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Departmental Performance Report
For the period ending March 31, 2005
______________________________________
The Honourable Anne McLellan, P.C. M.P.
(Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION I: OVERVIEW
A. Correctional Investigator's Message
B. Management Representation Statement
C. Summary Information
D. Overall Departmental Performance
SECTION II: ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC OUTCOME
2.1 OCI Logic Model
2.2 Planned RPP-PAA and Actual Spending, 2004-2005
SECTION III: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
A. Organizational Information
3.1 Mandate
3.2 Mission Statement
3.3 Business Line and Resources
Exhibit 3.1 Organization Chart
B. Financial Performance Overview
SECTION IV: OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
A. Government on-line
B. Statutes and Regulations
C. Reports and Discussion Papers
D. References
Section I: Overview
A. Correctional Investigator's Message
My Office is mandated to assist in the resolution of complaints of federal
offenders. As Canada's federal prison Ombudsman, I firmly believe that effective
and responsible oversight of correctional operations is accepted by Canadians as
an essential element of an open and accountable criminal justice system.
Canadians legitimately expect that their federal correctional system is fair,
safe, humane and equitable. They also rightfully expect that when this is not
the case, problems will be identified and addressed in a timely and reasonable
fashion. To ensure that these expectations are fully met is both our raison
d'être and the strategic outcome my Office strives to achieve on behalf of
Canadians.
The past year has been an exceptionally productive and challenging one for
the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI). The formal adoption of a new
Program Activity Architecture (PAA), within a Management Resources and Results
Structure (MRRS), resulted in significant and ongoing efforts to further refine
our performance measurement and reporting framework.
On the operational level, the Office has achieved an unprecedented level of
presence within federal institutions, enabling more than ever the implementation
of a holistic, proactive, timely and effective approach to addressing offender
problems. The Office has maintained its strategy of focusing its investigative
efforts on longstanding "areas of concern"; resulting in noteworthy policy and
operational improvements by managers of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).
Our efforts to improve the correctional treatment afforded by CSC to
historically disadvantaged segments of the offender population, notably
Aboriginal Offenders, Women Offenders and offenders with mental health issues,
will continue.
At year end, the OCI successfully put forth a plan, in the context of the
broader governmental "Strengthening the Community Initiative", to focus greater
attention on the effective provision of mental health services to offenders.
This is consistent with the government-wide initiative of promoting safer
communities through the successful reintegration of all offenders as law abiding
citizens.
At the dawn of a new fiscal year, I remain preoccupied not only with the high
number of concerns brought to my Office's attention by or on behalf of
offenders, but also by the persistent nature of some issues, despite our
generally successful efforts to work with the Service to find solutions. We will
continue to foster a relationship that will help to resolve these outstanding
issues on a more systemic basis.
Howard Sapers
Correctional Investigator
B. Management Representation Statement
Management Representation Statement
I submit, for tabling in Parliament, the 2004-2005 Departmental Performance
Report (DPR) for the Office of the Correctional Investigator
This report has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in
the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's Guide for Preparation of the
2004-05 Departmental Performance Reports:
- It adheres to the specific reporting requirements;
- It uses an approved Business Line structure;
- It presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced and
accurate information;
- It provides a basis of accountability for the results
pursued or achieved with the resources and authorities
entrusted to it; and,
- It reports finance based on approved numbers from the
Estimates and Public Accounts of Canada.
Name: __________________________
Title: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
|
C. Summary Information
Agency's Raison D'être and Strategic Outcome
Highly valued by Canadians is the democratic nature and respect of the Rule
of Law by all of their federal government's departments and agencies. Of
particular importance in that regard are governmental programs which have a
significant and direct impact on the freedom, health, safety and human rights of
individual citizens and/or of the more vulnerable segments of our society.
Canadian federal offenders who are under the care and control of the
Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) represent such a group. Canadians expect
that the federal government will, in the exercise of democratic checks and
balances, closely monitor its correctional system to ensure that it is fair,
safe, humane and effective, and that any problems will be identified and
resolved in a timely and reasonable fashion.
