notification, who will in turn promptly notify the inmate's emergency contact or next of kin by telephone where possible;
• The regional Victim Services Unit; and
• The regional administrator of communications and executive services.

Investigations

CSC has legislation and policies governing the review and investigation of deaths in custody, as well as the investigation of other incidents involving offenders.

An investigation is convened when an inmate dies or suffers a serious bodily injury. Several factors are considered when determining what level of investigation is convened (i.e., Tier I, Tier II, Local, File Review), such as:

• The level of violence and injuries sustained;
• The offender profile(s);
• The possible impact on CSC's capacity to deliver programs;
• Public interest;
• The frequency with which similar incidents have occurred in the past; and
• The recurrence of similar incidents at a particular site or with a particular offender.

Following the death in custody of a federal inmate, a national board of investigation (for non-natural death) or a mortality review (for a natural death) is convened by the Commissioner under section 19 or 20 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. The Senior Deputy Commissioner, in consultation with the Director General, Incident Investigations, will determine the authority under which the investigation will be convened and the type of investigative process to be applied. In this circumstance, CSC will conduct a Tier I level investigation. This level of investigation will include a member of the community as a Board member.

When an incident occurs in an institution or in the community, the Commissioner; Director General, Incident Investigations, Institutional Head; or District Director may convene an investigation or file review. The objectives of investigating an incident are to:

• Assess and report on all the circumstance surrounding the incident
• Provide information to the CSC so that, if required, actions can be taken to prevent similar incidents
• Learn about and share best practices
• Make findings, and recommendations where required

Intake Process

During the intake process, offenders undergo a health needs assessment and screening for immediate mental, clinical, and/or public health care needs. A correctional officer conducts an immediate mental health needs interview and a physical health care nurse conducts a preliminary health status assessment within 24 hours of admission to the facility. The Correctional Service of Canada requires emergency health services to be available to inmates on a 24-hour basis. Access is provided through on-site coverage, on an on-call basis, through other institutions, or through community services.

When a newly admitted inmate arrives at any institution, they receive an admission assessment by a registered health care professional to determine their immediate and long term health needs. They are triaged for care in accordance with the urgency of their health care needs.
CSC policy states that when an inmate arrives with urgent needs, a nurse will conduct an assessment and will contact the on-call physician for a decision on the initiation of treatment on an urgent basis, as required.

COVID-19 Vaccination Program

Speaking Points:

• The health and safety of staff, inmates, and the public during these unprecedented times is our top priority.  
• We are mandated by law to provide essential health care to the approximately 18,000 inmates in correctional institutions across the country.
• We have worked very closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada to respond to every aspect of the pandemic, including the provision of vaccines to inmates.
• Our vaccination strategy follows the advice of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization and supports the timely allocation, distribution and administration of the vaccine for those in federal care as efficiently, safely, and equitably as possible.
• As part of phase one, and guided by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, approximately 600 older, medically vulnerable federal inmates were offered a vaccine.
• As of March 12th, 2021, 1,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine have been used to vaccinate inmates in federal penitentiaries. 
• CSC expects to roll out Phase 2 of vaccinations starting next month in April. Phase 2 priority groups include all staff and residents of congregate living environments, such as correctional institutions.
• CSC continues to work closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the provinces, and local public health authorities to facilitate access to the vaccine for correctional staff, in keeping with NACI Immunization Phase 2 priorities.

Background - COVID-19 Vaccination Program

On January 8, 2021, the Correctional Service of Canada began vaccinating inmates against COVID-19 in accordance with guidelines established by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Clinics were organized by medical staff to ensure elderly, medically vulnerable inmates were able to access the vaccine. In some cases, and when safe to do so, if an institution has one or a small number of elderly inmates who are considered a priority, these individuals will be vaccinated at a nearby institution.

On March 12, CSC completed its first phase of COVID-19 vaccination. In phase I, vaccines were administered at the following institutions:

• Atlantic Region: Dorchester Penitentiary, Springhill Institution and Shepody Healing Centre
• Quebec Region: The Regional Reception Centre, La Macaza Institution, the Federal Training Centre, Cowansville Institution, Drummond Institution, and Archambault Institution
• Ontario Region: Bath Institution, the Regional Treatment Centre (Bath Institution), Beaver Creek Institution, Collins Bay Institution, Grand Valley Institution for Women, Joyceville Institution, Millhaven Institution, the Regional Treatment Centre (Millhaven Institution), and Warkworth Institution
• Prairie Region: Drumheller Institution, Saskatchewan Penitentiary, Bowden Institution, Regional Psychiatric Centre, and Stony Mountain Institution
• Pacific Region: Kent Institution, William Head Institution, Matsqui Institution, Mission Institution , Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village, Fraser Valley Institution, Mountain Institution, and Pacific Institution/Regional Treatment Centre

Procurement

CSC has received doses of the Moderna vaccine, allowing CSC to begin vaccinating elderly, medically vulnerable inmates in January 2021. CSC expects to receive more vaccines from Health Canada as they become available and will continue to vaccinate inmates in the coming months. CSC has supplies necessary for administration of the Moderna vaccine, including syringes and alcohol wipes, provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s national inventory. CSC has monitored freezers (-20C) for COVID-19 vaccines storage at its regional pharmacies. Vaccines will be sent to health care units as necessary.

