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OFFICE OF THE CORRECTIONAL INVESTIGATOR DEPARTMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORT
For the period ending March 31, 2003
Wayne Easter Solicitor General of Canada
Section I: Message
1.1 Correctional Investigator's Message
Section II: Agency Performance
2.1 Mandate
2.2 Mission Statement
2.3 Business Line and Resources
2.4 Organizational Chart
2.5 Societal and Operational
Contexts
2.6 OCI Logic Model
2.7 Implementation of the OCI Corporate
Strategic Plan
2.8 Performance Accomplishments
Annex A: Financial Performance Overview
Financial Table 1
Financial Table 2
Financial Table 3
Annex B: Other Information
i) Contacts for further Information
ii) Agency Website
iii) Agency E-Mail Address
iv) Legislation and Associated Regulations
Administered
v) Statutory Annual Reports and Other Agency
Reports
Section I: Message
1.1
Correctional Investigator’s Message
I am mandated as an Ombudsman for Federal Corrections. I firmly
believe that the responsible oversight of correctional operations is
a service that Canadians value greatly. The strategic outcome that
they legitimately expect is that their correctional system will be
fair, equitable, humane, reasonable and effective. It is our focus
in all that we do, to ensure that this happens is indeed our "raison
d'être".
This past year has been an exceptionally productive and
challenging one for the Office of the Correctional Investigator
(OCI). We have now achieved full implementation of the Corporate
Strategic Plan we had adopted in January 2002. This achievement
reflects the OCI's steadfast adherence to the new management
framework "Results for Canadians". It is also consistent with the
OCI's long-standing commitment to excellence in service delivery,
professional and ethical corporate behavior, reliable and meaningful
reporting and responsible spending.
Implementing the Plan has significantly transformed all aspects
of our operations. It has improved the quality and the value of the
services we provide to Canadians, notably to Aboriginal Offenders
and Federally Sentenced Women. We remain concerned with the high
number of issues brought to our attention by or on behalf of the
offender population, and will continue to favor a pro-active,
holistic and systemic approach.
In the months ahead, the Office will continue to explore new
strategic directions, actively seeking to assist in improving the
correctional treatment afforded Young Offenders and Elderly
Offenders. We confidently expect that we will further ameliorate our
performance vis-à-vis our strategic outcome, achieving the results
Canadians deserve and rightfully expect.
Canadians increasingly recognize that the communities in which
they live are ultimately safer and better protected when offender
concerns are addressed fairly, humanely and responsibly. In the role
of Ombudsman, the Office fully intends to contribute in assuring
Canadians that this is indeed what happens in our federal
correctional system.
R.L. Stewart Correctional Investigator
Section II: Agency Performance
2.1
Mandate
The Office of the Correctional Investigator was established in
1973 pursuant to Part II of the Inquiries Act. With the proclamation
in November 1992 of Part III of the Corrections and Conditional
Release Act, this is now the enabling legislation. The mandate
of the Correctional Investigator, as defined by this legislation, is
to function as an Ombudsman for federal offenders. The Correctional
Investigator is independent of the Correctional Service of Canada
and may initiate an investigation on receipt of a complaint by or on
behalf of an offender, at the request of the Minister or on his own
initiative. The Correctional Investigator is required by legislation
to report annually through the Solicitor General to both Houses of
Parliament.
2.2 Mission
Statement
The Office of the Correctional Investigator is committed to
maintaining an accessible independent avenue of redress for offender
complaints and to provide timely recommendations to the Commissioner
of the Correctional Service of Canada and the Solicitor General
which address the areas of concern raised on complaint.
2.3 Business
Line and Resources
The Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) has one
Business Line which, as detailed in Section 167 of the
Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA), is to
conduct investigations into the problems of offenders related to
decisions, recommendations, acts or omissions of the Commissioner of
Corrections or any person under the control and management of, or
performing service for or on behalf of the Commissioner of
Corrections that affects offenders either individually or as a
group.
Section 19 of the CCRA also implicitly requires that it reviews
all investigations performed by the Correctional Service of Canada
following the death or serious bodily injury to an inmate. The OCI
is also engaged in similar monitoring of interventions by
Institutional Emergency Response Teams (IERT's), in keeping with the
recommendations of the Arbour Commission.
