COMMISSIONER'S DIRECTIVE

MEDIA RELATIONS

POLICY OBJECTIVE

1. To enhance public understanding and support of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) through the media. To develop and maintain positive relations with the media to ensure they are provided with timely, accurate and meaningful information on all aspects of our operations and policies to garner more balanced coverage.

AUTHORITY

2. Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA), subsection 98 (1).

CROSS-REFERENCES

3. Administrative Policy Manual, Treasury Board of Canada, Government Communication Policy, chapter 480
Access to Information Act
Privacy Act
Young Offenders Act, sections 38, 44, 45 and 46
Guide for Use and Disclosure of Personal Information about Offenders
Official Languages Act
Treasury Board Manual, Official Languages, chapters 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, paragraph 2 (b)
Corrections and Conditional Release Act, paragraphs 4 (c) and (e), and section 27
Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations (CCRR), paragraph 91 (2) (b)
Standards of Professional Conduct in the Correctional Service of Canada

DEFINITIONS

4. Media: any individual, group, institution or organization engaged in the business of gathering or transmitting information for publication or broadcast.

5. Designated spokesperson: a person with authority to discuss, be interviewed and/or conduct background briefings on CSC policies, programs and operations with representatives of the media. A list of designated spokespersons can be found in paragraph 21.

RESPONSIBILITIES

6. Designated Spokespersons:

1. are accountable for their communications with the media;
2. must be prepared to describe or explain policies, programs or operations that have been announced or implemented by the government;
3. shall discuss only factual information;
4. shall not discuss matters that are currently before the courts;
5. shall ensure that all significant media inquiries are brought to the attention of all concerned parties as soon as possible.

7. NHQ and RHQ Communications shall initiate and manage communications with representatives of the media and provide advice and support to CSC management and staff. All employees shall abide by Standard Six of the Professional Conduct in the Correctional Service of Canada regarding the protection and sharing of information to the media.

DISCLOSABLE INFORMATION

8. The public shall have access to any report or publication of the Correctional Service that is not restricted by provision of the Young Offenders Act, Access to Information Act or Privacy Act.

9. Generally, information regarding offenders under the age of 18 shall not be released. Contact Legal Services if there is any doubt.

10. Paragraph 27 sets out what can be disclosed in response to media inquiries.

IDENTIFICATION OF STAFF AND OFFENDERS

11. Neither staff members nor offenders shall be photographed or otherwise identified for broadcast or publication purposes without their written consent with the exception of photographs of individuals taken for official records and purposes.

12. Consent forms shall be signed, witnessed and dated (see Annex A). A copy of the completed consent form shall be placed on the respective individual's file.

13. Individuals who do not wish to be identified through any medium shall be located elsewhere for the duration of any activity that may identify them.

OFFENDER INTERVIEWS WITH MEDIA

14. The final approval for all visits to, and interviews within their respective units, rests with the operational unit head. Where an offender consents to speak to a journalist, the two shall be afforded the same entitlements as any other offender and visitor or correspondent under the CCRA and the CCRR.

15. The Service will recognize, however, that the interaction between an offender and a journalist has specific characteristics, notably:

1. that the relationship may be occasional and of a more impersonal nature than that with other visitors or correspondents;
2. that the Service is committed to openness, accountability and integrity and to recognition of the rights of all individuals involved in the correctional process, including freedom of expression, association and the press.

16. Interviews with offenders may be granted provided that:

1. the media representative submits a request (written or oral) to the operational unit head or Regional Media Relations Officer;
2. the offender provides his or her written consent prior to the interview;
3. the interview can be conducted with minimal disruption to the functioning of the operational unit and will not jeopardize the security of the operational unit or present a risk to the health and safety of any person, including a victim or a member of a victim's family; and
4. it will not be contrary to the objectives of the offender's Correctional Treatment Plan.

17. Staff will take measures to ensure that the interview is conducted in a location:

1. that will provide privacy to the offender and the journalist, if they so request;
2. that will ensure the safety of the journalist and the offender; and
3. that will not substantially disrupt the operation of the institution.