Phase I

CSC established an integrated risk management process where, on an ongoing basis, decisions about its operations are made in close collaboration with public health authorities, unions, Elders, and stakeholders to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. CSC expects to vaccinate approximately 600 inmates in phase I. In future phases, as more vaccine becomes available and based on the NACI prioritization guidelines, other inmates will be offered the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Additional vaccines are expected to be delivered through the year.

CSC has a vaccination strategy that is aligned with the Government of Canada approach, following the recommendations and guidance of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. CSC’s approach is consistent with past public health situations, such as H1N1, during which a similar process was followed.

CSC is responsible for offering vaccines to all federally-incarcerated individuals. As per National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) guidelines, elderly, medically vulnerable federal inmates have been offered vaccination during phase I. CSC’s plan moving forward is to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all federally-incarcerated individuals before end of year 2021. Inmates in the community will be vaccinated by the provincial and territorial health authority.

COVID-19 Federal Corrections - Measures

Speaking Points:

• The Correctional Service of Canada is committed to protecting the health and safety of staff, inmates, and the public during these unprecedented times. 
• Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Correctional Service of Canada has implemented a comprehensive and coordinated response to limit the risk of COVID-19, all in line with the Public Health Agency of Canada’s advice.
• Extensive infection prevention and control measures are in place at correctional institutions.
• Active screening is occurring in each institution, inmates and staff must wear masks, practice physical distancing, wash/sanitizing their hands often, and there is enhanced and frequent disinfecting and cleaning at facilities. The Service is also working in lock step with public health experts and the Canadian Red Cross to make sure its response is based on the latest science and evidence.
• In areas where there are outbreaks and higher rates of community transmission, heightened operational measures are in place. These include limiting comings and goings from institutions, suspended visits and modified routines and movements to prevent possible spread of the virus.
• As of March 21, 2021, there are 15 active COVID-19 cases among inmates.
• Inmates who have tested positive are medically isolated and being closely monitored.
• The Service has also rolled out its first phase of COVID-19 vaccines to elderly, medically vulnerable inmates, based on advice from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.
• The Correctional Service of Canada is working closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada, local public health authorities, and all of their labour partners and stakeholders. 
• These precautions have been taken in response to instances of COVID-19 in the community, including among staff members.
• As of March 19, 2021, there are 22 active COVID-19 cases among employees.
• When an employee becomes symptomatic or tests positive for COVID-19, they are required to self-isolate at home until cleared to return to work. Contact tracing is immediately conducted to ensure that close contacts are self-isolating, and additional testing is conducted, as needed.
• Frontline staff are also top of mind for the vaccine. Health care workers and other frontline staff work in high-risk settings. As always, these staff will be vaccinated by their home province or territory, based on National Advisory Committee on Immunization prioritization.
• The Correctional Service of Canada has been working closely with provinces to identify health care and frontline workers for prioritization. Some health care workers have already been vaccinated and the Service will continue to stay on top of this.

Background - COVID-19 Federal Corrections - Measures

The Correctional Service of Canada has implemented a number of measures to protect staff and the inmate population from COVID-19.

Current Measures

Cases among Inmates

In the Prairie region, Drumheller Institution - Medium has 13 cases and Saskatchewan Penitentiary - Medium has one case. In the Ontario region, Millhaven Institution - Maximum has one case. To date, there have been five COVID-19-related deaths in federal institutions.

Personal Protective Equipment

CSC continues to take exceptional measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in all CSC institutions to limit the risk to inmates and staff, including having everyone at sites wear masks. Additional personal protective equipment is available to employees that need it, including health care staff.

Vaccinations

On January 8, 2021, CSC began vaccinating inmates against COVID-19, in accordance with the guidelines established by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). Clinics were organized by medical staff to ensure elderly, medically vulnerable inmates were able to access the vaccine.

 

On March 12, CSC completed its first phase of COVID-19 vaccination. In phase I, vaccines were administered at the following institutions:

• Atlantic Region: Dorchester Penitentiary, Springhill Institution and Shepody Healing Centre
• Quebec Region: The Regional Reception Centre, La Macaza Institution, the Federal Training Centre, Cowansville Institution, Drummond Institution, and Archambault Institution
• Ontario Region: Bath Institution, Beaver Creek Institution, Collins Bay Institution, Grand Valley Institution for Women, Joyceville Institution, Millhaven Institution, the Regional Treatment Centre (Millhaven and Bath Institution), and Warkworth Institution
• Prairie Region: Drumheller Institution, Saskatchewan Penitentiary, Bowden Institution, Regional Psychiatric Centre, and Stony Mountain Institution
• Pacific Region: Kent Institution, William Head Institution, Matsqui Institution, Mission Institution , Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village, Fraser Valley Institution, Mountain Institution, and Pacific Institution/Regional Treatment Centre

CSC expects to be in a position to roll out Phase 2 of vaccinations in the Spring. Phase 2 priority groups include all staff and residents of congregate living environments, such as correctional institutions. CSC continues to work closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the provinces, and local public health authorities to facilitate access to the vaccine for correctional staff, in keeping with NACI Immunization Phase 2 priorities.

Suspension of Visits to Institutions

CSC is monitoring the situation closely as it evolves and will adjust its approach in consultation with public health partners across the country. At the first sign of one case of transmission at a site, non-essential staff and visitors will no longer be allowed in that site until the outbreak is contained. The list of institutions affected by closures can be found here:

• Visiting status of federal correctional institutions

Visitors will be restricted access to institutions if they are visiting an institution in an area that is identified as being moderate to high risk in accordance with CSC’s National COVID-19 Risk Management Framework, or where inter- and intra-provincial travel restrictions apply.

