Basic Facts About the Correctional Service of Canada

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Foreword

Basic Facts About the Correctional Service of Canada is designed to answer basic questions about federal corrections and conditional release.

All of the information refers to adult corrections and covers the period from April 1, 2003, to March 31, 2004.

In some instances, there may be slight variations in the total number of offenders depending on the data extraction date.

Provincial and territorial governments have exclusive responsibility for the administration of sentences of less than two years, offenders sentenced to probation, as well as for young offenders. Therefore, statistics on juvenile and adult provincial/territorial corrections are not included.

Note: This brochure is for information only. For any legal interpretation of the law please consult with legal counsel.

Due to rounding, percentages may not always add up to 100%.

Contents

Introduction

Legislation

Context
Of those convicted of a crime, how many receive a federal sentence?
What is Canada’s incarceration rate in comparison with that of other countries?
What are the total expenditures of CSC?
How many people are employed by CSC?
What is the average annual cost of incarcerating an inmate?
What is the average annual cost of supervising an offender on parole or statutory release?
How many correctional facilities and parole offices is CSC responsible for?
What are the security levels of each institution?

Offender Population
What are the total number of admissions?
How many inmates are there?
According to security level, how are the inmates classified?
What is the profile of the inmate population?
What proportion of the federal offender population is Aboriginal?
What is the profile of the Aboriginal inmate population?

Programs
What happens when an offender is sentenced to a penitentiary?
What is correctional planning?
What programs are available to offenders?
Is the effectiveness of programming assessed?
Are inmates paid?
Are private family visits permitted in correctional facilities?

Conditional Release
What types of release are available?
What is a temporary absence?
What is a work release?
What is day parole?
What is full parole?
What is accelerated parole review?
What is statutory release?
Can anybody observe a National Parole Board hearing?
What is detention?
What is judicial review?
What is community supervision?
How many offenders are being supervised?
What is a section 810?
What are long-term supervision orders?
What is a dangerous offender?

Victims

Community Involvement
Citizens’ Advisory Committees
Volunteers
In what programs and services do volunteers participate?
How to become a volunteer
Giving back to the community
Community forums

Restorative Justice

Offenders’ Rights
Do offenders have rights?
Do opportunities exist for offenders to seek redress?

Our Partners

How to Reach Us

Introduction

Corrections is one component of the larger criminal justice system, involving a number of agencies and departments across three levels of government. At the federal level, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is headed by the Commissioner of Corrections, who reports to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. CSC is responsible for administering sentences involving a term of two years or more, as imposed by the court. CSC can neither lessen nor extend these penalties. It is also responsible for managing institutions of various security levels, supervising offenders under conditional release in the community and individuals who receive a court-imposed long-term supervision order beyond their warrant expiry date.

CSC works closely with its partner agencies in the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness portfolio, particularly the National Parole Board and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Decisions on the conditional release of offenders are the responsibility of the National Parole Board. CSC is responsible for preparing offenders for consideration by the National Parole Board and for supervising federal offenders on conditional release in the community until the end of their sentences.

How do corrections and conditional release contribute to the protection of the society? Almost all offenders will eventually return to the community. Therefore, in addition to ensuring offenders’ separation from society when necessary, CSC’s focus is on preparing them to return to society in a law-abiding manner. The greatest protection that can be offered to the community is to assist offenders, throughout the sentence, to change their criminal behaviour and to help them learn to live by the rules of society. This preparation includes programming to meet specific needs and providing opportunities to demonstrate progress through transfers to reduced security or conditional release, including temporary absences, work release, parole or statutory release. In any correctional or conditional release decision, the protection of society and safety of the community are paramount considerations.

Legislation

The Correctional Service of Canada, as part of the criminal justice system and respecting the rule of law, contributes to the protection of society by actively encouraging and assisting offenders to become law-abiding citizens, while exercising reasonable, safe, secure and humane control.

