ARCHIVE - Appendix I: List of Recommendations

Refocusing the Corrections and Conditional Release Act

Principles of the Act

• 1. The Panel recommends that a "substantive" section be added to the CCRA entitled "Offender Accountabilities" and that at a minimum, it contain the following:

  Offenders, as part of their commitment to society to change their behaviour and in order to help protect society, must:

  1. obey penitentiary rules as established by CSC;
  2. respect the authority of staff at all times; and
  3. actively participate in programs identified by CSC in their correctional plans (e.g., education, work, correctional programs)
• 2. The Panel recommends that the following amendments be made to Section 4 of the CCRA:

  Note that the underlined text identifies the Panel's recommended changes.

  1. that the protection of society be the paramount consideration in the corrections process;
  2. that the sentence be carried out having regard to all relevant available information, including the stated reasons and recommendations of the sentencing judge, any direction provided by the Criminal Code on conditions of confinement, other information from the trial or sentencing process, the release policies of, and any comments from, the National Parole Board, and information obtained from victims and offenders, and other members of the criminal justice system;
  3. that the Service enhance its effectiveness and openness through the timely exchange of relevant information with other components of the criminal justice system, and through communication about its correctional policies and programs to offenders, victims, the public, and other members of the criminal justice system;
  4. that, in managing the offender populations in general and the individual offenders in particular, the Service use appropriate measures that will ensure the protection of the public, staff members and offenders, and that are consistent with the management of the offender's correctional plan;
  5. that offenders retain the basic rights and privileges of all members of society, except those rights and privileges that are necessarily removed or restricted as a consequence of the sentence, or that are required in order to encourage the offender to begin to and continue to engage in his or her correctional plan;
  6. that the Service facilitate the involvement of members of the public in matters relating to the operations of the Service;
  7. that correctional decisions be made in a forthright and fair manner, and that offenders have access to an effective grievance procedure;
  8. that, where possible, correctional policies, programs and practices, where possible, respect gender, ethnic, cultural and linguistic differences and be responsive to the special needs of women and Aboriginal peoples, the needs of offenders with special mental health requirements, and the needs of other groups of offenders with special requirements;
  9. that offenders be expected to actively participate in their correctional plan and in programs designed to promote their rehabilitation and safe reintegration;
  10. that offenders be obligated to obey penitentiary rules and to respect the authority and position of the staff, and any of the conditions governing their release to the community;
  11. that staff members be properly selected and trained, and be given -
      1. appropriate career development opportunities,
      2. good working conditions, including a workplace environment that is free of practices that undermine personal dignity, and
      3. opportunities to participate in the development of correctional policies and programs.

Roadmap for Change—Change in Operating Model

Population Management

• 3. The Panel recommends that, at each security level (minimum, medium and maximum), a basic level of rights should be defined.
• 4. The Panel recommends that differing conditions of confinement should be dependent on an offender's engagement in his or her correctional plan and the offender's security level.
• 5. The Panel recommends that CSC should review the use of voluntary segregation to ensure that it is not being used by offenders to avoid participation in his or her correctional plan.
• 6. The Panel recommends that current disciplinary sanctions be reviewed and become more aligned with the severity of assaults and threatening behaviour, including the verbal abuse of correctional staff.