The Office of the Correctional Investigator is headed by the
Correctional Investigator who reports to Parliament through the
Solicitor General. The Agency's resources provide for 27 full-time
equivalents, 12 of which make up the investigative staff. The total
resources are $3,193,000 for the fiscal year 2002-2003
2.4
Organization Chart
Represented below is the OCI’s Organization Chart, as envisioned
in the Corporate Strategic Plan it formally adopted on January 15,
2002.
As will be explained in greater detail below, the OCI has, over
the present reporting period, recruited and retained a full
complement of employees in all its indeterminate positions. The
stability of the OCI workforce has been a critical element for
success, not only in the full and timely implementation of the
strategic plan, but in further improving the level and quality of
services offered by the OCI to Canadians.
EXHIBIT 1 - OCI Organization Chart
![Exhibit 1 - OCI Organization Chart](/web/20061025194728im_/http://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/images/reports/DPR2003_exhibit1_e.gif)
2.5 Societal
and Operational Contexts
The maintaining of an independent and objective review process
within a correctional environment where the office has virtually no
control over either the number of complaints or the extent of
investigations required presents a number of unique challenges.
First, the resolution of disputes in an environment traditionally
closed to public scrutiny with an understandably high level of
mistrust between correctional officials and inmates, requires that
the Office not only be, but be seen to be independent of both the
Correctional Service and the Ministry. Second, given that the
authority of the Office rests with its power of persuasion and
public reporting rather than enforceable recommendations, it is
imperative that appropriate administrative and political mechanisms
be available to ensure that reasonable, fair, timely, equitable and
humane action is taken on the findings made by the OCI.
In recent years, changes to the regulatory and legislative
environment have forced the OCI to dramatically expand its services.
The Arbour Commission of Inquiry (1996) noted that the statutory
mandate of the OCI should continue to be supported and facilitated
because only the OCI is in the "unique position both to assist in
the resolution of individual problems, and to comment publicly on
the systemic shortcomings of the Services."
In 1997, the Auditor General noted that one of the factors
creating difficulty at that time, was the overall size of the
workload. Indeed since that time the OCI has implemented the
recommendations of the Auditor General to address those workload
issues, including working with the Correctional Service to improve
the inmate grievance procedure and to provide an improved policy and
procedure manual to investigators. The Auditor General noted as
well, however, that the demand for services remains elevated,
incessant and that both the overall volume and complexity of issues
continues to increase.
In October 1999, the Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Correctional Service. The intent of this agreement is to
assist both agencies in addressing areas of offender concern in an
objective, thorough and timely fashion. Accordingly, the quality and
timeliness of actions taken by the Correctional Service in response
to the Office's findings and recommendations will remain of
paramount importance.
In 2000, the Sub-committee on the Corrections and Conditional
Release Act of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human
Rights, recommended that the budget of the OCI be "increased in
order to expand the number of investigators and (to) cover directly
related expenses such as office equipment, communications and travel
required to conduct investigations".
In addition, the Office met again throughout the year with
various national and international associations, actively involved
in the fields of corrections and criminal justice, either on an
individual basis or at conferences, to review areas of mutual
concern. These linkages highlight the value placed by the Office on
a collaborative approach to the betterment of corrections consistent
with the expectations of Canadians.
The OCI does not foresee any diminution or decline in either the
overall demand for services or in the complexity of the issues the
OCI is called upon to address. The environment in which the OCI is
called upon to provide "Results for Canadians" continues to be
extremely challenging and one in which innovative and dedicated
service provision is essential to moving ahead.
To respond to these pressures, the OCI identified the following
three priority activities in the Corporate Strategic Plan it adopted
in January 1992. These are:
- Increase the capacity for institutional visits to a level that
is acceptable to the detained population and the Canadian people.
- Create specialist positions to address issues of Federally
Sentenced Women and Aboriginal Offenders.
- Increase the ability to review and follow-up on both
investigations as per Section 19 of the Corrections and
Conditional Release Act and Use of Force Videotapes, as per
the recommendations of the Arbour Commission.
Currently still at the exploratory stage and dependent on the
availability of additional resources are two other priority
activities:
- Offer specialized services to Young Offenders housed in
federal penitentiaries.
- Offer specialized services to Older Offenders (presently + or
- 16% of the federal inmate population and growing).
An overview of the progress made in the implementation of these
priorities, inclusive of activities and outcomes, is presented below
in Sections 2.7 and 2.8. Further information is also found in this
year's Annual Report, which will be posted on our website (www.oci-bec.gc.ca), as soon as
it is tabled in Parliament.