To ensure that this expectation is met is both the raison d'être and the
strategic outcome the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) strives to
achieve on behalf of Canadians.
Agency's 2004-2005 Financial and Human Resources
Office of the Correctional Investigator |
2004-2005 |
($ thousands) |
Main Estimates |
Planned Spending |
Total Authorities |
Actual Spending |
Operating Expenditures (Vote 50) |
Salaries |
1,806 |
1,806 |
1,817 |
1,756 |
O&M |
752 |
752 |
880 |
694 |
Total |
2,558 |
2,558 |
2,697 |
2,450 |
Contributions to employee benefit plan (Vote 5) |
388 |
388 |
421 |
421 |
Grand Total |
2,946 |
2,946 |
3,118* |
2,871 |
Full Time Equivalents |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
* Variance reflects adjustments obtained since the Main Estimates, inclusive
of Supplementary Estimates, etc.
Summary of Performance in Relationship to Departmental Strategic Outcome
and 2004-2005 RPP Priorities
In its 2004-2005 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP), the OCI essentially
reiterated the three priorities it had first identified in its January 2002
Corporate Strategic Plan. These priorities are consistent with our logic model (see
Exhibit 2.1 below) and are essentially linked to our raison d'être. They are
also fundamental to the attainment of the Strategic Outcome of our program
activity, the identification and resolution in a timely and reasonable fashion
of the problems encountered by offenders in the federal correctional system.
In all three priorities, the OCI has managed, but not without challenges, to
address and in some regards, exceed its performance standards. These priorities
are presented below, along with a summary of our performance. We refer our
reader to section II below for more information.
1. Optimal Frequency of Institutional Visits
The Office's investigative staff spent a record of 427 days in federal
penitentiaries and conducted 2,486 interviews, compared to 409 days and 2,517
interviews during the last fiscal year.
This decrease in the number of individual offenders interviewed, despite the
greater number of days spent, is consistent with past OCI performance and
reflects its gradual shift to a more global and proactive approach to offender
problems. OCI investigative staff is investing more and more time and resources
in meeting, advising and debriefing both offender groups and CSC institutional
managers and staff.
In the final analysis, the OCI's increased accessibility has resulted in both
individual and systemic areas of concern being identified and resolved in a more
timely, efficient, effective and reasonable fashion.
2. Specialized Services to Women Offenders and Aboriginal Offenders
The specialist position of Coordinator of Women Offender Issues was created
within our organizational structure during fiscal year 2002-2003.
Accordingly, our Office has been able to maintain an investigative process
for women that is thorough, objective, timely, culture and gender sensitive. Our
coordinator's approach has been, through direct contact with individual
offenders and offender groups, to provide advice and direction on the Service's
policies and procedures. The outcome has been that women offenders deal more
effectively with CSC in addressing their problems.
While the OCI has continued in fiscal year 2004-2005 to have a significant
impact on the identification and resolution by CSC of individual women offender
complaints, it has been less successful in influencing CSC towards resolving a
number of significant systemic and long-standing areas of concern. The OCI
continues to have concerns with the level of CSC's responsiveness to its
interventions and recommendations on a broad range of issues, including the
continued existence of discriminatory practices in terms of security
classification, administrative segregation, access to programs, and the lack of
post-release support and accommodation, particularly for Aboriginal Women
Offenders in their home communities.
On a positive note, fiscal year 2004-2005 was marked by the closure of the
last women's unit within a male institution. All women's facilities are now
reviewing newly admitted women that have been sentenced to life and subject to
spending the first two years of incarceration in a maximum security, to
determine if they can be safely reclassified to lower security. Finally, CSC has
identified champions in each of the facilities in order to ensure women are
informed of the services offered by the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge to assist
women in applying for transfers to this Institution. This should increase
awareness of the Lodge within the offender population and will hopefully give
Aboriginal Women Offenders more access to Aboriginal-specific programming.
While the position of Coordinator of Aboriginal Offender Issues was also
created within our organisational structure during fiscal year 2002-2003, the
departure on medical leave of its occupant in January 2004 has meant that its
duties have been assumed by all members of the OCI Senior Management Team and
by, an acting Coordinator since October 2004. The absence of a full time
Coordinator for the better part of fiscal year 2004-2005 has placed an
additional strain on the OCI's limited resources and to prevent any permanent
impact on program integrity, the OCI has begun discussions with both the
Department and Treasury Board regarding the provision of additional funding.