Safety and Security

• 7. The Panel recommends that CSC must become more rigorous in its approach to drug interdiction by enhancing its control and management of the introduction and use of illicit substances.
• 8. The Panel recommends that CSC's approach should:
  1. entail the submission of an integrated request for resources supported by detailed performance targets, monitoring and an evaluation plan that requires a report on CSC's progress to the Minister, Public Safety, by no later than 2009-10;
  2. incorporate a commitment to more stringent control measures (i.e., elimination of contact visits), supported by changes in legislation, if the results of the evaluation (see rec. (i)) does not support the expected progress;
  3. increase the number of drug dog detection teams in each penitentiary to ensure that a drug dog is available for every shift;
  4. involve the introduction of 'scheduled visits' so that more effective use of drug dogs can be made;
  5. increase perimeter surveillance (vehicle patrol by Correctional Officers) and the re-introduction of tower surveillance, where appropriate, to counter the entry of drugs over perimeter fences;
  6. include a more thorough, non-intrusive search procedure at penitentiary entry points for all vehicles, individuals and their personal belongings;
  7. include the immediate limitation and/or elimination of the use of contact visits when there is reasonable proof that they pose a threat to the safety and security of the penitentiary;
  8. include the purchase of new technologies, to detect the presence of drugs; (resources should be available for the ongoing maintenance and staff training);
  9. enhance the policies and procedures related to the management of prescription drugs, urinalysis testing and the routine searches of offenders and their cells for illicit substances;
  10. work closely with local police forces and Crown Attorneys to develop a more proactive approach for criminal sanctions related to the seizure of drugs;
  11. include an amendment to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to create an aggregating factor (or a separate offence) for the introduction or trafficking within a penitentiary in Canada of any controlled or designated substance with a mandatory minimum penalty consecutively to any existing sentence(s);
  12. include the authority for CSC to prohibit individuals who are found guilty of such charges (highlighted in XI) from entering a federal penitentiary for a period of not less than 10 years, and
  13. include the development and implementation of a heightened public awareness campaign to communicate the repercussions of smuggling drugs into penitentiaries.
• 9. The Panel recommends that CSC, as a priority, continue to strengthen its security intelligence framework for the collection, analysis and dissemination of information within federal corrections, police services and other criminal justice partners.
• 10. The Panel recommends that a national database of all visitors should be created.
• 11. The Panel recommends that the Canada Labour Code be amended to require an offender to provide a blood sample for testing after an incident that could have placed the staff member's health at risk because of the transmission of bodily fluid.
• 12. The Panel recommends that the current voluntary testing of offenders at entry into the system for infectious diseases be made mandatory.

The Structured Work Day

• 13. The Panel recommends that, in order to allow sufficient time for the integration of work, education and correctional programming, and the introduction of structured leisure time, the length of the regular or active day should be lengthened from eight hours to twelve hours, allowing offenders to be actively engaged in meaningful activities.
• 14. The Panel recommends that recreation be a meaningful use of the offender's time with a direct link to the offender's correctional plan.
• 15. The Panel recommends that CSC pay more attention to the attainment of higher educational levels and development of work skills and training to provide the offender with increased opportunities for employment in the community.

Assessment and Correctional Interventions

• 16. In order to ensure offenders participate and successfully complete programs recommended in their correctional plans, the Panel recommends that CSC:
  1. shorten the period of intake assessment and considers opportunities to start correctional programming (behavioural and motivation-focused) during intake assessment, particularly for offenders with short sentences of four years or less;
  2. shorten the time before offenders start their first program. CSC should look to other correctional jurisdictions who have managed to shorten yet improve intake assessments;
  3. change its program methodology to allow for the introduction of program 'modules' that facilitate offenders starting a program;
  4. introduce a series of meaningful incentives and consequences to encourage offenders to participate in their correctional plans;
  5. undertake a review of programs delivered in penitentiaries and the community in order to determine the right balance between the two;
  6. consider community capacity to deliver programs including:
     1. the delivery of maintenance programs by contracted and trained program deliverers in communities where CSC cannot provide direct interventions,
     2. the use of trained volunteers to provide support to particular offender groups, offenders who require intensive mental health interventions in a halfway house setting;
  7. undertake a review of the competencies (knowledge and skills) required by its staff to better manage the needs of the changing offender profile with respect to program delivery; and
  8. h) consider introducing a multi-disciplinary team approach to reinforce programming results in both the penitentiaries and the community.
• 17. The Panel recommends that, every three years, all programs be evaluated to ensure they meet recognized standards.

Education

• 18. The Panel recommends that CSC review the reasons for the low offender participation rates in its adult basic education programs and identify new methodologies to motivate and support offenders in attaining education certificates prior to or by the end of their conditional release period.
• 19. The Panel also recommends that these educational programs be reviewed and integrated with initiatives that are being undertaken to provide employability and employment skills for offenders.