– The Mission of the Correctional Service of Canada

The legal and ethical framework for our country’s corrections system is shaped by various key pieces of domestic legislation, in particular:

Corrections and Conditional Release Act

The entire federal correctional system, from incarceration to parole, is governed by the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. The Act states that “protection of society” should be the paramount consideration in the corrections process. It also says that corrections should use the “least restrictive measures” consistent with the protection of the public. It tightens up security measures for high-risk offenders, makes the correctional system more accountable to the public, allows victims to provide input into National Parole Board hearings, and offers more safeguards for offenders’ human rights.

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Within strictly defined limits, the Charter guarantees offenders various rights, including:

• Freedom of conscience
• The right to practise their religion
• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of peaceful assembly and association
• The right to legal counsel
• The right to a fair hearing
• The presumption of innocence
• Freedom from arbitrary detention and imprisonment
• The right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual treatment and punishment
• The right against unreasonable or abusive search or seizure

Other domestic legislation

In addition, there are several other key laws that affect the rights of offenders and the way in which the work of federal corrections is carried out:

• Canadian Human Rights Act
• Privacy Act
• Access to Information Act
• Official Languages Act
• Transfer of Offenders Act

International obligations

The key international documents affecting Canada’s obligations with regard to corrections include:

• United Nations Charter
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
• Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
• Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners

Context

Of those convicted of a crime, how many receive a federal sentence?

There were about 2.8 million crimes reported to police in 2003. During 2002–03, 4,281 offenders were sentenced to federal jurisdiction.

Note: Police data are reported on a calendar year basis whereas court and prison data are reported on a fiscal year basis (April 1 through March 31).

Source: Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, December 2004.

What is Canada’s incarceration rate in comparison with that of other countries?

In 2002, the incarceration rate in Canada was 116 per 100,000 general population. Canada’s incarceration rate is higher than the rates in many Western European countries such as Germany (95), France (85), Finland (70), Switzerland (68) and Denmark (64) but lower than those in England/Wales (139) and the United States (702)*.

* Figures for the United States are for incarcerated adults only.

Source: Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, December 2004.

What are the total expenditures of CSC?

The total expenditures in 2003–04 were $1.5 billion, which includes $976M spent on salaries, $110M on capital expenditures and $435M on operating costs.

Federal corrections expenditures (spending by CSC and the National Parole Board) represent less than 1% of the total federal government budget.

How many people are employed by CSC?

As of March 31, 2004, there were 14,906 indeterminate employees of a total staff complement of slightly more than 15,900.

What is the average annual cost of incarcerating an inmate?

What is the average annual cost of supervising an offender on parole or statutory release?

$19,755 per offender

How many correctional facilities and parole offices is CSC responsible for?

The CSC manages 54 penitentiaries of different security levels (including treatment centres and annexes within penitentiaries), 17 community correctional centres and 71 parole offices. CSC also manages an addictions research centre, five regional headquarters and staff colleges, a correctional management learning centre and a national headquarters.

In addition to federally operated facilities, CSC partners with community-based, non-governmental organizations that run approximately 200 community-based residential facilities across the country.

What are the security levels of each institution?

Offender Population

What are the total number of admissions?

Offenders enter a federal penitentiary for the first time on a warrant of committal following sentence by a court, or by way of an international transfer. They may also return to the penitentiary during their sentence if their conditional release is revoked by the National Parole Board for the commission of a new offence or for a breach of a condition of their release.

In 2003–04, the admissions included:

Includes all types of admissions (warrant of committal, revocation, exchange of services and transfer from a foreign country) of all federal jurisdiction offenders and of provincial jurisdiction offenders admitted in federal institutions.

How many inmates are there?

On April 11, 2004:

According to security level, how are the inmates classified?

On April 11, 2004:

What is the profile of the inmate population?

On April 11, 2004:

What proportion of the federal offender population is Aboriginal?