Throughout fiscal year 2004-2005, the OCI has maintained an investigative
process for Aboriginal Offenders that is thorough, objective, timely and
culture-sensitive. Direct contact with individual offenders, Aboriginal offender
groups, and a broad range of individuals (native elders, native liaison
officers) and organizations involved in Aboriginal corrections has been the
approach favoured by the Office of the Correctional Investigator.
As was the case for Women Offenders, our success in influencing CSC to
resolve Aboriginal issues during this reporting period has been mostly with
regard to individual cases, rather than systemic and long standing areas of
concern. The Service's reluctance to act on our recommendations concerning the
appointment of a Deputy Commissioner Aboriginals and the independent review of
its policies and evaluation tools has left many of the systemic issues
unaddressed. The discriminatory barriers to timely conditional release,
previously identified by this Office, such as security classification and
program access, remain evident and will continue to be pursued.
On a positive note, CSC has undertaken reviews of its programs for
Aboriginal, Métis, and Inuit offenders. CSC has also increased its contacts with
Aboriginal organizations and sought their advice, notably in implementing
effective community initiatives. As a result, a limited number of Aboriginal
pilot programs and specialized living arrangements, such as partnership
agreements with Aboriginal committees for supervision and care of Aboriginal
offenders have been successfully implemented.
3. Timely Review and Follow-up of s.19 Investigations and Use of Force
Videotapes
Towards the end of fiscal year 2003-2004, the Service adopted new standards,
further to the OCI's recommendations, to improve the timeliness of its
investigative process into incidents resulting in offender death or serious
injury.
The OCI monitored CSC's compliance with these revised standards throughout
2004-2005. It continued, despite interventions and recommendations for
corrective action, to note and bring to CSC's attention the unacceptably long
delays at both the front end (convening of investigations, striking of boards)
and at the back end (the presentation of the report to the Service's Executive
Committee) of its s.19 investigative process. In keeping with its strategic
outcome of timely identification and resolution of offender issues, the OCI will
continue urging CSC to eliminate the delays in its s.19 investigative process.
In the area of Use of Force, the OCI continued to be involved in discussions
with CSC officials at the regional and national levels, and was involved in the
delivery on-going Use of Force training, to CSC institutional staff. The OCI's
monitoring of Use of Force by CSC against offenders throughout this report
period allows it to conclude that there continues to be improvement with
adherence to established policies and procedures by CSC managers and staff at
all levels. Finally, the OCI has and will continue to work collaboratively with
CSC towards the refinement of Use of Force policies and procedures regarding
interventions involving inmates with mental health issues.
D. Overall Departmental Performance
Corrections is a difficult and at times thankless business, yet it is a key
element of the Canadian criminal justice system. The mandate of the Correctional
Service is to manage the sentence of the court consistent with the rule of law,
respectful of individual and collective human rights while giving primacy to the
protection of the public. Canadians expect a correctional system that provides
safe, humane custody which supports the offenders' successful reintegration into
society.
The primary function of the Correctional Investigator, as an Ombudsman for
federal offenders, is to independently investigate and facilitate resolution of
individual offender complaints. The Office as well has a responsibility to
review and make recommendations on Correctional Service policies and procedures
associated with areas of individual complaint to ensure that systemic areas of
concern are identified and appropriately addressed. The presence of independent
oversight promotes correctional practices which respect the rule of law and
strengthens the public's confidence in their correctional system.
We approach this function, as do many other oversight agencies, with limited
resources and an incessant demand for our services. The Office last year managed
nearly eight thousand offender complaints. The investigative staff spent more
than four hundred working days in federal penitentiaries, interviewed twenty
five hundred offenders and met regularly with inmate organizations at every
institution in the country. As well, a multitude of systemic areas of concern
were reviewed on an ongoing basis with senior correctional officials at the
institutional, regional and national levels of the Service.