Research—Fostering an Understanding of Performance

• 20. The Panel recommends that the financial and correctional benefits of CORCAN operating as a Special Operating Agency should be evaluated in order to ensure that it properly reflects CORCAN's role in the new correctional model.
• 21. The Panel recommends that the results of the review be used to reconstruct CORCAN's Business Plan so that it better responds to the job and training needs of the changing offender population over the next five years.
• 22. The Panel recommends that the revised CORCAN Business Plan should also include approaches to working with federal/provincial government departments and agencies, particularly with Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), Service Canada as well as private sector training/counseling facilitators.
• 23. The Panel recommends CORCAN must pay particular attention to:
  1. integrating employability/employment initiatives and correctional and educational programs within a re-structured work day, and
  2. focusing on preparing offenders to be 'skills-ready' (vocational/ apprenticeship) for national and local labour market opportunities.
• 24. The Panel also recommends that the CORCAN support the job and skill needs of offenders on conditional release in the community and that CSC/CORCAN:
  1. identify approaches to strengthen release planning, by 'bridging' the offender to an available job in the community by ensuring the offender's 'job-readiness' status is effectively matched to community support initiatives;
  2. ensure that opportunities for transitional employment for offenders have been identified and linked with responsibilities of community correctional centres and halfway houses, and
  3. ensure that CSC has developed relationships with employers, to provide a seamless transition of pre-screened offenders from the penitentiary to immediate employment.
• 25. The Panel recommends that CSC/CORCAN focus on building formal relationships with employers to expand the employment opportunities for offenders. The Panel recommends the following specific priorities in this area:
  1. CSC redevelop its Aboriginal Employment Strategy focusing on building economic opportunities for Aboriginal community-based enterprises that support concrete employment opportunities for Aboriginal people;
  2. CSC and CORCAN work with a Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council or another similar entity to create a pilot project that creates a preapprenticeship and/or apprenticeship program for offenders that leads directly to employment on release;
  3. the Panel recommends that CSC and CORCAN work with the Saskatchewan Construction Association in establishing apprenticeship opportunities for young Aboriginals and opportunities that could be provided specifically to Aboriginal offenders;
  4. after evaluation of the above noted pilot and building on best practices, forge other such partnerships in other regions; and
  5. CSC re-positions the recommendations identified above with respect to reassessing the National Employment Strategy for Women Offenders.

Women Offenders

• 26. The Panel, overall, endorses the recommendations contained in the report "Moving Forward with Women's Corrections."
• 27. The Panel recommends that a strong functional role for the Senior Deputy Commissioner, Women be maintained.
• 28. The Panel endorses the approach used for women with mental health issues and was impressed by the Structured Living Environment (SLE) and recommends that the model should be considered for adaptation to men's corrections.
• 29. The Panel recognizes the importance of an independent review of the status of Women's Corrections in Canada and recommends that the recommendations of the Glube Report should form the basis of a formal review in five years.