2.6 OCI Logic
Model
The Logic Model presented below sets out just how the OCI views
how it delivers the services necessary to support its mandate and
deliver on its commitment to the strategic outcome of responsible,
humane, fair and effective corrections.
The logic model identifies the linkages between the activities of
the OCI program and the achievement of its outcomes. It clarifies
the activities that make up its program and the sequence of outcomes
expected to result from these activities.
EXHIBIT 2 - OCI Logic Model
Of legitimate concern to elected officials and Canadians is how
the OCI has allocated resources. Set out below are the spending
profiles, consistent with the major activities identified in the OCI
Logic Model (Exhibit 2 above).
The core business of the OCI is responding to inmate complaints
arising from incarceration and anticipating and addressing more
systemic issues that arise periodically (e.g. Aboriginal, Federally
Sentenced Women, Section 19 and Use of Force). These two activities
comprise the core services provided by the OCI and this is
recognized in the spending profile below.
In 2001-2002, arising out of the Arbour Report, the
recommendations of the Auditor General and the recommendations from
the Parliamentary Committee review of the Corrections and
Conditional Release Act, additional resources were identified
to be targeted in response to the systemic issues mentioned above
and to relieve against a steadily increasing overall demand for
inmate complaint resolution services. This is also reflected in the
spending profile below:
Exhibit 3 Spending
Profile by Activity for fiscal years
2000-2001 to 2002-2003
Individual Inmate Complaint Resolution
(i.e. visits, correspondence)
|
2000-2001 Total
Authorities |
2001-2002 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Actual
Spending |
Salary |
682 |
778 |
800 |
800 |
O&M |
300 |
520 |
560 |
560 |
Total |
982 |
1,298 |
1,360 |
1,360 |
OCI Systemic Issues (e.g.
Administrative Segregation, Double Bunking)
|
2000-2001 Total
Authorities |
2001-2002 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Actual
Spending |
Salary |
125 |
175 |
240 |
|
O&M |
40 |
40 |
80 |
80 |
Total |
165 |
215 |
320 |
320 |
Mandated Issues (Section 19, CCRA
Compliance, Use of Force)
|
2000-2001 Total
Authorities |
2001-2002 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Actual
Spending |
Salary |
140 |
200 |
290 |
|
O&M |
20 |
40 |
47 |
47 |
Total |
160 |
240 |
337 |
337 |
Corporate Services (e.g. Executive
Director, Correctional Investigator)
|
2000-2001 Total
Authorities |
2001-2002 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Actual
Spending |
Salary |
375 |
375 |
375 |
375 |
O&M |
93 |
232 |
120 |
120 |
Total |
468 |
607 |
495 |
495 |
Specific Policy Leadership
(Aboriginal, Federally Sentenced Women)
|
2000-2001 Total
Authorities |
2001-2002 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Actual
Spending |
Salary |
145 |
250 |
240 |
175 |
O&M |
27 |
47 |
97 |
45 |
Total |
172 |
297 |
337 |
|
|
2000-2001 Total
Authorities |
2001-2002 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Total
Authorities |
2002-2003 Actual
Spending |
Total Salary |
1,467 |
1,778 |
1,945 |
1,880 |
Employee Benefits |
195 |
223 |
344 |
344 |
Total O&M |
480 |
879 |
904 |
852 |
Grand Total |
2,142 |
2,880 |
3,193 |
3,076 |
2.7
Implementation of the OCI Corporate Strategic Plan
Foreword
The Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) has now fully
implemented the Corporate Strategic Plan it formally adopted in
January 2002. As explained below, the implementation process has
resulted in significant change to all aspects of our operations and
enhanced the value and the quality of the results provided by the
OCI to Canadians. In that spirit, the OCI has also continued to
explore new strategic directions.
Strategic Direction I - Modern Human Resource
Practices
The focus therein on the overall improvement of OCI's approach to
Human Resources (HR), through the implementation of modern human
resources practices. The ultimate goal is essentially to ensure that
the OCI recruits, retains and generally manages its workforce so
that it provides services of optimal quality and value to Canadians.
The implementation of the HR-related action commitments in its
strategic plan has yielded the following benefits in that regard:
In March 2002, a new Corporate Services management position, that
of Coordinator of Corporate Services and Planning, was staffed. The
incumbent has assumed the coordination of all HR-related activities
from the Directors of Investigations. This reconfiguration of roles
and responsibilities has led to a more streamlined HR management
process and allowed the Directors of Investigations to concentrate
their efforts on the investigative process.