Offenders will continue to participate in on-site programming and activities that support their rehabilitation. Health services will be maintained and temporary absences for medical and compassionate reasons will continue, as needed. Offenders are encouraged to continue connecting with their families and loved ones by telephone or video visitation.

Video Visitation

Since the beginning of the pandemic, CSC has installed more video visitation kiosks across the country. In addition, CSC has expanded the hours for which video visits are available at several sites and has increased the bandwidth to support their use.

In addition to having access to phone calls, inmates can visit by live video using virtual technology on an institutional computer. This allows inmates to develop and maintain family and community ties when in-person visits are not possible.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 57 video visitation kiosks were available to inmates across CSC’s institutions. This number has since increased by 78%, with 102 video visitation kiosks now available. On average, 223 video visitation sessions are held each day across the country in CSC’s institutions, a significant increase from the 41 sessions held on average daily pre-pandemic.

Release of Offenders

While being a full participant in the Canada-wide public health effort to fight COVID-19, CSC continues to fulfill its obligations with respect to the care and custody of inmates to prepare them for safe release into the community.

CSC and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) continue to process eligible inmates for release in accordance with the law. A number of considerations go into release decision-making with public safety being the paramount consideration. COVID-19 and other health related issues are only one of the many considerations taken into account when releasing offenders into the community.

CSC, in consultation with PBC, has worked to streamline the case preparation process for offenders. In addition, PBC is working to ensure cases are dealt with as expeditiously as possible, while continuing to use risk- and evidence-based decision-making.

Since the beginning of March 2020, the federal custody population has declined by 1,531 inmates (as of March 14, 2021). This reduction is the result of fewer admissions from the provinces and territories, coupled with continued releases into the community. This downward trend in the federal inmate population is expected to continue over the coming months.

CSC is engaging with community partners on an ongoing basis to ensure that offenders on conditional release have a safe, secure and supportive environment to which they can return. This is an important part of any safe and successful release into the community.

Reduced Staffing Due to Self-Isolating

Staff members at a number of CSC institutions have tested positive for COVID-19. CSC is collaborating with public health authorities to conduct contact tracing to ensure that close contacts are self-isolating at home and additional testing is conducted, as needed.

CSC assesses operational decisions around schedules and activities on a regular basis when taking into consideration staffing levels. Staffing levels are monitored and assessed daily and adjusted, as required. On-site staff are showing flexibility and some have worked extended hours to meet the operational requirements of running Institutions.

Programming During COVID-19

In July 2020, CSC resumed group correctional programs in its institutions. In collaboration with public health experts, an Integrated Risk Management Framework was developed. It outlines different risk levels and mitigation strategies associated with each operational activity to protect staff, offenders, and the public. If, at any time, the COVID-19 risks associated with an activity change, the framework identifies actions to take in response.

Programming remains an essential part of reintegration. CSC continues to find ways to navigate the challenges associated with COVID-19 while resuming programming with new health and safety measures in place. CSC has prioritized access to programming for high-risk offenders and those approaching their release dates. Subject to public health and operational realities, CSC has promoted alternative program delivery methods such as the use of video conferencing. CSC also provides programing within the community. Offenders who did not complete institutional programs have access to community programs and community maintenance.

Risk Assessment Tools - Indigenous

Speaking Points:

• The Correctional Service of Canada acknowledges that Indigenous people, Black Canadians and other racialized people far too often experience systemic racism and disparate outcomes within the criminal justice system.
• We are continually working to eliminate systemic barriers in federal correctional institutions, and ensuring that all inmates have access to appropriate and effective programming and assessments.
• To ensure that risk assessment decisions of offenders are effective and appropriate, the Service is currently consulting on its assessment tools to determine if they need revisions.
• Currently, to assess the inmate security levels of individual offenders, staff receive comprehensive training on how to consider their ethnic, cultural, religious, and/or linguistic needs.
• The staff also receive mandatory training about unconscious bias and cultural-sensitivity, and they are provided resources to ensure assessments are reflective of the offender profile.
• An Ethnocultural Offender Resource Kit is also available to assist staff in responding to the needs of ethnocultural offenders, including Black and Indigenous offenders.
• The Correctional Service of Canada is committed to doing more to create an environment that is conducive to inclusion, equity and diversity - and one that is committed to self-reflection, action and continuous improvement.
• They are conducting research, in collaboration with universities and other academic partners, to better understand the experience of ethnocultural offenders.
• They also work closely with the National Indigenous Advisory Committee to discuss ideas and actions relevant to Indigenous offenders including examining the barriers faced by diverse communities in the broader criminal justice system.

Background - Risk Assessment Tools - Indigenous

All offenders who enter a federal institution undergo an assessment to ensure they are placed at the appropriate security level and receive the programs and services required to address their specific needs. The assessment of an offender’s security classification is conducted in accordance with the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, and the Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations (CCRR).