Aboriginal Offenders

• 30. The Panel recommends that employment be the first priority in supporting Aboriginal offenders in returning to the community.
• 31. The Panel recommends that, as the second-largest federal public service employer of Aboriginal people, CSC should:
  1. enhance recruitment, retention and development of Aboriginal staff, particularly in correctional officer, parole officer and management positions in CSC penitentiaries and the community where Aboriginal representation is high;
  2. ensure that Aboriginal staff can demonstrate their knowledge and awareness of the particular challenges facing Aboriginal people on Reserve and in Aboriginal urban communities, and
  3. promote awareness and understanding of Aboriginal life among non- Aboriginal employees, and provide them with the tools and training to work more effectively with Aboriginal people and communities.
• 32. The Panel recommends that CSC make resources available to respond to the specific needs of Aboriginal offenders populations, such as further investment in correctional programming tailored specifically to their needs.
• 33. The Panel recommends that CSC achieve a balance between correctional and healing interventions, and ensure that programming emphasis be placed on managing drug and alcohol problems, managing anger, and using conflict resolution.
• 34. The Panel also recommends that CSC ensure it can measure the results of these programs effectively, so that it can demonstrate to Aboriginal communities that Aboriginal offenders have addressed their problems and can rejoin their communities.
• 35. The Panel recommends that employment be CSC's first priority in supporting Aboriginal offenders' return to their communities. The Panel recognizes the importance of other program interventions to address the behavioural and skills deficits of Aboriginal offenders, but recommends that CSC achieve a better balance in providing these programs.
• 36. The Panel recommends that CSC review its approach to mental health assessments of Aboriginals at intake and ensure effective screening techniques are in place.
• 37. The Panel recommends reviewing the number of Aboriginal Community Development Officers should be increased to work with Aboriginal communities and support local Aboriginal offender employment.
• 38. The Panel recommends that Pathways Units be expanded in CSC penitentiaries to meet the requirements of Aboriginal offenders where warranted, and that these "Pathways Units" have a job-readiness components.
• 39. The Panel recommends that CSC continue to work with Aboriginal communities and First Nations, Métis and Inuit organizations, with the primary objective of securing employment for offenders returning to their communities.
• 40. The Panel recommends that CSC review the organizational structure and functions of its Healing Lodges in order to ensure that it can attract qualified Aboriginal staff.
• 41. The Panel recommends that CSC review its funding structure to ensure it can fully respond to the operational requirements of Healing Lodges.
• 42. The Panel recommends that CSC add job-readiness responsibilities for Healing Lodges in the context of the recommendations on employability and employment.
• 43. The Panel recommends that CSC seek resources to support and expand Aboriginal halfway houses, particularly with respect to support Aboriginal offenders in seeking employment.
• 44. The Panel recommends that CSC continue to advance its collaboration with the territorial authorities in addressing the unique needs of offenders, particularly Inuit offenders, returning to northern communities.

Ethnocultural Offenders

• 45. The Panel recommends that the unique needs of ethnocultural offender populations be considered wherever applicable in the Panel's full slate of recommendations.
• 46. The Panel recommends that CSC continue to work with ethnocultural communities to ensure every means and resource is used to respond better to the needs of an increasingly diversified offender population.

Mental Health

• 47. The Panel recommends that the 'bridge funding' approved by Treasury Board for CSC's Mental Health Strategy be provided permanently to CSC so that they can implement and maintain its mental health initiatives and meet legislative obligations.
• 48. The Panel recommends the delivery of mental health services is identified as a critical factor in the Government's public safety agenda in order to blend CSC initiatives with federal and national initiatives.
• 49. The Panel recommends that Health Canada formally recognize the importance addressing the mental health problems of offenders and strongly encourages the newly established Mental Health Commission to include mentally ill offenders as one of its priorities.
• 50. The Panel therefore recommends that a comprehensive and recognized mental health assessment system be incorporated into the intake assessment process, so that a treatment strategy that is fully integrated with programming can be developed.
• 51. The Panel recommends increasing the use of contracted and volunteer service providers and the resources required to support their work in assisting offenders under conditional release in the community.
• 52. The Panel strongly supports the concept of the Structured Living Environment (SLE) for women offenders and recommends extending this approach to the treatment of men offenders.
• 53. The Panel recommends that particular attention should be given to the impact of the effects of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), particularly for Aboriginal offenders.
• 54. The Panel recommends that, because of the variety of 'models' that have been implemented by each of CSC's regions, CSC should conduct a review of its Regional Psychiatric and Treatment Facilities to ensure the most effective and accredited structures and approaches are in place to meet regional needs for the treatment of acute mental health and special needs cases.
• 55. The Panel recommends that the Review consider the overriding management principle that treatment and operational requirements should take place in the context of a "penitentiary within a hospital setting rather than a hospital within a penitentiary setting" so that a strategy and business case supporting the development of these facilities over the next five years can be developed.
• 56. The Panel recommends that CSC consult with other correctional jurisdictions on their 'best practices' related to the assessment and treatment of offenders in mental health treatment centres.
• 57. The Panel recommends that CSC work with federal, provincial and territorial correctional and health officials to identify ways to introduce and/or expand exchange of service agreements to provide mental health support in communities to both federal and provincial offenders after the end of their sentences.
• 58. The Panel recommends that CSC be provided with the funding to keep its professional mental health staff current with new developments in assessment and treatment, and provide for the training of correctional staff to effectively interact with and supervise offenders with mental health problems.