Beyond the issues associated with the demanding workload are the unique
characteristics of the correctional environment and the public we serve. There
is a high level of mistrust between the keepers and the kept. The areas of
concern raised on complaint often have an immediate and ongoing impact and in
many instances involve rights, liberty or personal safety issues. The
disadvantaged elements of our society, minorities, those with mental health
problems and the poor, are significantly over represented in our penitentiaries.
There is limited public understanding of the correctional process and as a
group; federal offenders curry little public support.
These factors present a challenge to the traditional Ombudsman approach of
facilitating a resolution to issues. Within the correctional environment the
formal internal avenues of redress are viewed by offenders with suspicion, and
informal resolution, absent of third party intervention, is seldom achieved. A
good number of complaints are time sensitive and do not lend themselves to a
thorough investigative process with formal findings and recommendations, they
require immediate intervention and response. The diversity of the inmate
population requires a specific focus, for example, on areas of concern related
to Aboriginal and women offenders. The public reporting on unresolved areas of
concern designed to focus attention on injustices or unfair practices, given the
public's perception of the offender population, does not always have the
intended result.
The key to meeting these challenges, in combination with a highly skilled and
dedicated workforce, lie in ensuring that we are both accessible and responsive
to the offender population. The implementation of our Corporate Strategic Plan
in 2002-2003 and subsequent refinements have resulted in a number of significant
operational adjustments.
Externally, the Office has considerably stepped up its criminal justice
community outreach and public education activities. Both OCI management and
staff have established linkages with and disseminated information about our
agency's mandate, role and responsibilities to various interested parties,
through meetings, seminars and conferences at the local, provincial, national
and international level.
Internally, the Office has provided increased training and developed more
focused reference materials for our intake staff so that offender complaints
which can be dealt with through the provision of information, assistance or
referral are addressed in a timely manner. A twenty-four hour a day toll free
number was introduced and has proven an invaluable tool in dealing with
emergency complaints. We have further increased the frequency of our
institutional visits and formalized our meetings with offender organizations,
such as Inmate Committees, Native Brotherhoods and Sisterhoods, Black Inmate
Associations and Lifer Groups.
Our debriefing process at the conclusion of institution visits with Wardens
has been restructured to ensure that those areas of concern which can be
resolved are dealt with in a timely fashion. We have as well identified specific
"areas of concern" which investigators review with institutional managers during
each visit. These areas are a combination of issues frequently raised on
complaint and issues associated with rights or liberty concerns such as
segregation, the internal grievance process and involuntary transfers.
The Office has established two positions with specific responsibility for
coordinating Aboriginal and Women offender issues. These Coordinator positions
in addition to their review of individual and systemic complaints, have
maintained an ongoing liaison with both government and non-government agencies
active in the areas of Aboriginal and Women's human rights and criminal justice
issues. These relationships are important in ensuring that the Office's position
on these matters is both well informed and broadly based.
A number of other initiatives in direct support of our investigative process
have been undertaken. The Use of Force Coordinator in conjunction with managing
a process that review up to a thousand incidents annually has developed a
consultation procedure with the Service's regional and national managers which
has resulted in greater consistency in their analysis of use of force incidents.
We have initiated at the national level a more focused process to ensure that
the position of the Office on those issues directly impacting on inmate rights
and entitlements are given consideration by the Service during the course of
their policy development and review. The Office has further strengthened its
consultation and reporting structures at both the regional and national levels
to ensure that unresolved and ongoing areas of inmate concern are referred to
the Service's senior management in a timely fashion and followed-up in a manner
that promotes effective resolution.
In the final analysis, the ultimate aim of all of the above efforts is the
achievement of the OCI's strategic outcome which is to ensure that the
complaints of offenders in the federal correctional system are identified and
resolved in a timely and reasonable fashion. In doing so, the OCI expresses the
conviction that it is both the offender's and society's best interests if
reintegration occurs with the highest potential, at the outset, for achieving
and maintaining the status of law-abiding citizen. In that sense, the OCI is
well aligned with the broader government strategic outcome of Safe Communities[1]
At another level, the OCI's efforts to improve the correctional treatment
offered to Women Offenders and Aboriginal Offenders, along with its advocacy on
a broad range of human rights issues, are well aligned with the broader
governmental strategic outcomes of Diversity as a Fundamental Canadian Value and
Healthy Aboriginal Communities[1].