The CSC’s approach to both initial security classification and security reclassification includes the use of evidence-based assessment instruments, such as the Custody Rating Scale for initial security level, the Security Reclassification Scale and the Security Reclassification Scale for Women for security classification review, together with the professional judgment of specialized staff and psychological assessments, if applicable. Section 18 of the CCRR identifies the following three domains that CSC must use to determine the inmate’s security level: institutional adjustment; escape risk; and risk to the public in the event of an escape. An offender’s security classification is regularly reassessed during their sentence, including after the completion of programs to ensure they continue to be placed at the appropriate security level.

Staff Training

Given the importance of carefully assessing the unique needs of each individual offender, including social and cultural factors that may impact how they respond throughout the correctional process, staff who are responsible to assess an inmate’s security level receive comprehensive training on how to consider their ethnic, cultural, religious, and/or linguistic needs.

All employees are required to complete the mandatory Diversity and Cultural Competency Training, where employees are expected to demonstrate an understanding of diversity that is inclusive of everyone; identify individual places of privilege and how this connects to their work in CSC; and, identify ways to improve working with diversity and cultural competency with offenders, employees, visitors and the public.

Indigenous Offenders

CSC continues to observe an increase in the number of federally sentenced Indigenous offenders. At the end of fiscal year 2019-2020, Indigenous offenders represented 30% of the total in custody population and Indigenous women offenders represented 44% of the total in custody women population.

Since 2018, as a response to the 2014 Office of the Auditor General (OAG)’s report - Preparing Indigenous Offenders for Release, CSC has implemented in its policy that a Security Classification Review will be completed within 30 days of an Indigenous inmate’s successful completion of a main program for inmates classified at maximum or medium security level. In addition, a Security Classification Review is initiated at least every six months for Indigenous inmates participating in Pre-Pathways interventions/Pathways units. In the past years, CSC has conducted several studies, and is currently undertaking additional research on some of its central classification tools. For example, CSC is working with academic partners to conduct consultations with Indigenous communities in the development of risk assessment tools for Indigenous offenders.

CSC is working to respond to the disproportionate representation of Indigenous peoples in custody, through a variety of programs such as:

• The National Indigenous Plan, which incorporates advice and guidance from the Office of the OAG and the National Indigenous Advisory Committee (NIAC), is a national framework designed to transform Indigenous case management and corrections. The Plan includes streamlining existing Indigenous resources and services to ensure that those offenders choosing to access the Indigenous Continuum of Care interventions are prioritized for placement at specific sites.
• Indigenous Interventions Centres (IICs) are a key component of regional Indigenous action plans. The IICs integrate intake, programs and interventions, and engage Indigenous communities at the start of an Indigenous offender’s sentence, or at least two years before their first eligibility date. IICs provide a more focused and targeted approach to interventions through specialized case management, with the necessary support and coordination to prepare Indigenous offenders serving shorter sentences for conditional release earlier in their sentences. IICs also offer Indigenous correctional programs and interventions in order to foster timely preparation of conditional release for Indigenous offenders.
• CSC has implemented the Pathways Initiative for offenders who are committed to following an intensive traditional path of healing which includes the active involvement of Elders. The Indigenous Women’s Pathways Continuum provides opportunities for Indigenous women to engage in intensive healing interventions supported by Elders through specific activities.
• The Indigenous Women Offender Correctional Programs, which includes program continuum unique to Indigenous women offenders.
• CSC has developed and implemented Indigenous and Inuit specific Correctional Programs.

Decisions with respect to sentencing are outside of CSC’s control. CSC does, however, influence the time Indigenous offenders spend in custody by providing culturally responsive programs and interventions to address an Indigenous offender’s risk, provide effective rehabilitation and foster successful community reintegration. There has been a significant increase in the percentage of discretionary releases for Indigenous offenders, from 23.5% in fiscal year 2013-2014 to 40.1% in Fiscal year 2019-2020.

Black Offenders

At the end of 2019-2020, 8.8% of incarcerated offenders were Black, while 7.1% of offenders supervised in the community were Black. From 2015-2016 to 2019-2020, the proportional decrease of incarcerated Caucasian offenders was 17.0%, and incarcerated Black offenders showed a decrease of 3.2% during the same period.

CSC is conducting research to better understand the experience of ethnocultural offenders under its care, including Black offenders. This multi year project has already highlighted the profile and diversity of this population and Emerging Research Results were produced in 2019. CSC is presently looking at aspects of the in-custody experience, including participation in correctional programs, education, employment, etc. CSC will also be studying how ethnocultural offenders are reintegrating in the community, in terms of program participation, employment opportunities and successful completion of sentence. It is anticipated that the full research report will be available in the Fall of 2020.

Currently, Black offenders are offered a comprehensive level of varied interventions and services, aimed at supporting their reintegration. These initiatives include: addressing cultural employment and mentorship needs; participation in culturally relevant presentations from community members to offenders and staff; community outreach; ongoing interventions by the Project officer, Community Engagement and Ethnocultural Services; and access to culturally-relevant materials. Additionally, CSC requires mandatory training aimed at increasing the cultural competency of staff.

Although there are no specific correctional programs for Black offenders, the enrolment and completion rates of Black offenders in the Integrated Correctional Program Model and the Women Offender Correctional Programs show positive participation. In addition, certain institutions benefit from the participation and activities of inmate groups composed of mostly Black offenders. Groups such as Black Inmates and Friends Assembly (BIFA), Christian groups, Rastafarian groups, and Muslim groups bring awareness, educate and develop a sense of belonging and self-esteem among the Black offender population.