Aboriginal people represent approximately 16% of the federal offender population but only 3% of the general population in Canada.

What is the profile of the Aboriginal inmate population?

On April 11, 2004:

Programs

What happens when an offender is sentenced to a penitentiary?

Immediately after the court sentences an offender, information about the offender and the offence(s) is collected from many sources such as police, Crown attorneys, judges, courts, victims and family members. When an offender reaches the penitentiary, he or she undergoes a comprehensive assessment to determine the factors that may have led to the criminal behaviour for which he or she has been sentenced. Based on this assessment, a correctional plan is developed with the offender.

What is correctional planning?

Offenders must take responsibility for their own behaviour and for changing that behaviour. Correctional planning is a process that fosters changes in behaviour. Specific needs are identified for each offender to address and are linked to the program or treatment that will assist the offender to adopt socially acceptable behaviour. This information is recorded in a document called the correctional plan. It is expected that the offender will work towards changing his or her criminal behaviour throughout the sentence. The offender’s progress in meeting the requirements of the correctional plan is monitored continually and is a primary consideration in any decision related to the offender.

What programs are available to offenders?

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) offers reintegration programs, both in its institutions and in the community, mainly in the areas of education and employment, job readiness, living skills, mental health, substance abuse prevention, sexual offending prevention, violence prevention and family violence prevention. Individual counselling is also offered.

Chaplains provide spiritual, pastoral and religious care to various faith groups, such as Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist and other faith groups of offenders. Aboriginal Elders address the spiritual needs of Aboriginal offenders.

LifeLine is a national social program involving men and women serving a life sentence, but who are on parole and have been successfully living in society for at least five years. These individuals return to institutions as in-reach workers to help support, motivate and provide hope to those who are serving life sentences, and to help prepare them for release and successful reintegration in the community.

CORCAN, CSC’s employment and employability skills program for offenders, contributes to the safe reintegration of offenders into society by providing training to incarcerated offenders and, for brief periods of time, after their release into the community. By contributing to institutional operations and maintenance, offenders also help to reduce the costs to the Government of their incarceration and rehabilitation.

Is the effectiveness of programming assessed?

Evaluation of the effectiveness of programs in assisting offenders to successfully modify their behaviour is a key aspect of programming at CSC. Each national program includes a built-in evaluation component and methodology that facilitates the use of both quantitative and qualitative information to review and monitor the current programs. Ultimately, the evaluation component is intended to assist program managers in assessing the effectiveness of the program in contributing to offenders' successful reintegration. Results of the evaluations are used to revise and improve programs.

Are inmates paid?

Yes. As is the case in mainstream society, the pay system motivates and encourages people. With monetary incentive, inmates become involved in a wide variety of education, employment and correctional programs while incarcerated.

Inmate pay ranges from $5.25 to $6.90 per day and is based on the level of participation in program assignments related to the inmate’s correctional plan. Inmates who don’t participate in work or programs are given smaller allowances: $2.50 is given to inmates who are unable to participate in a program assignment for reasons beyond their control and $1.00 is given to those who refuse to participate in all assignments offered by the Program Board.

Learning good work habits, while receiving an allowance, encourages offenders to take responsibility for their lives, to manage their finances, to provide for their own personal needs, to save for their release, and to help support their families.

Are private family visits permitted in correctional facilities?

Yes. The Private Family Visit was established by the CSC to encourage offenders to develop and maintain family and community ties in preparation for their return to the community and to lessen the negative impact of incarceration on family relationships.

If they meet certain criteria, inmates have the opportunity to use special units within the confines of a correctional institution. Most units are simple two-bedroom structures with a combination kitchen and living area. Normally, private family visits are allowed once every two months for a period of up to 72 hours.