Transition to the Community

Comprehensive Community Reintegration Planning

• 59. The Panel recommends that community reintegration planning, for offenders serving a fixed sentence, start at admission to ensure that focus is placed on programming, education, employment, and mental health treatment.

Earned Parole

• 60. The Panel recommends that the CCRA be amended to replace statutory release and accelerated parole review with earned parole.
• 61. The Panel recommends that the CCRA be amended to reflect that the protection of society is the paramount consideration in the determination of conditional release (CCRA. S. 101(a)) and that (d) the National Parole Board makes the determination consistent with the offender's correctional plan and an individual risks/needs assessment, consistent with the protection of society.
• 62. The Panel recommends that a full review of the conditional release process should be undertaken in order to effectively link day parole and full parole with the objectives of the earned parole approach and the principles of gradual release. The review should also focus on the impact of releasing directly from penitentiaries offenders who reach their warrant expiry dates, when they are no longer under the supervision of CSC.
• 63. The Panel recommends that a review be conducted on how community-based interventions should be retooled to meet changing requirements for supervision and service delivery, (i.e., employment).
• 64. The Panel recommends that the NPB shall review cases annually each year after parole eligibility dates have passed.
• 65. CSC should notify local Crown Prosecutors about offenders in custody who have been denied parole and will be detained to warrant expiry for non-compliance with their correctional plan, to allow for consideration of issuing a Section 810 application at the time of warrant expiry.

Outside the Walls

• 66. The Panel recommends that a more comprehensive community release plan be developed that
  1. measures the achievements attained by the offender against the requirements identified in the penitentiary correctional plan, as the basis for the development of a community correctional plan;
  2. clearly links conditional release conditions, imposed by NPB, with accommodation, supervision and programming interventions and employment initiatives;
  3. details the responsibilities and accountabilities of the offender to achieve reintegration objectives; and
  4. sets terms and conditions for formal reviews of progress to the end of the offender's sentence.
• 67. The Panel recommends a full review of the capacity and capability of community residential facilities; in particular the current lack of community accommodation alternatives available for women offenders, as well as CCRA S. 81/84 agreements with Aboriginal communities.
• 68. The Panel recommends that additional attention should be given to
  1. strengthening CSC's guidelines to include more extensive community consultation when selecting locations of both community correctional facilities and parole offices; and
  2. ensuring requests to Public Works for site acquisition include full consideration of amendments to municipal bylaws that provide for 'no go zones' that will protect potential vulnerable communities or areas.
• 69. The Panel recommends that current community case management processes be reviewed to identify how a better balance can be achieved among the many responsibilities of community parole officers, in particular, to identify process efficiencies and ensure that the benefits of dynamic supervision are maintained.
• 70. The Panel recommends that CSC review its community program base and the resources required to support the implementation of maintenance programming. Particular attention should be given to the development and availability of community programs for women and Aboriginal offenders.
• 71. The Panel recommends that CSC update the Community Strategy for Women and enhance transition services in the areas of supervision, accommodation and intervention, including the consideration of initiatives supporting employment and employability for women on conditional release.
• 72. The Panel recommends that CSC include a rationale for the community correctional liaison officers in the business case that it prepares on the management of security intelligence.
• 73. The Panel is particularly concerned about safety and security in the community and recommends that
  1. where supervision strategies warrant a home visit and the profile of the offender creates a cause for concern, either a second parole officer or a police officer be tasked to accompany the parole officer and that such a decision be taken with the parole officer's supervisor with the critical factor for decision being the safety of the parole officer;
  2. an evaluation of the results of the CSC pilot project on electronic monitoring consider amendments to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to expressly permit the use of electronic monitoring as a condition of release, and expand the scope and term of the Canadian Criminal Code Section 810 orders that specifically authorize electronic monitoring and residency restrictions; and
  3. consideration be given to amending section 137 of the CCRA to allow police services to arrest without warrant under conditions similar to those that now exist in Section 495 (2) of the Canadian Criminal Code.
• 74. The Panel recommends that CSC consider in its business case supporting the enhancement of its security intelligence initiatives the creation of community security intelligence officers and the strengthening of community correctional liaison officers to enhance the sharing of information among CSC and its partners in the criminal justice system at the municipal, provincial and national levels.
• 75. The Panel recommends that CSC complete its review of the use of electronic monitoring and consider initiatives that have been undertaken in other correctional jurisdictions to determine what 'best practices' could be tailored to CSC requirements. Results should be incorporated into policy proposals outlining advantages and disadvantages and resource impacts and recommending future options for this technology.
• 76. The Panel recommends that CSC continue to invest in and enhance the capacity and involvement of its community partners to provide support services and assistance to offenders as active community involvement is the key to maintaining community safety.
• 77. The Panel recommends that CSC enhances its programs of public education programs in the community and becomes more proactive and purposeful in communicating with Canadians or community capacity may slowly erode.
• 78. The Panel recommends that the judicial system to make greater use of Section 743.6 of the Canadian Criminal Code and, in the cases where offenders on conditional release reoffend, that this section of the Code be used aggressively and that subsequent sentences be ordered to be served consecutively not concurrently.
• 79. The Panel recommends that in the case of repeated reoffending by offenders, consideration be given to amending the Canadian Criminal Code to further elongate the period prior to parole eligibility.

