News Releases

News Release

Communiqué

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fredericton, New Brunswick, April 6, 2004 - With the signing of the Correctional Services Co-ordination Agreement (CSCA), the Correctional Service of Canada and the New Brunswick Department of Public Safety have renewed their joint efforts to strengthen public safety, make the most effective use of public resources and organize services around community needs.

The renewed Canada-New Brunswick Agreement reflects the ongoing commitment of both levels of government to work together to improve collaboration and integration of correctional practices and program delivery. It builds upon the success of the initial Agreement, which resulted in better programming, more effective conditional release, strengthened community infrastructure and better crime prevention.

"This Agreement provides offenders with wider access to specialized programs to help in their rehabilitation. This approach reduces the risk of repeat incidents," said the Honourable Andy Scott, Minister of State (Infrastructure), who made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. "We are committed to working with the provinces in our efforts to ensure public safety."

New Brunswick Public Safety Minister Wayne Steeves agrees. "This Agreement ensures that offenders get the institutional rehabilitation programs they need while incarcerated. Also, because New Brunswick is able to put resources into community programs, federal and provincial offenders are getting the support they need to reduce the risk of re-offending when they are released into the community." He says, "through this Agreement, we are working together to build a safer New Brunswick, a safer Canada."

"The safety of the public is best assured when offenders returning to the community have been provided with the assistance they need to return as law-abiding citizens," said Lucie McClung, Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada. "This Agreement underlines the importance of working with our provincial partners as well as others in the community to provide that assistance."

Under the Agreement, higher risk provincial offenders are transferred to federal institutions, resulting in a targeted assessment of their needs using the tools available within CSC. Once transferred, these offenders are provided with access to CSC programs that address their needs, thereby reducing the risk of re-offending. This allows the Province to reallocate some of its resources to invest in community programs for both federal and provincial offenders and to pay the variable cost of housing and programs provided by the Correctional Service of Canada.

For further information, please contact:

Farah Mohamed
Director, Communications
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Public Safety and
Emergency Preparedness
(613) 952-4902

Patricia Hyland
Director of Communications
Department of Public Safety
New Brunswick
(506) 444-5267

Michèle Pilon-Santilli
Director, Media Relations
Communications and Consultation
Correctional Service of Canada
(613) 943-2573

BACKGROUNDER
CANADA-NEW BRUNSWICK CORRECTIONAL SERVICES CO-ORDINATION AGREEMENT

The Correctional Services Co-ordination Agreement is the second joint Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of New Brunswick. The initial Agreement was signed in 1998.

Summary of results of the first Canada-New Brunswick Agreement

As part of this Agreement, the Province of New Brunswick was able to place, on a daily basis, up to 125 offenders in CSC custody. These were considered to be higher risk/higher need offenders (sex offenders serving sentences greater than six months and all other offenders serving sentences greater than one year). A total of 656 provincial offenders participated over a five-year period. Of these, 124 were offenders convicted of sexual offences.

The Agreement has been a benefit to Canadians, particularly offenders and their families. The Agreement represents good correctional practices and demonstrates the benefit of federal-provincial co-operation in service planning and delivery.

1. Timely Risk/Needs Based Assessments

Prior to this initiative, provincial offenders were not systematically assessed. Now, CSC assessment tools are used with provincial offenders to identify program and treatment needs. Use of these tools has resulted in:

• provincial offenders being assessed quickly;
• correctional plans being more specifically targeted to the offender's need; and
• provincial offenders starting programs earlier in their short sentences, allowing for greater impact on their rehabilitation and therefore on public safety.

2. Greater Access to Quality Programs

The Agreement gave provincial offenders access to previously unavailable CSC programs and treatment in institutions. Of the 656 provincial offenders who were placed in federal institutions from 1998-2003, 82% participated in federal accredited programs in the areas of anger management, substance abuse, family violence, and reasoning and rehabilitation. In addition, attending institutional programs increased offenders' participation in community programs. For example, 24 sex offenders released on day or full parole participated in community programs and all remained crime free.

During the period of the Agreement, CSC and the New Brunswick Department of Public Safety collaborated on the following ventures:

• Mountain Top Hospitality House, situated in Dorchester, N.B., provides a safe, affordable place for family members to stay when visiting inmates. In 2003, 409 people used this facility for a total of 508 nights, which allowed offenders to maintain and strengthen their family ties while incarcerated.

• Community Employment Initiatives in Moncton, Dorchester, Cooksville and Pointe de Chene are funded by both federal and provincial governments. They enhance participants' knowledge, attitudes and skills towards finding and maintaining long-term non-subsidized employment. In Moncton, ten offenders received employment for a total of 26 weeks each.

• Employment Integration Services were initiated in the northeastern part of N.B. (Bathurst, Restigouche, and the Acadian Peninsula). A total of 119 provincial and 12 federal offenders benefited from these programs in 2003. Offenders obtained job-finding skills; experienced real-life work situations; attended life skills programs; and developed communication, problem-solving, decision-making and other personal skills.

• Access to social assistance on release was expedited, reducing the potential for re-offending in the initial transition to the community.

• CSC reduced its planned programs for substance abuse for women offenders by accessing the treatment through a provincially sponsored community program, which represents a saving for CSC. The capacity to deliver this program in Saint John became available in October 2003. To date, one program has been run with one federal offender participating at no cost to CSC. A second program is being considered.

3. Reduced Incarceration and Reconviction Rates

The rate of reconviction for provincial offenders within two years of the end of their sentences was reduced by 20% during the first three years of the Agreement. Sexual reconviction rates remained low (less than 2%) and stable.