Conditional Release

Conditional release means releasing offenders into the community to serve the remainder of their sentence, under strictly defined conditions and with supervision and support. The purpose of conditional release is to help offenders make a safe, gradual, supervised return to society. Close monitoring and supervision of offenders on conditional release enables the early identification of those who are having difficulty making this transition. Interventions can be put in place prior to any further offence being committed. Deteriorating behaviour and failure to abide by the release conditions can result in offenders being returned to custody, even if they have not committed another criminal offence. Offenders who are incarcerated until their sentence has expired (known as warrant expiry) and then released into the community without any controls or supervision have an increased chance of committing another crime. Conditional release programs are more conducive to the safe reintegration of offenders than keeping them in the penitentiary until their warrant expiry date.

In keeping with the principle of “gradual, supervised return to society,” conditional release consists of five progressive stages—temporary absences, work release, day parole, full parole and statutory release—as set out in the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.

UTA: Unescorted temporary absence
PED: Parole eligibility date

Note: First-time federal offenders who have not been convicted of a violent or serious drug offence are eligible for accelerated parole review at one-sixth of their sentence or 6 months, whichever is more.

What types of release are available?

Offenders may be released on:

• Temporary absences (escorted or unescorted)
• Work release
• Day parole
• Full parole
• Statutory release

Full parole and day parole are granted by the National Parole Board (NPB). Temporary absences and work releases are normally granted by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).

What is a temporary absence?

A temporary absence may be granted to an offender for medical, administrative, community service, family contact, and personal development reasons (related to rehabilitation), if it is determined that the inmate is not an undue risk to society. An escorted temporary absence may be granted at any time during the sentence, whereas an unescorted temporary absence may be granted only after an offender has served one-sixth of the sentence or six months, whichever is greater. For escorted temporary absences, the offender is accompanied by one or more security officers or by a trained volunteer from the community. Offenders classified as maximum security do not qualify for unescorted absence. In cases of offenders who are serving life sentences, only the NPB can grant temporary absences.

In 2003–04, 7,865 men (including 1,490 Aboriginals) and 677 women (including 196 Aboriginals) participated in escorted temporary absences. Ninety-nine percent of them were completed without a breach of conditions or a new offence.

In 2003–04, 750 men (including 81 Aboriginals) and 78 women (including 14 Aboriginals) participated in unescorted temporary absences. Again, 99% of them were completed without a breach of conditions or a new offence.

What is a work release?

A work release allows offenders from minimum- and medium-security facilities to do paid or voluntary work in the community under supervision, as long as they do not pose an undue risk to society and the work release is consistent with their correctional plan. By offering practical experience, work releases give offenders an opportunity to contribute to the community and to increase their employability skills, and reduces their chances of re-offending.

In 2003–04, 544 men (including 87 Aboriginals) and 9 women (including 1 Aboriginal) participated in work releases. A full 99% of them were completed without a breach of conditions or a new offence.

What is day parole?

Day parole allows offenders to participate in community-based activities in preparation for release on full parole or statutory release. Offenders become eligible to be considered for day parole six months before their full parole eligibility date. First-time, non-violent federal offenders are also eligible for day parole after serving one-sixth of their sentence. Those imprisoned for either first- or second-degree murder become eligible for day parole three years before they are eligible for full parole. Only the NPB can grant day parole, and it does so only if it determines that the offender does not pose an undue risk to society.

In 2003–04, 2,328 men (including 349 Aboriginals) and 158 women (including 28 Aboriginals) successfully completed their term of supervision. During the same period, 1,544 men (including 227 Aboriginals) and 44 women (including 8 Aboriginals) were denied day parole.

What is full parole?

Normally, inmates are eligible to be considered for full parole by the NPB once they have served one-third of their sentence, or seven years, whichever is less. Under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, judges have the option at the time of sentencing to increase the time that violent and serious drug offenders spend in a correctional facility by delaying their eligibility for full parole until they have completed one-half of their sentence. Offenders sentenced to life for first-degree murder or high treason are not eligible to be considered for parole until they have served 25 years. Those sentenced to life for second-degree murder may apply for parole after serving between 10 and 25 years, as determined by the court. Offenders who are serving life sentences and who are granted parole remain on parole for the rest of their lives.