Women Offenders

In November 2019, to reflect the elimination of segregation and to add time spent in a Structured Intervention Unit, the Security Reclassification Scale for Women (SRSW) was modified. The updated SRSW consists of different indicators, notably the number of convictions for serious disciplinary offences, the number of recorded incidents, the pay level, the motivation and progress in the Correctional Plan and whether the offender maintains positive family contact.

The reliability and validity of the adjusted SRSW was examined by CSC’s Research Branch in September 2019, and was determined to remain valid for use with Indigenous and non-Indigenous women offenders.

Quebec Incident - Joint National Board of Investigation

Speaking Points:

• What happened in Quebec on January 22, 2020 was a terrible tragedy that should never have happened.
• Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Ms. Lévesque for their loss.
• Following this incident, a Joint National Board of Investigation was convened by the Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada.
• It was co-chaired by two community members independent of the Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada, who are criminologists. Its objective was to examine the circumstances that led to this tragic event.
• The Board of Investigation identified a number of gaps related to how this offender was supervised. The Correctional Service of Canada is resolute in their commitment to implement the recommendations and are taking concrete actions that prevent this from happening again.
• In response to the recommendations, the Correctional Service of Canada is changing its direct supervision model in Quebec, strengthening community supervision and information collection and sharing policies and tools and implementing new, mandatory Intimate Partner Violence training.
• The Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada take this report and its recommendations extremely seriously, and they will continue to work hard to prevent any incident like this from ever happening again.

Background - Quebec Incident

Federal offender, Eustachio Gallese, has been serving a life sentence since December 16, 2006. He was convicted of murdering his spouse. The index offence occurred on October 21, 2004. He was first granted Day Parole (DP) on March 26, 2019. On September 19, 2019, his DP was continued while Full Parole was denied. On January 23, 2020, his DP was suspended due to his suspected involvement in another murder. He was charged and convicted of First-Degree Murder on February 27, 2020, in the death of Marylène Lévesque. Gallese remains in federal custody.

Joint National Board of Investigation Recommendations

The Joint National Correctional Service of Canada - Parole Board of Canada (PBC) Board of Investigation (BOI) into the events surrounding the murder of Marylène Lévesque by offender Eustachio Gallese was convened on February 3, 2020. It was comprised of five members with the skills and expertise to carry out this investigation, including two external co-chairs, who are criminologists, independent of CSC and PBC. They conducted interviews and examined all of the documentation and facts around the release and supervision of an offender who was on Day Parole at the time of the incident, and presented findings and recommendations that cover the following themes: information collection and sharing, community supervision, training, and the PBC decision-making process.

The BOI report made five recommendations:

• That CSC revise Commissioner’s Directive (CD) 705-2 - Information Collection to define a serious offence and specify the documents required, including source documents such as trial transcripts for sentenced offenders with a history of violence offences.
• That CSC revise CD 715-1 - Community Supervision to include a quality control mechanism with a network of collateral contacts.
• That CSC integrate training on domestic violence into the Parole Officer (PO) Induction Training and that this training be offered during the PO Continuous Development training.
• That CSC develop a case conference instrument that includes minimum indicators.
• That the direct supervision component set out in the contract agreement be taken away from the Maison Painchaud CRF and given back to CSC, and that CSC review the service models with all other CRF currently responsible for the direct supervision of offenders.

There were no recommendations for the PBC. However, the BOI report noted the following with regard to the PBC:

• The Parole Board members who made the conditional release decisions on March 26, 2019, and September 19, 2019, met all PBC training requirements and had the level of knowledge necessary to perform their tasks.
• The PBC training plan for new Board members was well structured and complete.
• The Parole Board members correctly applied the criteria set out in the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.
• The Parole Board members fully applied the Risk Assessment Framework set out in the PBC Decision-Making Policy Manual.
• The PBC had at its disposal all the relevant and available information for sound decision-making.
• While the September 2019 written decision did not fully reflect what occurred at the hearing, this was not identified as a factor in Ms. Levesque’s death.

Importantly, the report acknowledged that the Board Members explicitly prohibited the offender from visiting massage parlours for sexual purposes.

CSC’s Response to the BOI Recommendations

CSC has thoroughly reviewed, analyzed, and accepted the BOI recommendations as part of its commitment to do everything possible to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.

In response to the report’s recommendations, CSC is:

• Changing its direct supervision model in Quebec. Currently, Community Residential Facilities (CRF) provide accommodation and support to offenders, while some directly supervise a small number of offenders (approximately 155 out of 2000) on release in the community, in Quebec. By March 31, 2021, CSC will take over all aspects of community supervision from the Maison Painchaud CRF. In addition, CSC is reviewing all other contracts in Quebec with the goal of returning all direct supervision responsibilities for federal offenders back to CSC. These contractors will continue to house offenders, as is the case across the country. CSC values these partnerships, as they are essential to supporting offenders in their transition from institutions to the community.
• Strengthening community supervision policies and tools so that specific elements, such as collateral contacts of the offender (employer, family members and friends) are regularly discussed during case conferences between Parole Officers and their supervisors to help continually re-assess an offender’s risk. CSC is revising its Information Collection policy to clearly define a serious offence for the purpose of information collection, specify which types of documents are required and relevant to an offender’s history, and implement a formal monitoring mechanism.
• Implementing new, mandatory Intimate Partner Violence training, which will become a core component of the existing Parole Officer Continuous Development Training. It will be required for all Parole Officers and their supervisors to support them in assessing and managing the risk of offenders.

