COMMISSIONER'S DIRECTIVE

Perimeter Work Clearance

Policy Bulletin 202

Annex A - Assessment for Decision - Content Guidelines for Perimeter Work Clearance

POLICY OBJECTIVES

1. To ensure the protection of society when authorizing work assignments outside the perimeter, on the institutional reserve of minimum, medium and multi-level institutions.

2. To provide offenders with an opportunity to display appropriate behaviours in a less restrictive/structured environment and to assist in the reintegration of offenders into the community.

CROSS-REFERENCES

3. CD 081 - Offender Complaints and Grievances

CD 710 - Institutional Supervision Framework

CD 566-6 - Security Escorts

DEFINITIONS

4. Perimeter - Perimeters of institutions will be defined by Institutional Heads in Standing Orders.

5. A perimeter work clearance is permission for an offender to work outside the perimeter of a minimum, medium or multi-level facility for a specific duration and will not exceed 60 consecutive days.

PRINCIPLES

6. Safety of the public, staff and offenders is the paramount consideration when approving and supervising a perimeter work clearance.

7. All decisions on the type of work to be performed will demonstrate sensitivity to, and respect for diversity.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

8. The Institutional Head will ensure there is a clear requirement for work to be done and that the responsibilities of person(s) supervising perimeter cleared offenders are detailed, including the duration and degree of supervision.

9. In the case of minimum-security institutions, the Institutional Head may delegate the authority for approval of perimeter work clearance applications to the Deputy Warden.

10. The Correctional Officer II (COII)/Primary Worker will complete the Assessment for Decision for perimeter work clearance(s) and a Correctional Plan Progress Report, if required. The COII/ Primary Worker will include all consultation comments within the report.

11. The institutional Parole Officer/Primary Worker must provide consultation comments for all perimeter work clearance applications.

12. The Security Intelligence Officer must provide consultation comments for all perimeter work clearance applications.

13. The Correctional Supervisor/Assistant Team Leader will quality control and lock the Assessment for Decision and Correctional Plan Progress Report (if required) on OMS.

14. The Unit Manager or Team Leader will provide a recommendation to the Institutional Head (or delegate) regarding the perimeter work clearance application.

15. The Unit Clerk or equivalent is responsible for entering the application for perimeter work clearance and the recommendation/ comments of the Unit Manager or Team Leader on OMS. The clerk is also responsible for registering the status of the perimeter work clearance on OMS.

16. The COII/Primary Worker is responsible for providing comments in a Structured Casework Record on the offender's perimeter work clearance performance.

ELIGIBILITY

17. Work assignments may be performed on a daily basis or may include a specific number of days (or hours) per week. Any clearance during a calendar day, for any number of hours, is equal to one day of clearance.

18. Offenders classified as maximum security and detained offenders are not eligible for perimeter work clearance.

19. Offenders classified as medium security, who are eligible for unescorted temporary absences, may apply for perimeter work clearance, with the exception of those offenders who are awaiting a decision on a referral to the NPB for detention.

20. All offenders classified as minimum security are eligible for perimeter work clearance.

SUPERVISION

21. Supervision requirements must always be specified by the decision maker.

22. Constant and direct supervision is usually not required for those offenders who have successfully completed an unescorted temporary absence (UTA) within the last year.

23. In minimum-security facilities, although direct and constant supervision is not required, supervision requirements must nonetheless be specified.

24. For medium security offenders, who have not successfully completed a UTA within the last year, and for those minimum security offenders who are not eligible for UTAs, constant and direct supervision is required (i.e. sight and sound).

PROCEDURES

25. Every perimeter work clearance requires an Assessment for Decision and an up-to-date CPPR.

26. Using the content guidelines in Annex A, complete an Assessment for Decision within 30 days of receipt of the offender's application for a perimeter work clearance.

27. The Assessment for Decision as well as any other documents that will be used for decision-making purposes must be shared with the offender prior to the decision.

28. If approved by the Institutional Head, forward a copy of the decision sheet to the Program Board to assign work.

29. Notify the offender in writing of the clearance decision and rationale within five working days following the decision.