In 2003–04, 955 men (including 76 Aboriginals) and 112 women (including 15 Aboriginals) successfully completed their term of supervision. During the same period, 1,910 men (including 268 Aboriginals) and 48 women (including 8 Aboriginals) were denied full parole.

What is accelerated parole review?

An accelerated parole review applies to first-time, non- violent federal offenders only. These offenders’ cases are reviewed by the NPB for day and full parole after having served one-sixth of their sentence or six months, whichever is more. The NPB must direct their release on parole unless there is evidence that they are likely to commit a violent offence if released.

What is statutory release?

Most offenders who are serving sentences of fixed length, and who have not been granted parole or had their parole revoked, will be released by law on statutory release after serving two-thirds of their sentence. However, the NPB may add conditions to the release to protect society and help the offender adjust to the outside world in a law- abiding manner. If the NPB believes that the offender is likely to cause serious harm, commit a sexual offence against a child or commit a serious drug offence, it may, upon referral from CSC:

• grant the offender “one-chance” statutory release;
• order the offender to live under strict residential conditions (e.g., in a halfway house); or
• order the offender to remain in a correctional institution until the sentence expires. If a decision is made to detain an offender until the end of his or her sentence, the NPB must review that decision once a year.

Statutory release does not apply to offenders serving life or indeterminate sentences.

The main difference between parole and statutory release is that parole is a discretionary decision, whereas statutory release is a legal requirement.

In 2003–04, 2,964 men (including 501 Aboriginals) and 118 women (including 30 Aboriginals) successfully completed their term of supervision.

Can anybody observe a National Parole Board hearing?

Yes. Anyone who wishes to observe a hearing is required to submit an observer application prior to the hearing. This allows time for the required security check for visitors to a correctional institution and for the Board to review the application. Observers may be members of the general public, victims or members of the victim’s or offender’s family. In rare cases, the Board may deny an observer’s request to attend a hearing.

Observers are not permitted to remain in the hearing room during the Board members’ deliberations. However, people who wish to provide the Board with information that may be relevant to a decision may submit a written statement to the Board before the review.

What is detention?

The NPB, following referral from the CSC, may order the detention of an offender beyond the statutory release date, if it is determined that the offender is likely to commit, before the end of the sentence:

• an offence causing death or serious harm to another person;
• a sexual offence involving a child; or
• a serious drug offence.

In 2003–04, 279 men (including 68 Aboriginals) and no women were detained by the NPB.

Note: Numbers are for Decisions for detention – Initial review.

What is judicial review?

Judicial review is the process whereby an offender applies to the court for a reduction in the amount of time required to be served before becoming eligible for parole. It is not an early parole hearing, and it does not reduce a sentence imposed by the court. Rather, it is a mechanism by which offenders who meet certain conditions can apply to the court for a reduction in the amount of time they must wait before their case is considered by the NPB. Offenders must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible:

• Have been convicted of high treason or first-degree murder; or
• Have been convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for a period greater than 15 years; and
• Have served at least 15 years from time of arrest.

Each case is reviewed on its own merits, and public safety is the primary consideration in all decisions.

What is community supervision?

The transition from confinement to the community can be difficult. Offenders have a better chance of success if they receive supervision, programming opportunities and support within the community to which they are returning.

Supervision is carried out by CSC parole officers or contracted agency staff. It is a dynamic process that involves measures of both support and control, working directly with the offender as well as with many resources in the community.

All offenders on conditional release are supervised no matter where they live. The degree of supervision depends on the offender’s needs and risk. Parole officers rely on an array of information sources including police, families, professionals and program staff to verify the individual’s progress and to develop an appropriate plan of supervision. Parole officers are available to help the offender solve problems and take necessary action when risk is increased.