[1] Treasury Board of Canada, Canada's Performance Annual Report to
Parliament (Report of the President), 2004, pages 51-57, and 83-91.
Section II: Analysis by Strategic Outcome
The Logic Model presented below illustrates the OCI's views of its service
delivery methods to support its mandate and achieve its strategic outcome of
timely and reasonable identification and resolution of problems encountered by
federal offenders.
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.
2.1 OCI Logic Model
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, which will be available on our website
(www.oci-bec.gc.ca) as soon as it is
tabled in Parliament, contains observations and specific recommendations in
areas such as Women Offenders, Aboriginal Offenders, Mental Health Services,
Inmate Grievances, Allegations of Harassment and Staff Misconduct. In doing so,
the Office aims to assure the Canadian public that significant areas of concern,
related to Corrections, are being addressed.
All complaints received by the Office are reviewed and initial inquiries made
to the extent necessary to gain 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, various options are explored to
assist the complainant in identifying a solution to his concerns. In some
instances all that may be required is an explanation of the Service's policies
and procedures associated with the area of complaint. In other cases, the
offender is referred directly to CSC staff or to an internal redress mechanism,
such as the inmate grievance procedure.
There are however a significant number of more challenging issues raised on
complaint in which resolution is only achieved through numerous inquiries or a
lengthy and complex investigation by the OCI. A detailing of the complaints
received and their disposition can be found in the "statistics" section of our
Annual Report.
In addition to responding to individual complaints, the Office meets
regularly with inmate committees and other offender organizations. We make
announced visits bi-annually at each institution during which time the
investigator will meet with any inmate or group of inmates upon request.
From April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005, the Office received 7,696 complaints
from or on behalf of offenders compared to 6,892 and 6,988 complaints in
2003-2004 and 2002-2003 respectively. The office's investigative staff spent 427
days at federal institutions, compared to 409 days and 373 during the previous
two fiscal years, and conducted 2,486 interviews, compared to 2,517 and 2,451
during the previous two reporting periods.
Above and beyond the cyclical nature of demand for our services, the
decreasing ratio of individual offenders interview/days spent in institutions
reflects the gradual shift by the OCI to a more systemic and pro-active approach
to offender problems. OCI investigative staff are investing more and more time
during institutional visits to meeting, advising and debriefing both offender
groups and CSC managers and staff.
In order to comply with the recommendations of the Arbour Commission[2], the Office reviewed 794 Institutional Emergency Response
Team (IERT) videotapes and other documentation, related to Use of Force
Incidents, compared with 863 in the previous fiscal year and 1,127 in the
2002-2003.
Throughout the current reporting year, the OCI observed, consistent with its
Logic Model, that its recommendations contributed to improvements in CSC's
policies, procedures and practices with regard to the Use of Force. This in part
is reflected in the reduction in the number of Use of Force incidents.
Among these improvements, were further refinements to guidelines regarding
the Use of Force and specifically, against offenders suffering from mental
health problems. Also worthy of mention is the overall improvement in the degree
of compliance with existing guidelines; and improvement brought about by the
better training provided by CSC, in part in response to the OCI's identifying
consistent non-compliant issues in use of force incidents.
For the benefit of our readers who may be less familiar with the field of
Corrections, the objective pursued by 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 our Logic Model, but also with the values and legitimate
expectations of Canadians regarding the fair and humane treatment of inmates.
During the course of the current reporting period, the OCI also reviewed 74
s.19 investigation reports completed by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).
Of particular concern to the OCI was CSC's compliance with the timeliness
standards it had adopted, further to OCI's recommendations towards the end of
the previous fiscal year.
Throughout 2004-2005 the OCI continued, despite interventions and
recommendations for corrective action, to note and bring to CSC's attention the
unacceptably long delays at both the front end (convening of investigations,
striking of boards) and at the back end (the presentation of the report to the
Service's Executive Committee) of its s.19 investigative process.