While it experienced slightly longer than expected delays in the
staffing process, the OCI now has a full complement of employees in
all its indeterminate positions. The stability of the OCI workforce
has been a critical element for success not only in the full and
timely implementation of the strategic plan, but in further
improving the level and quality of services offered by the OCI to
Canadians.
Simultaneously, with the formal adoption of its strategic plan in
January 2002, the OCI established Management and Policy Committees.
Both these committees have proven to be most effective in addressing
in a structured fashion on-going and emerging issues in all
operational areas covered in the five strategic directions outlined
in the Plan, including Human Resources.
In order to ensure that its staff has timely access to the right
information when it intervenes for or on behalf of Canadians, the
OCI has adopted an Internal Communications Plan. Fifteen (15) new
formal position papers on key systemic issues have been developed.
These, along with both the agendas and minutes of the OCI's
Management and Policy Committee meetings, can now be accessed by all
OCI employees, within electronic information banks which have been
restructured for greater user friendliness.
The OCI has also developed and implemented an External
Communications Plan. Media were successfully assisted in providing
broader reporting to Canadians, about the OCI's performance and
recommendations, notably through enhanced coverage of its Annual
Report.
Also achieved are improved and more frequent communications with
the OCI's government and non-government stakeholders and this, in
large part, due to the OCI's staffing of several key management
positions; notably those of Coordinator of Federally Sentenced Women
(FSW) Issues and Coordinator of Aboriginal Issues. The Correctional
Service of Canada (CSC)'s staffing of its positions of Director
General Aboriginal Affairs and Director General Women has also
proven to be helpful. These positions are key contact points for our
Coordinators and as such, greatly facilitate OCI-CSC communications
in these complex and sensitive areas.
Aware of the impact of the departure of critical personnel on the
operational effectiveness of a small agency, the OCI has developed
and implemented a succession plan.
The OCI has also instituted a formal employee performance review
system. OCI managers have now held pre-appraisal meetings with their
respective employees. Formal performance appraisal has and will
continue to take place, as per the schedule established in
accordance with OCI policy. Individual career plans and job specific
training are then afforded considerable attention.
In order to better meet the needs of the increasingly diverse
Canadian population, all OCI staff have now received basic equity
training in a workshop facilitated by S. Neiman and Associates, a
well-established consulting firm which offers specialized courses in
human rights issues and legislation.
Directly related to its stated aim of recruiting and retaining
the best employees, the OCI has developed a formal plan to enhance
its recruitment and retention practices. It has reviewed and renewed
its staffing and selection process including the use of selection
boards and formal criteria for candidates. It has also developed and
implemented a formal orientation plan, so that new employees can
more quickly integrate its operations and by extension, to begin
providing valuable services to Canadians.
Finally, the OCI has very recently held its first formal employee
satisfaction survey. Among its key findings was the need to revisit
the issue of professional development. An action plan was approved
by the OCI Management Committee. It calls for the broad consultation
of OCI staff, the adoption and subsequent implementation of a
revised Employee Training Plan.
Strategic Direction 2 - Renewal of Internal Business
Processes
The focus therein was the re-engineering of the tools, methods
and internal practices that constituted the OCI's service delivery
model. The ultimate goal pursued and now largely achieved was to
optimize the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of the said
model, to ensure that the OCI is able to more easily anticipate and
respond more adequately to any and all changes in demand for its
services.
As mentioned above, the adoption of the Corporate Strategic Plan
in January 2002, led to the creation of the OCI Management and
Policy Committees. In view of the relatively small size of our
Agency, these Committees were then viewed and have since proven to
be the best vehicles to manage and foster acceptance and support for
change within the OCI.
The OCI has re-designed the front-end of its Contacts Tracking
System (CTS), after a review of its information and reporting needs.
The new version was extensively field-tested and after further
modification, became operational on 29 November 2002. Comments
received since then from CTS users confirm that the new version of
the software has considerably streamlined the data entry process.
In May 2002, the OCI developed an Integrated Planning Framework,
relating priorities, service level metrics and resources to logic
model. Implementation of the Planning Framework, which occurred on 1
December 2002, required staff training and modifications to our
information system DATIS, to allow for the gathering and reporting
of data related to OCI's performance indicators.