Research shows that supervision alone does not help offenders change; supervision together with programming does. Correctional programs in the community are tailored to the offender’s needs. Some programs address the problems of daily living, relationships and emotions. Others focus more specifically on education, sexual deviance and alcohol or drug abuse. Programs in the community are designed to build on the gains that the offender has made in institutional programs.

Because there are relatively few women on conditional release in the community in any one location, it is difficult to provide group-based programming. Community interventions, therefore, generally come in the form of one-to-one counselling. Women’s needs are also met through connections to agencies and services for women in the community.

How many offenders are being supervised?

On March 31, 2004:

What is a section 810?

It is a section in the Criminal Code of Canada, also called “Peace Bond”, which allows the police to ask the courts to impose conditions for up to one year on persons who pose a threat to society. The conditions of section 810 are actioned after the offender’s warrant expires. CSC works in close collaboration with police forces. If CSC has reasonable grounds to believe that an inmate who is completing his or her sentence will, upon release, pose a threat to any person, CSC would provide police all information under its control that is relevant to the perceived threat.

A comprehensive information package is prepared 90 days prior to the offender’s release at warrant expiry date to assist police in determining what action could be taken.

What are long-term supervision orders?

Certain offenders, though not officially designated as “dangerous,” can be placed under long-term supervision orders (LTSO) if it is determined that their unrestricted presence in the community poses a potential threat to public safety. These orders are imposed by the court at the time of sentencing and come into effect after the offenders have served their full sentence and are eligible for release. Long-term supervision orders can be imposed for up to 10 years, to ensure public safety. Offenders under long-term supervision orders are supervised by CSC parole officers.

As of September 19, 2004, the courts had imposed 279 long-term supervision orders on federal offenders. Of these orders, 70% were for a period of 10 years.

What is a dangerous offender?

Dangerous offender designations are set by the court after an application by a provincial Crown attorney at the time of sentencing. CSC is not involved. A dangerous offender designation may result from a single act of brutality or a number of offences (i.e., repeat/habitual offences). The nature of the offence for which the offender has been convicted would be a serious personal injury offence, and he or she represents a continuing serious threat to the life, safety or physical or mental well-being of other persons. Designation as a dangerous offender means that the offender must serve an indeterminate sentence with no entitlement to statutory release.

Dangerous offenders may apply for conditional release after serving seven years of their sentence. However, conditional release is granted only if it is determined by the NPB that the offender can be safely reintegrated into the community. In such cases, the offender is monitored in the same way as other parolees who are under supervision for life.

As of September 26, 2004, there were 331 dangerous offenders. Of these, 314 were incarcerated, one has been deported and 16 were being supervised in the community.

Victims

Victims’ needs are an essential part of the federal corrections and parole process and a priority in the operation of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). The Service has a legal responsibility to provide victims* with case-specific information if they request it and to gather victim information necessary for decision making. At every facility, as well as at regional and national headquarters, there are employees responsible for victim liaison services.

Anyone, including a victim or a victim’s family, can ask for basic, publicly available information about an offender, such as:

• The offence and the court that convicted the offender;
• When the sentence began and the length of the sentence; and
• Eligibility and review dates of the offender for unescorted temporary absences, day parole and full parole.

More information may be released if the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada or the Chairperson of the National Parole Board (NPB) determines that the interest of the victim clearly outweighs any invasion of the offender’s privacy that could result from the disclosure. Such information may include:

• The location of the penitentiary in which the sentence is being served;
• The date, if any, on which the offender is to be released on unescorted or escorted temporary absence, work release, parole, or statutory release;
• The date of any hearing for the purposes of an NPB review;
• Any of the conditions attached to the offender’s unescorted temporary absence, work release, parole, or statutory release;
• The destination of the offender when released on any temporary absence, work release, parole, or statutory release, and whether the offender will be in the vicinity of the victim while travelling to that destination;
• Whether the offender is in custody and, if not, why; and
• Whether or not the offender has appealed a decision of the NPB, and the outcome of that appeal.