Now that the BOI report is complete, CSC has launched disciplinary investigations, as per Treasury Board guidelines, to determine any further accountability measures required. Since this incident, employees directly involved in the supervision and oversight of this case have been assigned other duties and are not supervising offenders.

Current Media Issue Regarding Dannick Lessard

In October 2012, Dannick Lessard, a former hockey player, was shot nine times by Ryan Wolfson outside of a bar in the Mirabel, Quebec region. At the time of the offence, Ryan Wolfson was illegally at large in a statutory release, and was serving his third federal sentence for Break and Enter (x5) and Break and Enter With Intent (x2). Dannick Lessard filed a lawsuit, alleging that CSC and PBC failed to protect the public safety by releasing Ryan Wolfson too early, and compared his story to Marlène Lévesques, indicating that the same mistakes were made. Dannick Lessard is now asking CSC for $3.2 million in the lawsuit.

Following the offence, Ryan Wolfson has been convicted to a life sentence in October 2016, for First Degree Murder (x1), Attempted Murder (x2) and Possession of a Firearm (x1).

Dry Cells

Speaking Points:

• The Correctional Service of Canada is committed to safe, humane, and effective corrections for offenders in Canada.
• Under the law, the Correctional Service of Canada must have reasonable grounds to use a dry cell if they believe an inmate has ingested contraband or is carrying contraband in a body cavity.
• Dry cells are used as one of many tools to prevent the entry of contraband into institutions.
• Ingested contraband can have serious impacts on the health and safety of an individual. Dry cells allow close monitoring of inmates to ensure their safety.
• Dry cell placements are limited to what is reasonably required and used for the shortest possible time. Inmates are provided with adequate bedding, food, clothing, and toiletry articles. CSC also provides reasonable access to medical, spiritual, and psychological assistance, and a medical professional visits the inmate daily.
• The Service is looking into this situation and will consider additional safeguards and oversight measures in the use of dry cells.

Background - Dry Cells

Dry cells are used as one of many tools to prevent the entry of contraband into institutions. Ingested contraband can have serious impacts on the health and safety of an individual. Dry cells allow close monitoring of inmates that are suspected to have hidden contraband in their body cavities to ensure their safety.

As outlined in section 51 of the CCRA, where the institutional head is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that an inmate has ingested contraband or is carrying contraband in a body cavity, they may authorize in writing the detention of an inmate in a cell without plumbing fixtures (with notice to medical staff) on the expectation that the contraband will be expelled.

Dry Cell Procedures

Dry cell procedures are followed as per Commissioner's Directive 566-7 Searching of Offenders, where every bowel movement will be searched by a correctional officer/ primary worker. Once it has been determined that the contraband may have been expelled, if any items are recovered the procedures in Commissioner's Directive 568-5 Management of Seized Items will be followed.

As soon as an offender is placed in a dry cell, they are provided the opportunity to retain and instruct legal counsel without delay. While in a dry cell, the inmate is also provided with adequate bedding, food, clothing, and toiletry articles. CSC also provides reasonable access to medical, spiritual, and psychological assistance, and a medical professional visits the inmate daily. Limited activities may be permitted as long as they do not compromise contraband recovery.

Legislation and policy do not prescribe a maximum amount of time an inmate can spend in a dry cell, but policy does prescribe that the placement must be reviewed by the Institutional Head daily, as per Annex E of Commissioner's Directive 566-7. The offender may make written representations for consideration at the daily review.

Dry Cell Enhancements

Over the years, CSC has made a number of enhancements to dry cell requirements. The June 2012 update to the policy framework (Commissioner's Directive 566-7 - Searching of Inmates) introduced national requirements for dry cell placements, which included enhanced oversight and monitoring. Procedural safeguards outlined in policy require that the Institutional Head review the placement on a daily basis. To allow for oversight by someone other than the Institutional Head, the Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Correctional Operations at Regional Headquarters is notified of any placement exceeding 72 hours. Moving forward, CSC will consider additional safeguards and oversight measures relevant to the use of dry cells.

4. Key Facts and Figures

The Offender Population

At the end of calendar year 2020, CSC was responsible for 21,996 offenders:

• 12,588 were in custody and
• 9,408 were supervised in the community.

Of the offenders in the community,

• offenders on day parole represented 17%;
• offenders on full parole represented 48%;
• offenders on statutory release represented 30%; and
• offenders with long-term supervision orders represented 5%. 

(Source: Corporate Reporting System-Modernized - Data Warehouse. Data current up to 2020-12-27)

Operational Environment

CSC is responsible nationally for the management of:

• 43 institutions
  • six maximum security,
  • nine medium security,
  • five minimum security,
  • 12 multilevel security and
  • 11 clustered institutions.
• 14 community correctional centres and
• 92 parole offices and sub-parole offices.

CSC is also responsible for managing four healing lodges (included in the 43 institutions) and works in partnership with Indigenous communities to support the reintegration of Indigenous offenders back into the community.

CSC Workforce

CSC employs approximately 18,261 staff from a vast number of fields. As of January 21, 2021, CSC’s front-line staff workforce included:

• 6,308 Correctional Officers;
• 448 Primary Workers;
• 1,252 Parole Officers;
• 473 Correctional Program Officers;
• 122 Indigenous Liaison Officers;
• 101 Indigenous Correctional Program Officers;
• 122 Social Program Officers;
• 893 Nurses; and
• 227 Psychology Staff.