18. For telephone interviews, offenders will be provided reasonable access to a telephone to accomplish the interview. Any telephone costs associated with the interview will be paid either by the offender or the media outlet.

19. Offenders will be provided reasonable access to journalists in order to arrange and prepare for interviews.

20. Where it is determined that a proposed interview would be contrary to an offender's Correctional Treatment Plan:

1. the offender will be provided with all information that was considered with respect to a decision to deny an interview pursuant to section 27 of the CCRA;
2. the journalist and the offender will be provided with written reasons for the refusal in accordance with paragraph 91 (2) (b) of the CCRR.

DESIGNATED SPOKESPERSONS

21. The persons listed below are designated to serve as CSC spokespersons:

1. the Commissioner;
2. the Senior Deputy Commissioner;
3. National Headquarters Sector Heads;
4. the Deputy Commissioner of each region;
5. the Regional Assistant Deputy Commissioners;
6. the Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Citizen Engagement and the Director of Media Relations and/or his or her staff;
7. Communication Officers at Regional and National Headquarters;
8. Wardens and District Directors; and
9. institutional and parole office staff who have been officially designated to respond to media by any of the above.

NEWS RELEASES

22. National News Releases - Nationally distributed news releases must be approved by the Director, Media Relations, the Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Citizen Engagement, the Executive Director, CSC Secretariat, the Commissioner and the Minister's Press Secretary. Once approved, all national releases must be forwarded to the Privy Council Office for information.

23. National news releases must be made available in both official languages simultaneously.

24. Regional News Releases - Whenever possible, regional news releases such as announcements shall be sent for approval to the Director, Media Relations who will ensure that the Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Citizen Engagement and the Executive Director, CSC Secretariat have an opportunity to review the release. Regional news releases dealing with announcements must be made available in both official languages simultaneously.

25. Regionally distributed news releases dealing with incidents must be approved by the Regional Deputy Commissioners, Regional Communication Managers, and/or operational unit heads. Regional news releases dealing with incidents must be made available in both official languages upon request.

Note: Regional news releases dealing with incidents can be issued by the local operational unit or regional office.

26. Institutions or parole offices shall normally issue a news release should one of the following incidents occur:

1. hostage-takings;
2. large groups of offenders refusing to work or refusing to return to their cells;
3. major assaults on staff or offenders;
4. seizures of lethal substances, explosives, firearms;
5. major disruptions of day-to-day activities;
6. any major incident;
7. escapes from maximum, medium and minimum security institutions, including escapes from escorted temporary absences and failure to return from unescorted temporary absences or work releases;
8. when an offender dies while under the responsibility of an institution;
9. major seizure of contraband (i.e., drugs).

RESPONDING TO MEDIA INQUIRIES

27. The following information concerning offenders currently under sentence and under the jurisdiction of the Service may be released to the media in accordance with paragraph 8 (2) (a) of the Privacy Act:

1. offender's full name (excluding aliases);
2. offender's age and date of birth (information to be provided only in the case of unlawfully at large individuals);
3. the fact that the offender is under federal jurisdiction;
4. the court in which he or she was convicted;
5. current offence, length and date of sentence;
6. conditional release eligibility dates;
7. warrant expiry date;
8. other offences for which the offender was convicted (information to be provided only in the case of unlawfully at large individuals) (if an offender has received a pardon for an offence, details shall not be disclosed);
9. names of offenders who have been victims of serious assaults where criminal charges have been laid, of homicides or suicides (after next of kin have been notified).

Commissioner,

Original signed by
Keith Coulter

ANNEX - A

CONSENT TO BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE MEDIA

I, _______________________, agree to this interview and hereby consent to the use of my recorded image and/or voice in a film, video tape, photograph and/or publication for

__________________________________.
            (media organization)

I waive all rights to the recorded materials in perpetuity and assign them irrevocably to

__________________________________.
           (media organization)

___________________     ____________
           (signature)                  (date)

___________________     ____________
           (witness)                     (date)

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