Victims have an opportunity to provide input for consideration prior to corrections and parole decisions being made. They may choose to provide victim impact statements, describing how the offence has affected them, physically, emotionally or financially. They are also entitled to make oral or pre-recorded presentations to the NPB at the offender’s parole hearing.

CSC works closely with victims and victims-serving agencies— consulting them about our work.

CSC is committed to working with federal government and community-based partners to better integrate available victim services. Along with the NPB and the Department of Justice, the Service has established a Joint Victims Office, which consults with victims and co-ordinates communication.

* The Corrections and Conditional Release Act defines a victim as someone to whom harm was done or who suffered physical or emotional damage as the result of an offence.

Community Involvement

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) considers establishing positive and reciprocal relationships with Canadian communities to be a necessity to support public safety and health. In most cases, offenders will return to the community. Therefore, the success in reintegrating offenders into the community depends on the support of citizens and communities.

Community participation takes many forms. CSC works with a broad range of community groups and individuals— some who understand the challenges from a professional orientation, some who may bring a cultural awareness to the challenge, and others whose involvement comes from being a family member, a victim of crime or a concerned citizen.

Citizens’ Advisory Committees

Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC) members are local citizens who volunteer their time to help inform communities about the correctional process and to provide advice to wardens or persons in charge of a parole office.

CACs act as a link between CSC and the community. They help build public understanding and support for CSC’s role in community safety and give CSC management a community perspective on operational and policy decisions.

CACs encourage public participation in the correctional process and help develop community resources to support the safe reintegration of offenders.

Almost every federal institution and parole office in Canada has established a CAC. There are currently 105 CACs with close to 600 members across Canada.

If you would like to become involved with Citizens’ Advisory Committees, please contact the nearest parole office or correctional institution.

For further information on the CAC program, or to obtain an application form, visit CSC’s Web site at www.csc-scc.gc.ca and follow the link under “Partners.”

Volunteers

There are approximately 10,000 CSC volunteers, from all walks of life, helping in our institutions as well as in the community. The services they provide have become an integral part of many offenders’ lives. Volunteers contribute to a variety of institution-based programs including chaplaincy, recreation activities, classroom and workshop instruction, social events and cultural activities. In the community, volunteers support families of incarcerated offenders and help released offenders re-adjust to life in the community.

In what programs and services do volunteers participate?

Programs and services provided by citizens and volunteer organizations are many and varied. The following list provides a sample of these programs and services:

• Education
• Substance abuse programs
• Multicultural and ethnic programs
• Native liaison
• Health care
• Social/recreation
• Offender escorts
• Parole offices
• Community projects

How to become a volunteer

If you would like to become a volunteer with CSC, your first step is to contact the correctional institution or parole office nearest you. You will find the addresses of all institutions and parole offices on CSC’s Web site at www.csc-scc.gc.ca

Moreover, CSC has much to offer communities to assist in crime prevention. Its understanding of beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that contribute to crime can be shared with communities to prevent crimes.

Giving back to the community

In every neighbourhood where an institution is located, CSC becomes part of that community and feels a great sense of responsibility to get involved in a positive way. “Giving back to the community” is a program that helps offenders develop a stronger sense of accountability.

CSC is a strong advocate of reaching out and helping others—underprivileged or sick children, persons who are elderly, physically or mentally disabled, or homeless, schools, charitable organizations and youth at risk.

One example of helping others is a program in which inmates restore bikes donated by local community centres. The bikes are then given to children in need. Another project involves growing vegetables in institutional gardens and donating them to local soup kitchens.

Each year, offenders at several institutions across Canada host Special Olympiads sports days for developmentally challenged adults and youths living in the community. It is a chance for offenders, with help from CSC staff and volunteers, to show that they care about the community and this special segment of the population.

“Giving back to the community” initiatives take place year round.