CSC Results

At year-end 2019 to 2020, the following are results in a number of different areas:

• CSC is continuing to see a decline in the overall federal custody population, from 14,886 at year-end in 2014-2015 to 13,720 in 2019-2020, a decrease of 8%. CSC is also seeing an increase in the number of offenders being managed in the community, from 8,075 at year-end in 2014-2015 to 9,382 in 2019-2020. This represents an increase of 16%.
• CSC is showing an increase in the number of offenders being released on day parole over the past six years, from 1,975 in 2014-2015 to 2,542 in 2019-2020, an increase of 29%. The number of offenders who were released on day parole decreased in the past year, from 2,683 in 2018-2019 to 2,542 in 2019-2020, a decrease of 5%.
• CSC is showing a decline in the number of revocations of conditional release over the past six years, from 2,503 in 2014-2015 to 2,285 in 2019-2020, a decrease of 9%. However, the number of revocations of conditional release have been increasing since 2017-2018, when they were at a six-year low of 2,131.
• CSC is also seeing a decrease in the number of revocations with an offence over the past six years, from 496 in 2014-2015 to 455 in 2019-2020, a decrease of 8%. The numbers of revocations with an offence have fluctuated over the past six years, with a low of 412 in 2016-2017.

5. Previous Committee Summary Reports

February 22, 2021 -SECU (Bill C-228, An Act to establish a federal framework to reduce recidivism)

Report on House of Commons Committee Meeting

Name of Committee:            Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security
Date and Time:                     Monday, February 22, 2019 - 4:30 p.m. to 6:38 p.m.    
Subject:                                 Bill C-228, An Act to establish a federal framework to reduce recidivism

Witnesses:

 

Bill Sponsor
Richard Bragdon, M.P.

As an Individual
Graydon Nicholas, Endowed Chair in Native Studies, St. Thomas University

John Howard Society
Catherine Latimer, Executive Director

Texas Offenders Reentry Initiative
Tina Naidoo, Executive Director

Overview

In his opening remarks, Mr. Bragdon explained that nearly 25% of people released from prisons end up back in the  prison system within two years and that within the Indigenous population that number rises to almost 40%.  He stressed that the cycle must be stopped and that the bill will break help to do that.  It will create a taskforce that will look at the issues that lead to recidivism., including working models that have had success.  He indicated that there are tremendous models and organizations from which we can learn and import best practices as well as getting sectors working together to make lasting change. 

Mr. Nicholas gave an overview of his background and what went into his dealings with offenders as a social worker and provincial judge.  He outlined the conditions under which offenders can and will reoffend and pointed out the roadblocks that Black and Indigenous offenders face. 

Ms. Naidoo gave an overview of her organization and explained that Texas is known as the incarceration capital of the united states.  She indicated that at the time her organization was created, one in thirty-two Americans were under control of the US justice system and that for every two dollars spent on their program, the US matched with $1.  More than 400 citizens were served the year it began.  She explained that the program has seen successes in housing, employment, stronger families.  Under Covid 19, their organization has adapted well to a virtual platform and they are able to serve more individuals in less time.  Successes includes a client employment rate raised by 40%.  She stressed that Bill c-228 will place Canada at the forefront of the justice system. 

Ms. Latimer gave an overview of her organization and indicated that their roots are in supporting reintegration of prisoners.  She explained that there is broad agreement that we want individuals leaving prisons to be law abiding citizens but the road back for prisoners is tough and has many barriers.  Despite the hardships they encounter, the majority don’t return to prison, but still many do.  Key issues include housing, healthcare and employment.  Solutions have been created to combat the issues but more collaboration is required.  She urged support for the passage of Bill C-228.

Highlights of the Hearing Relevant to CSC

In response to questions regarding Indigenous issues, Ms. Latimer indicated that whatever intervention is on offer must resonate with the person receiving it.  There should be program testing and risk calculation tools for certain groups must be changed. Mr. Nicholas explained that there is a lack of Indigenous spirituality in the prison system that would help Indigenous people integrate into the prison system.

Follow-Up

Nil.

Further Information:  For a detailed official transcript of the proceedings, consult the PACP Committee website. Note that transcripts of tern take several business days before becoming available. In some cases, the unofficial “Blues” of the hearing can be provided by CSC Parliamentary Relations, upon request.

February 1, 2021 -SECU (Circumstances that Led to a Young Woman’s Death)

Report on House of Commons Committee Meeting

Name of Committee:             Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security
Date and Time:                      Thursday, February 1, 2021 - 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Subject:                                 Parole Board and the Circumstances that Led to a Young Woman’s Death

Witnesses:

Project Intervention Prostitution Québec Inc.
Josianne Grenier, Development Assistant

Stella, l’amie de Maimie
Sandra Wesley, Director General

Association des services de réhabilitation sociale du Québec
David Henry, Director General, Criminologist

Union of Safety and Justice Employees
David Neufeld, National Vice-President and Regional Vice-President, Correction Service of Canada Community and Parole Board of Canada - West
Stanley Stapleton, National President

Overview

In their opening remarks, Ms. Grenier gave an overview of her organization and explained that they work in collaboration with other organizations such as schools and police and share expertise.  She explained that her organization has a neutral position on prostitution.  Her basic message is that decriminalization of prostitution must be supported. She stressed that the Marylène Lévèsque has received a lot of media attention because she was blond and blue eyed but in reality, prostitutes are being killed all the time.  She called for a full review of the laws and pointed out that the current law has an ideology and goal which maintains a stigma that prostitution is bad and if the laws, programs and policies deny that it exists, we put values before the safety of people. 