Recognizing the Role of Victims—Providing Victim Services

• 80. The Panel recommends that CSC continue ongoing consultation with victims and victim communities and supports the creation of a Victims Advisory Committee, as well as continuing to collaborate with federal partners.
• 81. The Panel recommends that a strategy be developed, in conjunction with the Aboriginal Policy Branch, Public Safety, the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, and Aboriginal organizations, to reach out to Aboriginal victims to ensure their information needs are identified and addressed.
• 82. The Panel recommends that CSC ensures that it continuously reviews the progress being made with victim's services to ensure full implementation is achieved in a timely manner.
• 83. The Panel recommends that the Corrections and Conditional Release Act be amended to share information with registered victims on the progress of offenders in addressing their correctional plan and the incidents of penitentiary discipline on an annual basis at a minimum.
• 84. The Panel recommends that CSC's operational policy, in the context of Section 27 (3)(a) of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, and as applied to victims of crime, be reviewed to ensure that victims are aware of these provisions, that procedures are in place to determine potential risk, and that these provisions are being applied as and when appropriate.
• 85. The Panel recommends that, given the creation of the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, the provision of services to victims be reviewed holistically to ensure that resources are maximized and possible duplication of services avoided and gaps in service eliminated.
• 86. The Panel recommends that CSC heighten the awareness of available victim services by working with its provincial and territorial counterparts, i.e., Crown Attorneys, in order to allow for an improved exchange of information about victim services.

Human Resource Management—Responding to Change and Need

• 87. CSC must focus on being a knowledge-based organization through the development and training of all staff to meet the unique skill requirements of their jobs and the management requirements associated with the risk and needs of a changing offender population. This should occur in the context of Public Service Renewal and in accordance with industry standards.
• 88. The Panel recommends that particular emphasis, be placed on horizontal career development, by allowing, through flexible classification and staffing processes (in accordance with the Public Service Modernization Act), the deployment of professional staff between and among penitentiaries, the community and regional and national offices. The goal should be to provide strong, effective and consistent leadership that focuses on resolving issues at the lowest level of management.
• 89. The Panel recommends that CSC review its current strategies for recruitment and retention of all staff, while focusing on ensuring
  1. appropriate cultural representation, particularly representation of Aboriginal People, including Elders, Aboriginal Liaison Officers in penitentiaries and the community, and staff in women's penitentiaries, in the context of the recommendations of Glube;
  2. professionals to support mental health delivery programs and treatment in CSC penitentiaries, regional mental health facilities (including dedicated correctional officers) and the community;
  3. the creation of an integrated security intelligence function; and
  4. program and case management staff that can effectively respond to operational requirements posed by the introduction of 'earned parole'; staff to respond to the development of an enhanced and integrated employability/ employment model.
• 90. The Panel recommends that CSC review the operational requirements associated with the management of proposed structured populations and consider approaches to build inter-disciplinary teams—correctional officers, parole officers, mental health professionals, program and employment specialists, inter-faith staff—to maximize the participation of offenders in their correctional plans and prepare them for gradual transition to an offence-free reintegration in the community.
• 91. The Panel recommends that CSC have the appropriate level of funding to ensure its human resource function can provide timely and effective services to the organization, particularly at the penitentiary levels.
• 92. The Panel supports the collaborative approach and the requirement for adequate resources to support initiatives that are being taken by CSC management and the Unions to resolve frontline issues, consistent with the Public Service Modernization Act and the Public Service Labour Relations Act.
• 93. The Panel recommends that CSC consider a governance structure that 'flattens' the management structure in order to create more integrated functional support structures, nationally, strengthen decision-making at the frontline, and respond to the full set of recommendations proposed by the Panel.
• 94. The Panel recommends that CSC ensures a quality assurance process is in place to monitor compliance with CSC policies.