Critical on the path to implementation was a strategic planning
retreat held in November 2002, where a consensus was reached on the
annual investigative priority planning cycle, the top five issues
and the methods, strategies and resourcing contemplated for each
regionally and nationally and the OCI's approach to performance
measurement and corporate accountability.
Noteworthy for our reader is that this priority setting was not
designed to be a static process, but a dynamic one, defined and
governed by the annual investigative priority planning cycle.
Accordingly, priorities that were initially identified have already
changed and are likely to change again, as a result of the formal
and comprehensive review held on a quarterly basis.
As mentioned above, the OCI has established Management and Policy
Committees to address ongoing and as they arise, new issues related
to all operational areas encompassed in the five strategic
directions of the Plan, including internal business processes. The
timely sharing of both the agendas and minutes of these committees
with OCI staff has resulted in better internal management through
openness and accountability.
In order to ensure that staff have all the right information at
the right time, the OCI has significantly modified and improved its
Contact Tracking System (CTS), notably as previously mentioned in
the streamlining of the data entry process but also in terms of its
capacity to generate management information. On November 1, 2002,
the OCI integrated CTS and its other electronic information holdings
in one system - the Data Access and Tracking Information System
(DATIS). All OCI staff received training on DATIS on 15 November
2002 and the new system became operational on 29 November 2002. The
comprehensive nature of the information instantly accessible to the
investigative staff through DATIS has since proven to be a
significant factor in improving the quality and timeliness of the
services provided by the OCI to Canadians.
The OCI has also developed and implemented, after extensive field
testing, a Balanced Institutional Scorecard - an evaluation tool to
gauge and compare the performance of all institutions on specific
systemic issues (areas of concern). The Balanced Scorecard has
proven its value in terms of yielding vital information for
reporting and planning purposes.
Further efforts have also been undertaken in other administrative
areas. The OCI Support Staff following extensive training have now
fully assumed the role of Intake Officers, fielding calls for basic
information or referrals and thus allowing the investigative staff
to focus on the more complex cases. The OCI has also re-engineered
its mail systems; integrating its National Correspondence Tracking
and Bring Forward System in DATIS. Finally, the OCI has now
finalized its new Policy and Procedures Manual.
Strategic Direction 3 - Enhanced
Accountability
Stemming from the identified need for the OCI to adopt an
integrated approach towards planning and management of operations,
the focus was on accountability in this regard, at the corporate
level, and on an individual basis, of all OCI staff. The ultimate
goal pursued and to a large extent now achieved was the promotion by
timely information sharing and various other means, of individual
and collective responsibility for the OCI's overall performance.
As mentioned above, the agenda and minutes of both Management and
Policy Committee meetings are shared on a timely basis with all OCI
staff. Moreover, Directors of Investigations hold monthly meetings
with the investigative staff, at which systemic and
performance-related issues are thoroughly discussed and debated.
Externally, the OCI has also significantly increased the
frequency and quality of its discussions on systemic and performance
related issues with its government and non-government stakeholders.
Greatly facilitating this improved dialogue has been the staffing by
both the OCI and the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) of key
management positions, notably with regards to Aboriginal Affairs and
Federally Sentenced Women.
Also of great benefit to the OCI has been the implementation of
the Integrated Planning Framework and the Institutional Balanced
Scorecard. It now has greater ability to gather, at both the
institutional and inmate specific levels, all the
performance-related information it requires not only to focus its
interventions, but also to support the recommendations it makes on
behalf of Canadians to improve the federal correctional system.
Indicative of the importance placed on the timely access to the
right information is that all performance appraisals completed so
far, at both the Director and Investigator level, contain explicit
observations relating to the use of OCI specific and CSC electronic
information holdings. Moreover, the inclusion of appropriate use of
the latter, both as an objective and subject of observations in the
subsequent performance appraisal, has now been fully integrated and
standardized within the OCI's HR management policies and procedures.
In its revised Corporate Strategic Plan, the OCI has begun to
chart the course for two new strategic directions, Young Offenders
and Elderly Offenders. The first steps have already been taken in
identifying these strategic directions as "areas of concern" within
its investigative process. Future progress will be largely dependent
on the availability of additional resources.
Finally, the OCI has also instituted a three-year planning cycle.
Accordingly, it will now engage in projecting, mostly in the form of
performance targets in its areas of concern and specialized
services, its operations for a further two planning years beyond its
annual investigative priorities setting exercise.
