Structured Intervention Units
Date: March 12, 2021
Classification: Unclassified
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch / Agency: CSC
Proposed Response:
- Structured Intervention Units are part of a historic transformation of the federal correctional system that saw the abolition of administrative segregation.
- The Correctional Service of Canada is strongly committed to the successful implementation of this new model and takes 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 to others. It is for these offenders that SIUs were created.
- Structured Intervention Units are not about punishment or causing harm. They are a temporary measure to help inmates and providing 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 IEDMs 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.
- They 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 (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 (CSC), 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.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Stephan Dietz, Officer, Parliamentary Relation, 613-355-1125
Approved by: Kirstan Gagnon, Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Engagement, 613-995-6867
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