Ms. Wesley gave an overview of her organization. Her message the Committee was in the same vein as Ms. Grenier.  Sex worker have a right to safety and unless prostitution is decriminalized and the stigma around the sex worker trade is turned around, sex workers will not be safe and protected.

Mr. Henry gave an overview of his organization and their consultation process.  He explained that halfway houses serve as a place where offenders can have access to various programs.  He gave an overview of the three types of halfway houses.  He explained that CRCs are classic, fully autonomous halfway houses managed by volunteers from the community and choose their residents. They have standards for defining programs to offer, admissions and a variety of others and that the success of these houses is undeniable as the recidivism rate is less than 2% during the offender’s stay.  He agreed that the recommendations of the BOI will improve surveillance in communities but that CSC should go beyond the recommendations.

Mr. Stapleton gave an overview of his organization.  He explained that the work of parole officers beings with an assessment upon arrival in an institution.  He explained that the Parole Board imposes conditions under which offenders are released.  He went on to explain that Parole Officers are not always given the time to look over court documents as positions have been cut and it takes a long time to receive materials.  Many parole officers are left to navigate complex administrative processes.  Further, due to cuts, almost all training is now virtual and doesn’t always align with their needs.  He gave an overview of the 2019 report of the USJE and explained that Parole Officers can’t always predict what an offender will do and stressed that having a lower caseload would help.  He indicate that the report has received no response from CSC and urged the Committee to look at the BOI report and remember that without giving Parole Officers the tools they need, more tragedy is around the corner.

Highlights of the Hearing Relevant to CSC

In response to the inquiries regarding the assessment of offenders, Ms. Grenier and Ms. Wesley indicated that by all accounts the report is clear that Gallise was given proper rehabilitation services but a re-evaluation was not done. It was explained that while CSC and PBC may have been able to prevent this tragic death, it could just as easily have been an offender that posed no obvious threat. 

In response to the inquiries regarding Maison Painchaud, Mr. Henry explained that direct supervision is part of a long tradition in Quebec and that CSC needs to be able to count on partners to ensure safety and social integration.  He agreed that there is no single approach to supervision but that CSC has gone beyond the recommendations of the BOI report.  He said that his organization did not wait for the report to act on the ground and finds it unfortunate that all the work that has been done has not been reviewed by CSC.

He indicated that it is hard to generalize blame.  Maison Painchaud has existed for 50 years and in that time only one person has committed murder.  All previous reports have been positive.

In response to inquiries regarding funding cuts, Mr. Neufeld explained that 6% to 7% of CSC’s budget is allocated to communities and the rest is for structure of institutions and security.  In terms of overall work, every employee plays a practical role in rehabilitation.  Investments must be made where the rubber hits the road and it is important to understand that anybody can do time but once back in the community there can be many problems which can only be fixed by additional resources in those communities.

In response to inquiries regarding programs, Mr. Stapleton indicated that offenders sometimes have long waits before they can enter rehabilitation programs and some programs are not the right fit for a particular offenders.  In order to deliver programs, more staff is required.

Follow-Up

Nil.

Further Information:  For a detailed official transcript of the proceedings, consult the Committee website. Note that transcripts of tern take several business days before becoming available. In some cases, the unofficial “Blues” of the hearing can be provided by CSC Parliamentary Relations, upon request.

6. Committee Overview

Committee Membership Profile

Liberal Party of Canada

Conservative Party of Canada

Bloc Québécois

New Democratic Party

7. Committee Logistics

Information on Virtual Parliamentary Committee Meetings

• All witnesses are required to complete a witness confirmation form.  The form requires the witness email, phone number, person to contact in case of technical problems during the meeting, and a question on whether the witness has/needs the required House of Commons (HoC) approved headset.
• Due to the new Zoom Webinar platform, HoC technicians must wait before generating the temporary user names and passwords for all witnesses until witness information is entered into their internal systems.
• Once the HoC receives the form and credentials, their logistics officers reach out to all witnesses directly (via email) to set up a time for doing the test. 
  • Note: If the witness prefers to have a secondary person do the test on their behalf, it is very important to indicate that when returning the form to Public Safety Parliamentary Affairs. 
  • While the form does not have a specific field for this purpose, below is an example of what you should do if you have a secondary person doing the test on behalf of the witness: (from the virtual confirmation form)
    • Name of organization (if appearing on behalf of an organization) or as an individual
    • Name of witness
    • Professional title
    • Email
    • Temporary email and password
    • City and Province (location of witness on the day of the meeting)
    • Telephone number(s) (in case of technical issues prior or during the meeting)
    • Contact name and coordinates (technician or administrative staff, if applicable)
    • Language spoken by witness
    • Audio feed to witness
  • Witnesses or their designate must reply to the email to indicate their availability to do the test.  There is no general requirement for booking a test, it is done as soon as possible (the earlier the better), whenever the witness is available, during regular workday hours (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
  • On the morning of the actual meeting, a HoC Logistic officer will send the Zoom link and password for the meeting directly to the witnesses (regardless of whether or not the witness or a designate has done or passed the test).

Date modified:

2023-02-21