Accountability—Measuring Performance

• 95. The Panel recommends that federal and provincial partners in the criminal justice system work together to develop a comprehensive integrated reporting system that effectively measures reoffending by offenders and clearly communicates this information to Canadians.
• 96. CSC should strengthen its performance measures and look to other correctional jurisdictions to improve its capability to develop 'targets for results'.
• 97. The Panel recommends that CSC strengthen its performance measurement in the areas of offender employability and the elimination of drugs from penitentiaries.

Physical Infrastructure—Yesterday's Infrastructure Does not Meet Today's Needs

• 98. The Panel recommends that CSC pursue undertaking capital and operating investments in a new type of regional, penitentiary complex that responds to the cost-efficiency and operational-effectiveness deficits of its current physical infrastructure.
• 99. The Panel recommends that CSC develop a 'project development proposal' for consideration which takes into account the recommendations of Deloitte's October 4, 2007 Independent Review of the cost estimate for the construction and operation of a new corrections facility which was commissioned by the Panel.
• 100. The Panel recommends that in the interim, CSC institute clear criteria to minimize authorization of retrofit projects.

Financial Management

• 101. The Panel recommends that any review of changes to CSC's physical infrastructure consider the impact of building new correctional facilities in different regional locales or correctional complexes, financing these new capital expenses in a new way, and decommissioning facilities that have long served their usefulness.
• 102. The Panel suggests that CSC look at other correctional jurisdictions to determine the operational and related cost-effective benefits of building new correctional facilities in different regional locales or correctional complexes.
• 103. The Panel recommends that CSC review standards used in the purchase of outside medical services in each of its regions.
• 104. The Panel recommends that the government take into consideration the importance of ensuring that both federal and national initiatives related to health care reflect the responsibilities and accountabilities of CSC. The Panel suggests that the Government examine how health care costs are funded for federal offenders and either consider providing a direct allocation out of Health Canada, or continue consideration of these core costs in the determination of CSC budgetary allocations.
• 105. The Panel recommends that the two-year bridge funding provided by Treasury Board to CSC for the period of 2007–09 be extended as part of CSC's normal operating allocations.

Other Considerations

Frivolous and Vexatious Grievances by Offenders

• 106. The Panel recommends that CSC clearly establish criteria to define offender grievances that are considered frivolous and vexatious and review its Offender Redress System to ensure that procedures are introduced at the 'first level' of the grievance process to address these grievances in the context of CSC policy.

Initial Placement of Offenders Convicted of First and Second Degree Murder

• 107. The Panel recommends that consideration be given to amend the CCRA to clearly define the initial security level and duration of placement of offenders convicted of first and second degree murder and the reasons for placement.
• 108. Offenders convicted of first and second degree murder should be managed differently from offenders with short sentences. In light of the impacts of the amendment, CSC should use the results of intake assessment and the offender's correctional plan to manage the offender's sentence in a comprehensive manner until subsequent decision points related to the reassessment of the progress the offender has made in following the correctional plan.

Collection of DNA Samples

• 109. The Panel recommends that, as part of its contribution to ongoing and effective criminal investigations, that CSC be supportive of any action that considers taking DNA samples from federal offenders in CSC penitentiaries, especially from sexual and dangerous offenders.

Date modified:

2015-12-02