In keeping with its strategic outcome of timely identification and resolution
of problems encountered by offenders, the OCI will continue to actively monitor
both the quality and the timeliness of CSC's s.19 investigations and urging CSC
to eliminate delays in its investigative process. These concerns are directly
related to those that the OCI has and continues to express regarding
institutional violence and its detrimental impact on the overall quality and
effectiveness of the correctional treatment offered by CSC to incarcerated
Canadians.
In the final analysis, the Office's activities, outputs and outcomes are
consistent with its Logic Model and legislative mandate. While exercising
due regard for efficiency, effectiveness and the prudent stewardship of public
resources, the Office has enhanced its contribution to the safe, humane,
equitable and effective correctional treatment of offenders under federal
responsibility.
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 access to appropriate
assistance in their bid to become law abiding citizens. Its specialized services
to Women Offenders and Aboriginal Offenders, along with advocacy on a broad
range of human rights issues, are well aligned with the broader governmental
strategic outcomes of Diversity as a Fundamental Canadian value and Healthy
Aboriginal Communities. Of legitimate interest to Canadians and their elected
representatives is how the OCI has globally managed and allocated its budgetary
allotment throughout the activities included in its Program.
The following table presents the planned spending as per the 2004-2005 Report
on Plans and Priorities (RPP), the revised planned spending further to the
adoption of the Program Activity Architecture (PAA) within a Management
Resources and Results Structure (MRRS), and the actual 2004-2005 spending.
[2] The Honorable Louise Arbour, Commission of Inquiry into Certain
Events at the Prison for Women, 1996
2.2 Planned RPP-PAA and Actual Spending, 2004-2005
($ thousands) |
Main Estimates |
Total Authorities |
Salaries |
1,806 |
1,817 |
O&M |
752 |
880 |
Total |
2,558 |
2,697 |
Program Activity |
($ thousands) |
Planned Spending (RPP) |
Planned Spending (PAA) |
Actual Spending |
Oversight of Correctional Operations |
Salaries |
1,506 |
1,506 |
1,536 |
O&M |
752 |
625 |
540 |
Total |
2,558 |
2,131* |
2,076* |
Program Sub-Activity |
($ thousands) |
Planned Spending (RPP) |
Planned Spending (PAA) |
Actual Spending |
Individual Offender Complaints |
Salaries |
740 |
770 |
800 |
O&M |
455 |
334 |
281 |
Total |
1,195 |
1,104 |
1,081 |
|
Systemic Offender Complaints |
Salaries |
340 |
416 |
506 |
O&M |
80 |
178 |
179 |
Total |
420 |
594 |
685 |
|
Mandated Issues |
Salaries |
200 |
140 |
115 |
O&M |
30 |
31 |
20 |
Total |
230 |
171 |
135 |
|
Specifically Identified Issues |
Salaries |
226 |
180 |
115 |
O&M |
80 |
82 |
60 |
Total |
306 |
262 |
175 |
|
Corporate Issues |
Salaries |
300 |
300 |
220 |
O&M |
107 |
127 |
154 |
Total |
407 |
427 |
374 |
* Excludes spending on Corporate Issues
Section
III: Supplementary Information
A. Organizational Information
3.1 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 Minister of Public Safety and
Emergency Preparedness Canada to both Houses of Parliament.
3.2 Mission Statement
As Canada's federal prison Ombudsman offering oversight of federal
Corrections, the Correctional Investigator contributes to public safety and the
promotion of human rights by providing independent and timely review of offender
complaints. The Correctional Investigator makes recommendations that assist in
the development and maintenance of an accountable federal correctional system
that is fair, humane and effective.
3.3 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 requires that the Office reviews all investigations
performed by the Correctional Service of Canada following the death or serious
bodily injury to an inmate. The OCI is also committed to a similar review
function with respect to Use of Force interventions, in keeping with the
recommendations of the Arbour Commission of Inquiry.