30. An offender may appeal a perimeter work clearance decision through the offender redress system (CD 081).

31. The status of a perimeter work clearance will be registered in the Offender Management System (OMS) on the Maintain Offender Program Related Data screen. When approved, indicate "Yes" in the "Security Clearance Req'd" field and enter "Perimeter Work Clearance" as well as the start and end dates of the perimeter work clearance in the Security Comment text box.

32. The Correctional Officer II/Primary Worker will incorporate comments from perimeter work clearance supervisors (Elder, work supervisor, etc.) when monitoring the continued appropriateness of the ongoing perimeter work clearance. This will be accomplished within the 30-day Structured Casework Record (SCWR).

33. The case of each offender on perimeter work clearance will be subject to ongoing monitoring to determine the existence of factors that would justify a cancellation of the work clearance and result in a reassessment of the case.

34. An offender's perimeter work clearance will be cancelled when information or circumstances indicate that risk has increased.

35. Any cancellation of the clearance will be registered in OMS on the "Maintain Offender Program Related Data" screen by entering "No" in the "Security Clearance Req'd" field.

36. Where a perimeter work clearance is cancelled, a period of custody of at least seven days is required to provide the opportunity for staff to perform a new assessment of the case and determine if another work clearance meets the objectives outlined in the offender's Correctional Plan.

37. If there is a requirement to submit a plan for a subsequent perimeter work clearance (beyond the initial 60 days), a new Assessment for Decision must be submitted to the decision maker for approval.

Commissioner,

Original signed by
Keith Coulter

ANNEX A
ASSESSMENT FOR DECISION
CONTENT GUIDELINES FOR PERIMETER WORK CLEARANCE

General Guidelines

The report should:

• include an analysis of all relevant information about the offender's case. For offenders previously incarcerated in federal institutions, care should be taken to obtain and use the relevant information from archived files;
• address, in the final risk assessment, both the actuarial scores as well as a consideration of clinical factors. Where the actuarial measures are inconsistent with the clincal appraisal, is it important that the assessment specify why this is the case.

If some information cannot be fully shared with the offender, according to section 27 or 141 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act , a Protected Information Report can be prepared. When a Protected Information Report is prepared, a gist of the information will also be cross-referenced to the Assessment for Decision report.

Purpose of Report

Self-explanatory.

Risk Assessment

General

This section should:

• confirm the offender's eligibility for the decision sought;
• not contain excerpts of other reports;
• focus on risk analysis and conclusions;
• include all factors pertinent to the review.

Assessment of the Probability of Re-offending

• Analyse the GSIR where appropriate.
• State the offender's reintegration potential and the progress made.
• Describe the offender's ability to control his or her offence cycle.
• Specify the offender's frequency of offending and crime-free periods.
• Describe the results from relevant psychological and psychiatric assessments.
• Integrate comments from the Security Intelligence Officer (SIO) – including dates of consultation.

Assessment of the Severity of Re-offending

• Describe the offender's usual type of criminal behavior.
• Integrate the behavior displayed in the institution.
• Indicate the likelihood of escape and the level of risk to public safety in the event of an escape.
• Integrate the offence descriptions found in official documentation (police report, court documents, etc.).

Assessment of the Offender's Level of Commitment

• Describe the offender's level of commitment (or lack thereof) to his or her supervision plan.
• Describe the offender's current attitude.
• Describe the offender's overall ability to meet commitments, including comments from the current and previous work supervisors.

Overall Level of Risk Assessment

• Summarize how risk has been addressed during the offender's sentence.
• Summarize the conclusions from the assessments above.
• Determine an overall level of risk.

Appropriateness of the Perimeter Work Clearance

Other Information

• Summarize the contributing causes and circumstances of any previously cancelled perimeter work clearance.
• Specify any relevant factors, such as reasons for a cancelled temporary absence, change in dynamic factors, or community impact that is relevant.

Proposed Plan

• State the frequency and length of the perimeter work clearance.
• Outline the nature and the location of the work being conducted.

Supervision Requirements

• Identify the person(s) responsible for supervision and specify the type of supervision required.

Dissenting Opinion

• Specify any differences of opinion and the underlying reasons.

Final Recommendation

• Indicate your final recommendation and any relevant details associated with it (i.e. duration, supervision).

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