Inside the world of crisis negotiation
When a crisis erupts in a prison, whether it’s a hostage-taking, an inmate refusing to come back inside from the yard, or a person threatening self-harm with a sharp object, there’s a team that Correctional Service Canada (CSC) counts on to bring calm to the chaos: crisis negotiators.
While some might picture Hollywood-style stand-offs with megaphones and dramatic last-minute rescues, these expertly trained professionals know that calmly talking someone down is often the safest and smartest move in a dangerous moment.
And no one knows that better than Andrea Potter, a national trainer based at the CSC Staff College.
Andrea has been a negotiator with CSC for nearly 30 years. “What we do is grounded in psychology, but it’s also about humanity,” she says. “It’s about listening.”
In most situations, the inmate is simply trying to be heard. They may be in an emotional crisis, frustrated with bureaucracy, or just feeling ignored.
Enter the negotiator.
The three faces of a crisis
CSC breaks crisis situations into three main categories: instrumental, expressive, and high-risk.
Instrumental situations are those where the person in crisis is after something tangible, perhaps a transfer to another institution, access to a phone call, or sometimes just a hamburger. “For them, it’s just about doing business,” says Andrea. “They are looking for some sort of freedom and wish to make a deal. They have something we want (such as a held staff member) and we have something they want (some sort of freedom), and they want to make a trade.”
Expressive incidents are emotional. The inmate is acting out not for a specific demand, but because something deeper is wrong. “They’ve hit a wall,” Andrea says. “They’re lashing out, trying to be seen, to be heard.”
High-risk incidents are the most dangerous. These are moments when someone’s safety is in immediate danger, whether it’s the inmate, a staff member, or another offender. These incidents might involve self-harm, sexual assault, or spontaneous violence. In these cases, negotiators don’t just talk; they buy time, create a diversion and gather intelligence while the Emergency Response Team (ERT) prepares for tactical intervention.
Not a job for everyone
While CSC negotiators come from all walks of correctional life, not just anyone makes the cut. Candidates go through a rigorous eight-day training program and have to pass annual recertification. If they fail, they’re removed from the role.
“You can’t carry any entitlement, ego, or bitterness in this role,” says Andrea. “This is life and death work.”
Every institution has a team of trained negotiators. The role is strictly voluntary; negotiators receive no extra compensation for the work.
Teams operate in pairs: an active negotiator speaks with the inmate, while the monitor logs dialogue and advises on strategy. They report to a crisis manager, who oversees the scene and liaises with tactical teams if needed.
It’s a role that requires quick thinking, emotional intelligence, and a thick skin. Sometimes a sense of humour helps, too.
CSC currently has more than 150 negotiators across the country, supported by regional and national trainers. While negotiation was once dismissed as “soft,” attitudes are shifting, Andrea says.
“When the ERT sees the guy come out with me, peacefully, they know what that means. Nobody got hurt, we’re all going home safe today, and that’s a win for everyone,” she says.
The superpower of being a good listener
If there’s a golden rule in negotiation, it’s this: don’t meet resistance with resistance.
“We don’t do confrontation unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Andrea explains. “We develop rapport. We want to return the inmate to a state of compliance by lowering emotion and increasing rational thought.”
Sometimes, all it takes is active listening, paraphrasing, validating, and nodding where appropriate. “The inmate might have been asking to talk to someone all day and didn’t get heard. So now he’s acting out, refusing to lock up or take his meds. When we come in and give him that attention, suddenly that can turn everything around.
“You’d be amazed how powerful it is to just let someone talk.”
Tools of the trade
Success is measured by peaceful resolution. If force is avoided and the inmate walks out voluntarily, it’s a win.
In every negotiation, Andrea starts with one key question: “What’s the main reason for the inmate to behave this way at the moment?” Identifying the trigger helps reveal what the inmate really wants, or needs.
From there, negotiators assess risk, motivation, and history, relaying insights to the Crisis Manager and painting a live picture of the situation.
Contrary to belief, they don’t make any deals. The decision-making lies directly on the shoulders of the crisis manager. They rely on the negotiators to paint the picture, assess and reassess the level of risk and apply the appropriate process.
“What we do is gather information, build trust, and relay messages in a way that keeps the situation calm,” says Andrea.
“The most rewarding moments are when an inmate drops a weapon and says, ‘Okay, let’s do this.’
Crisis response in action
Maureen Moran started as a correctional officer at Collins Bay Institution 30 years ago and trained as a negotiator six years in, at a time when women were excluded from Emergency Response Teams (ERTs).
She says the negotiation course is “still the best training I’ve ever received.” It even helped her at home as a parent. “It teaches you how to turn conflict into collaboration. A win-win, not win-lose.”
Now the institution’s Deputy Warden, Maureen often acts as a crisis manager. When a crisis unfolds, all titles fall away.
“All those titles - Assistant Warden, Warden, Deputy - they go away when a crisis centre is opened. We all shift into new roles. Our job is to focus entirely on resolution.”
Whether it’s a severe storm, COVID outbreak, or refusal to return from the yard, a crisis response must be flexible. “You can deploy ERT or negotiators without opening a crisis centre. But if there’s broad impact or high risk, the centre allows coordinated command.”
As a crisis manager, Maureen evaluates the situation and makes tough calls, negotiation or tactical response,and manages stakeholders like families, staff, and media. She stresses the prep work that goes into every negotiation.
“We research everything, incident history, associations with other inmates, mental health,” Maureen says. “The better we understand the person, the more likely we are to reach them.”
When words aren’t enough
But sometimes, there is a refusal or reluctance to engage or resolve via verbal intervention or negotiation. That’s when CSC’s Emergency Response Teams (ERTs) step in.
Rob Cox, who has been with CSC since 2000, joined the ERT in 2005 and now trains teams at a national level. He knows what it takes when situations escalate.
“We’re trained to resolve high-risk incidents when negotiation isn’t possible or isn’t working,” he explains. “Negotiators handle conflict resolution. Our role is tactics.”
While many situations may allow for some de-escalation or negotiation on the part of the ERT as well, Rob emphasizes that force is a last resort. “If someone’s swinging a bladed weapon, we may not have time to talk. But if they’re contained, we can negotiate.”
That decision follows CSC’s engagement and intervention model, governed by law, policy, and critical thinking.
“If negotiators say rapport is breaking down, the Crisis Manager has to decide whether to call us in.”
ERT members are chosen for physical fitness, emotional resilience, and the ability to perform under pressure. In women’s institutions, ERTs are all-female while in men’s institutions, teams can be co-ed.
“There’s a sense of relief when the team shows up,” Rob says. “It’s not about wanting to use force. It’s knowing we have a way out.”
Negotiators and ERTs work together. As Maureen says, “It’s about preserving life, not asserting control.”
Evolving institutions, evolving culture
CSC’s crisis response has evolved greatly since the 1970s, when Kingston Penitentiary riots exposed critical gaps. Training and equipment is continuously reviewed and updated to ensure that capabilities exist to effectively manage a wide range of potential security incidents.
Whether with words or tactics, CSC’s crisis teams share one goal: keep everyone safe.
“This job is about making the right call under pressure,” says Maureen. “Sometimes that means stepping back and listening. Sometimes it means going in. But always, it’s about getting everyone out safely.”
Interested in learning more about CSC’s Emergency Response Teams?