Strategic Direction 4 - Realignment of Service
Delivery Model
The focus therein was on the re-engineering of the OCI's
organizational structure, in alignment with its new logic model. The
ultimate goal pursued and now achieved was to ensure that OCI
applies the right resources at the right time to its priority demand
areas.
As in the other strategic directions outlined in the Plan, it is
the OCI Management Committee which addresses on-going issues and as
they arise, new issues related to the realignment of the Service
Delivery Model.
At this point in time, the OCI has finalized and implemented the
reclassification of all permanent positions in alignment with its
logic model. It has also redefined Roles and Responsibilities and
this, in a fashion consistent with the latter.
Relieved of routine investigative duties in October 2002, the
Coordinator of Aboriginal Issues became able to fully assume his
portfolio. Accordingly, the OCI's ability to offer specialized
services to the Aboriginal Offender population, at an appropriate
level, has significantly improved.
The OCI's Coordinator of Aboriginal Issues is now a member of a
special advisory committee on Aboriginal Affairs, on which are also
represented all national Aboriginal organizations. He has also held
individual meetings with various non-governmental organizations
involved in Aboriginal Issues, such as the Assembly of First Nations
(AFN), Pauktuutit (Inuit Women's Association) and the Inuit Tairiit
Kanatami.
On a more operational level and consistent with the OCI's Logic
Model, the Coordinator of Aboriginal Issues has initiated an
on-going schedule of meetings with CSC Managers involved in
Aboriginal corrections, at the institutional (local), regional and
national levels. These meetings have already yielded a number of
action commitments on the part of the Correctional Service of Canada
(CSC). As examples, let us mention the undertaking to improve the
services offered to the Aboriginal offender population in the
Ontario and Quebec regions. Also noteworthy is the Service's
commitment to proceed with the formal accreditation of the TUPIQ
program for Inuit offenders. Finally, the national and regional
levels of CSC have undertaken to further improve their
communications/coordination of effort in the services and programs
they respectively provide to the Aboriginal Offender population.
In October 2002, the OCI staffed the position of Coordinator of
Federally Sentenced Women (FSW) Issues. Accordingly, the OCI's
ability to provide specialized services to FSW has significantly
improved.
The Coordinator of FSW Issues has since participated in numerous
meetings throughout Canada with government and non-government
organizations involved with women offenders. As an example, let us
mention the OCI's consultations with both the Canadian Association
of Elizabeth Fry Societies and the Canadian Human Rights Commission
with regard to a major review by the latter on the treatment of
women serving federal terms of incarceration.
On a more operational level and consistent with the OCI's Logic
Model, the Coordinator has allowed our agency to better focus its
efforts vis-à-vis the female offender population and increase its
consistency in addressing the concerns raised by this population.
Finally, the OCI has now reduced the backlog of Use of Force and
Section 19 investigation files to manageable proportions.
Achievement of this goal was significantly hampered by a very large
and steady volume of cases, notably with regard to Use of Force.
Helpful has been the adoption of new screening criteria, the
establishment of a process with CSC to ensure a timely and
consistent process of review, and the dedication, through strictly
internal reallocation, of additional resources.
Strategic Direction 5 - Ongoing Performance
Measurement Strategy
The focus therein was on the validation of the data to be
collected to measure performance, inclusive of the collection
process. The ultimate goal pursued and now reached is the assurance
that the OCI has a complete and reliable base of information for
evaluation and decision-making and is thus able to more easily
anticipate and respond more adequately to changes in the demand for
its services.
At the conclusion of a careful review and analysis by its
investigative staff, the OCI has now determined the nature of the
optimal methods of collecting the data it needs to manage its
investigative process.
As mentioned above the OCI has, after much trial and error in the
field testing of the prototype, integrated and standardized the use
of the Institutional Balanced Scorecard in
its performance measurement and evaluation strategies. Noteworthy
is that the Scorecard's usefulness in that regard has grown
exponentially, as OCI investigators gain experience in using it to
identify, evaluate and report on changes over time in the
performance of institutions to which they are assigned.