Community forums

Community forums are an opportunity for CSC and its partners to engage in a dialogue with the community and to build awareness and support for the safe reintegration of offenders.

Forums encourage frank discussions on a variety of themes, including the needs of offenders in the community, cultural diversity, the role of Aboriginal communities, the successful return of offenders to society and community safety.

Restorative Justice

Restorative justice is a philosophy that views crime or conflict principally as harm done to people and relationships. Programs that espouse this philosophy in their approach strive to provide support and safe opportunities for participation and communication between those affected (victims, offenders, families, community), and to encourage accountability, safety, reparation, and movement towards feelings of satisfaction, healing and closure.

The Correctional Service of Canada continues to strategically advance restorative justice approaches through education, training, demonstration projects, inter-governmental and international collaboration and partnerships, and research, and through expanded engagement of victims and community members.

A number of programs fit under the umbrella of restorative justice, such as:

Victim and Offender Mediation gives victims the opportunity to meet with offenders face-to-face in the presence of a trained mediator. This process can help reduce the victim’s fears, while establishing offender accountability and reparation for the crime.

Circle Sentencing originated as an alternative to the current sentencing process. Community members actively assist justice authorities by participating in discussions about available sentencing options and plans to reintegrate the offender back into the community. In some cases, a serious, non-custodial community sentence will replace a jail term.

Family Group Conferencing brings together the victim, offender, family members and supporters. It provides a forum for dealing with unanswered questions, emotions, and the right to restitution and reparation for the victim.

Community Sentencing Panels are composed of volunteers from the community. Their agendas often focus on restorative measures such as restitution, reparation, mediation and victim involvement. These panels also address social factors that may foster crime.

Offenders’ Rights

Do offenders have rights?

Like all Canadians, offenders’ rights are protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Contrary to popular myth, offenders do not have more rights than the average citizen. Essentially, they retain the rights of an ordinary citizen except those which have been removed by law or as a result of incarceration. The Corrections and Conditional Release Act and regulations, as well as Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and National Parole Board policy, clearly outline these rights.

Do opportunities exist for offenders to seek redress?

The offender complaint and grievance procedure allows offenders to complain informally and in writing if they believe their rights have been violated or if they disagree with a decision CSC has made in their case. Offenders may also contact a number of appointed and elected officials, as well as the Correctional Investigator, who is independent from CSC. Under some circumstances, an offender may have recourse to the federal courts. Finally, offenders may appeal a decision of the National Parole Board to the Board’s Appeal Division.

Our Partners

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) works in close collaboration with a wide range of criminal justice partners, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police forces, the criminal courts and the National Parole Board.

Partners in the Canadian criminal justice system rely on each other to exchange vital information in an integrated fashion. For example, several police agencies, as well as provincial and territorial correctional services, are connected to CSC’s Offender Management System, a secure data base with detailed information on federal offenders, both in custody and on conditional release in the community. Profiles of offenders in the community are also shared with police through a secure computer application called InfoPol.

Other important partners include Aboriginal communities, faith groups, universities and colleges, volunteers, victims’ groups, non-governmental organizations and citizens from the community who are members of Citizens’ Advisory Committees. CSC also works with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), a key criminal justice stakeholder, as a partner in the correctional process. This relationship facilitates a consultative process and the exchange of information on correctional issues of importance to the community.

CSC’s relationships with its partners are a key factor in its ability to safely reintegrate offenders.

Partnerships with voluntary agencies such as the John Howard Society, the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, St. Leonard’s House and the Salvation Army help bring corrections closer to the community and raise the odds of offenders becoming responsible citizens.

How to Reach Us

For further information, or to order copies of this publication, please contact:

Correctional Service of Canada
Communications and Citizen Engagement Sector
340 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0P9
Canada

Phone: (613) 995-5364
Fax: (613) 947-0091

This publication is also available on the Correctional Service of Canada’s Web site at: www.csc-scc.gc.ca