The Office of the Correctional Investigator is headed by the Correctional
Investigator who reports to Parliament through the Minister of Public Safety and
Emergency Preparedness Canada. The Agency's resources provide for 22
full-time equivalents, of which seventeen are directly involved, as intake
officers, coordinators or directors, in the day to day addressing of inmate
complaints. The total resources are 3,118,000 for the fiscal year 2004-2005.
Exhibit 3.1 – OCI Organization Chart
B. Financial Performance Overview
Table 1: Comparison of Planned to Actual Spending (incl. FTE)
|
2002-03
Actual |
2003-04
Actual |
2004-2005 |
($ thousands) |
Main Estimates |
Planned Spending |
Total Authorities |
Actual |
Office of the Correctional Investigator |
3,076 |
2,790 |
2,946 |
2,946 |
3,118 |
2,871 |
Total |
3,076 |
2,790 |
2,946 |
2,946 |
3,118 |
2,871 |
|
Total |
3,076 |
2,790 |
2,946 |
2,946 |
3,118 |
2,871 |
Less: Non-Respendable revenue |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
--- |
Plus: Cost of services received without charge* |
233 |
256 |
258 |
258 |
258 |
258 |
Net cost of Department |
3,309 |
3,046 |
3,204 |
3,204 |
3,376 |
3,129 |
|
Full Time Equivalents |
27 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
22 |
Table 2: Use of Resources by Business Lines (or Program
Activities)
2004-2005 |
Business Lines-BL (or Program Activity-PA) |
Budgetary |
Plus: Non-Budgetary |
Total |
Operating |
Total: Gross Budgetary Expenditures |
Less: Respendable Revenue |
Total: Net Budgetary Expenditures |
Loans, Investments and Advances |
Main Estimates |
2,946 |
2,946 |
--- |
2,946 |
--- |
2,946 |
Planned Spending |
2,946 |
2,946 |
--- |
2,946 |
--- |
2,946 |
Total Authorities |
3,118 |
3,118 |
--- |
3,118 |
--- |
3,118 |
Actual Spending |
2,871 |
2,871 |
--- |
2,871 |
--- |
2,871 |
Table 3: Voted and Statutory Items
|
|
2004-2005 |
Vote or Statutory Item |
Truncated Vote
or Statutory Wording |
Main Estimates |
Planned Spending |
Total Authorities |
Actual |
50 |
Operating expenditures |
2,558 |
2,558 |
2,697 |
2,450 |
(5) |
Contributions to employee benefit plans |
388 |
388 |
421 |
421 |
|
Total |
2,946 |
2,946 |
3,118 |
2,871 |
Table 4: Net Cost of Department
($ thousands) |
2004-2005 |
Total Actual Spending |
2,871 |
Plus: Services Received without Charge |
--- |
Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) |
258 |
|
|
Less: Non-respendable Revenue |
--- |
2004-2005 Net cost of Department |
3,129 |
Table 5: Travel Policies
OCI Statement: The OCI follows and uses TBS Travel policy
parameters. |
Section IV: Other Items of Interest
A. Government on-line
Website: http://www.oci-bec.gc.ca
Email: org@oci-bec-gc.ca
B. Statutes and Regulations
Corrections and Conditional Release Act, S.C. 1992 Part 3
C. Reports and Discussion Papers
OCI Discussion Paper:
- Shifting the Orbit – Human Rights, Independent Review and
Accountability in the Canadian Corrections System
(http://www.oci-bec.gc.ca)
- Canadian Human Rights Commission (Special Report) – Protecting
Their Rights: a Systemic Review of Human Rights in Correctional
Services for Federally Sentenced Women (2003) (http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca)
- Correctional Investigator's Response to the Canadian Human
Rights Commission's Consultation Paper for the Special Report on the
Situation of Federally Sentenced Women (http://www.oci-bec.gc.ca)
- Treasury Board of Canada, Canada's Performance Annual Report to
Parliament (Report of the President), 2004 (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca)
D. References
Name |
Title |
Address |
Tel. No. |
Fax No. |
Howard Sapers |
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 |
Maurice Gervais |
Coordinator, Corporate Services and Planning |
P.O. Box 3421
Station "D" Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L4 |
(613) 990-2694 |
(613) 990-9091 |
|