2.8
Performance Accomplishments
The primary function of the Correctional Investigator is to
independently investigate and attempt to bring resolution to
individual offender complaints. The Office as well has a
responsibility to review and make recommendations on the Service’s
policies and procedures associated with the areas of individual
complaint to ensure that systemic areas of concern are identified
and appropriately addressed. This year's Annual Report contains
observations and specific recommendations in many such areas,
including transfers, double bunking, case preparation and access to
programming. In so doing the Office aims to assure the Canadian
public that the federal correctional system is managed efficiently,
equitably and fairly. All complaints received by the Office are
reviewed and initial inquiries made to the extent necessary to
obtain a clear understanding of the issue in question. After this
initial review, in those cases where it is determined that the area
of complaint is outside our mandate, the complainant is advised of
the appropriate avenue of redress and assisted when necessary in
accessing that avenue. For those cases that are within our mandate,
the complainant is provided with a detailing of the Service’s
policies and procedures associated with the area of complaint. Where
deemed necessary, an interview is arranged with the offender.
In addition to responding to individual complaints, the Office
meets regularly with inmate committees and other offender
organizations and makes announced visits bi-annually at each
institution during which the investigator will meet with any inmate,
or group of inmates, upon request.
From 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003, the Office received 6,988
contacts with or on behalf of offenders, compared to 7,993 contacts
during the previous fiscal year. The Office's investigative staff
spent 373 days at federal penitentiaries and conducted 2,451
interviews, compared to 2,838 interviews during the previous
reporting period.
EXHIBIT 4 - Number of Contacts Received from Offender
Population
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EXHIBIT 5 - Interviews Conducted with Offenders
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Above and beyond the cyclical nature of demand for our services,
the decrease in the number of contacts with individual offenders can
largely be attributed to the OCI's gradual shift to a more systemic
approach towards dispute resolution.
Reflective of this shift are the actions taken at the regional
and national levels by the Coordinators of Federally Sentenced Women
and Aboriginal Issues. Also indicative is the increase in the number
of meetings (350 as opposed to 300 last fiscal year) that the OCI
has held with various offender organizations within federal
institutions, including inmate committees, lifer groups, black
inmate associations, native brotherhood and sisterhoods.
In order to comply with the recommendations of the Arbour
Commission4, the Office reviewed
1,127 Institutional Emergency Response Team (IERT) videotapes and
other documentation, related to Use of Force incidents, compared to
1,037 in the previous fiscal year and 546 in 2000-2001.
Throughout the current reporting year, the OCI observed that,
consistent with its Logic Model, its recommendations contributed in
varying degrees to improvements in CSC's policies, procedures and
practices with regard to the use of force.
Noteworthy in this respect are CSC's efforts to consistently
gather the version of inmates involved in Use of Force incidents,
initiatives taken to modify modes of IERT intervention in some
regional mental health units and the clarification, through the
issue of a CSC Security Bulletin in December 2003, of the
requirements in terms of post-spontaneous incident videotaping.
For the benefit of our readers who may be less familiar with the
field of corrections, the objective of the OCI's recommendations is
to ensure that the use of force against inmates is not abusive or
excessive and that it is well documented, when it must occur, so
that the entire process is open and transparent. This objective is
not only consistent with the strategic outcome outlined in the OCI's
Logic Model, but also with the expectations of Canadians regarding
the treatment of inmates.
In view of the corrective actions taken by CSC, the OCI, which
has streamlined its review process, will continue to focus its
efforts on Use of Force incidents which occur in
institutions/regions that present significant difficulties of
compliance at the legal, procedural or policy levels.
During the course of the current reporting period, the OCI has
also reviewed 120 Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) investigation
reports pursuant to Section 19 of the Corrections and
Conditional Release Act (CCRA).
The OCI remains concerned with the timeliness of these
investigations, which must be conducted following the death or
serious injury to an inmate. It is also concerned by timeliness of
the provision by CSC of a draft or final investigation report to the
OCI, as per the CCRA. Discussions between OCI and CSC on these
issues are ongoing. The OCI's objective will be, in keeping with the
outcomes outlined in its Logic Model, to ensure that any shortcoming
in the safe and secure custodial environment Canadians legitimately
expect their penitentiaries to be, is promptly investigated and
rectified.
In the course of its investigative and review efforts, the OCI
has, in accordance with its Logic Model, engaged the Correctional
Service of Canada (CSC) in an on-going dialogue regarding the
recommendations it made in its 2001-2002 Annual Report and new
issues that emerged during the current reporting period.
As a result, the Correctional Service has, as outlined above,
undertaken to proceed with corrective actions in a number of areas,
notably aboriginal corrections, Section 19 investigations, transfers
and elderly offenders. The impact of these actions should be
coherent with the intermediate outcomes identified by the OCI in its
Logic Model, contributing towards a more responsible, humane, fair
and effective correctional system for the greater benefit of all
Canadians.
In the final analysis, the Office's activities and outcomes are
consistent with its Logic Model and legislative mandate. While
exercising due regard for economy, efficiency and effectiveness, the
Office has increased its contribution to the safe, fair, humane and
equitable treatment of offenders under federal jurisdiction.
In providing a viable and credible outlet for the tensions and
pressures that inevitably develop within penitentiaries, the Office
contributes to the reduction of costly disturbances and other acts
of violence. The Office also contributes to the safety of all
communities by helping to ensure that federal offenders who are
released have not only been dealt with fairly and humanely but have
also been provided with appropriate assistance in their bid to
become law abiding citizens.
Annex A Financial Performance
Overview
Financial Table 1 Summary of Voted Appropriations
Financial Requirements by Authority
(thousands)
Vote |
Planned
Spending |
2002-2003 Total Authorities
|
Actual |
Office of the Correctional
Investigator |
|
|
|
(30) Operating expenditures |
2,537 |
2,849 |
2,732 |
Capital expenditures |
- |
- |
- |
Grants and Contributions |
- |
- |
- |
Correctional Investigator – Salary
and motor car allowance |
- |
- |
- |
(5) Contribution to employee benefits
plan |
344 |
344 |
344 |
Total Agency |
2,881 |
3,193 |
3,076 |
Financial Table 2 Comparison
of Total Planned Spending to Actual
Spending
Departmental
Planned versus Actual Spending |
|
2002-2003 |
Business Line |
Planned
Spending |
Total Authorities |
Actual
Spending |
FTEs |
25 |
27 |
27 |
Operating |
2,881 |
3,193 |
3,076 |
Capital |
- |
- |
- |
Grants and Contributions |
- |
- |
- |
Total Gross Expenditures |
2,881 |
3,193 |
3,076 |
Less:
Respendable Revenues |
- |
- |
- |
Total Net
Expenditures |
2,881 |
3,193 |
3,076 |
Other Revenues and Expenditures |
- |
- |
- |
Non-respendable Revenues |
- |
- |
- |
Cost of services provided by other
departments |
121 |
233 |
233 |
Net Cost of the
Program |
3,002 |
3,426 |
3,309
|
Financial Table 3 Historical
Comparison of Total Planned Spending to Actual
Spending
Historical Comparison of Departmental
Planned versus Actual Spending ($ millions) |
|
2002-2003 |
Business Line |
Actual 2000-2001 |
Actual 2001- 2002
|
Planned
Spending |
Total Authorities
|
Actual |
Office of the Correctional
Investigator |
2,070 |
2,739 |
2,881 |
3,193 |
3,076 |
Total |
2,070 |
2,739 |
2,881 |
3,193 |
3,076
|
i) Contacts for Further
Information
Name |
Title |
Address |
Tel. No. |
Fax No. |
R.L. Stewart |
Correctional Investigator |
P.O. Box 3421 Station
"D" Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L4 |
(613) 990-2689 |
(613) 990-9091 |
Ed McIsaac |
Executive Director |
P.O. Box 3421 Station
"D" Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L4 |
(613) 990-2691 |
(613) 990-9091
|
ii) Agency Website
www.oci-bec.gc.ca
iii) Agency E-Mail Address
org@oci-bec.gc.ca
iv) Legislation and Associated Regulations
Administered
Corrections and Conditional Release Act, Part III. (R.S.C.,
1992, Ch. 20).
v) Statutory Annual Reports and Other Agency
Reports.
Annual Report of the Correctional Investigator.
Notes
1 Variance of + 65K over
2001-2002 reflects the OCI's gradual transition to a systemic
approach to problem resolution (see sections 2.7 and 2.8 below for
more information).
2 Variance of + 90K
over 2001-2002 reflects the internal reallocation of funds to deal
with the backlog of cases and the further increase in the number of
new cases submitted by CSC (see sections 2.7 and 2.8 for more
information).
3 Actual cost of activity
was lower than expected given delays in staffing position of
FSW Coordinator and relieving the Coordinator, Aboriginal Issues,
of routine investigative duties (see section 2.7 for more
information).
4 The Honourable Louise Arbour,
Commission of Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women,
1996.
|