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The Service’s single strategic outcome has four related and aligned program activities: custody, correctional interventions, community supervision, and internal services. CSC’s effectiveness and efficiencies in managing these areas provide the foundation for public safety results.
This program activity signals the importance of ensuring that offenders are provided with reasonable, safe, secure and humane custody while serving their sentences. Many of the day-to-day needs of offenders in custody include basics such as food, clothing, mental health services, and physical healthcare. Also included in this program activity are security measures within institutions including drug interdiction, and appropriate control practices to prevent incidents.
Strategic Outcome | |||
---|---|---|---|
The custody, correctional interventions, and supervision of offenders, in communities and institutions, contribute to public safety | |||
Program Activities | |||
Custody | Correctional Interventions | Community Supervision | Internal Services |
Planned Spending | Total Authorities | Actual Spending |
---|---|---|
1,687.4 | 1,724.2 | 1,478.5 |
Planned | Actual | Difference |
---|---|---|
9,423 | 10,452 | 1,029 |
Expected Result
Offenders in institutions are provided reasonable, safe, secure and humane custody.
Result
CSC has somewhat met its identified targets against this program activity.
Performance Indicators |
Targets | Performance Status |
Data type11 | 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Escapes from federal institutions | Rate of escapes from federal institutions12 | Reduce over five years | The overall rate of escapes from custody has decreased | OPY | .18 | .24 | .13 |
Offender deaths by other than natural causes | Rate of offender deaths by other than natural causes13 | Reduce over five years | The rate of offender deaths by other than natural causes has increased slightly | OPY | .14 | .14 | .15 |
Rate of assaultive behaviour by offenders | Staff assaulted by inmates14 | Reduce over five years | The rate of staff assaults by inmates has decreased | OPY | 2.00 | 2.07 | 1.92 |
Inmates assaulted by inmates15 | Reduce over five years | The rate of inmates assaults by other inmates has increased slightly | OPY | 4.22 | 4.25 | 4.96 | |
Staff injured by inmates16 | Reduce over five years | The rate of staff injured by inmates has fluctuated slightly yet decreased | OPY | .39 | .32 | .35 | |
Inmates injured by inmates17 | Reduce over five years | The rate of inmates injured by other inmates has increased | OPY | 3.86 | 3.72 | 4.65 | |
Availability of drugs in Institutions | Drug related seizures18 | Reduce over five years | The rate of offender drug-related seizures has increased | OPY | 10.56 | 13.71 | 15.37 |
Random urinalysis testing (positive results)19 | Reduce over five years | The rate of positive urinalysis has increased slightly | % | 7.16 | 7.36 | 7.43 | |
Random Urinalysis testing (refusals to provide)20 | Reduce over five years | The rate of refusals to provide urine samples has decreased | % | 10.47 | 8.61 | 8.01 | |
Offenders with identified mental health needs granted parole at eligibility21 | Percentage of offenders with identified mental health needs granted parole at eligibility | Reduce over five years | Number of offenders denied conditional release at eligibility due to unaddressed mental health problems | % | 38.7% (431 of 1,114) of offenders with mental health needs22 who were released received day or full parole. |
Offenders admitted to CSC’s institutions have increasingly extensive histories of violence, previous youth and adult convictions, affiliations with gangs and organized crime, and increased prevalence of infectious diseases and mental health concerns, and there is still a disproportionate representation of Aboriginal people. All of these issues can have impacts on custody-related results, but despite the many challenges, there were several notable operational successes related to the “Custody” program activity, including:
CSC also continued to strengthen staff training capacity through a number of measures:
A number of CSC staff attended a workshop on risk assessment of radicalized offenders as a measure to enhance staff understanding and capacity to assess and deal with radicalized offenders. In addition, CSC also conducted research in this area to garner a fuller understanding of radicalized offenders.
To address the issue of drugs in institutions, CSC took action that included:
CSC conducts investigations into incidents including offender deaths or serious bodily injury and any matter relating to the operations of CSC. During fiscal year 2010-2011, CSC convened 143 national investigations.
A Death in Custody Accountability Framework was completed and key performance indicators are being analyzed in order to inform decision making.
Incident investigation findings are published routinely within CSC in order to foster a learning environment and contribute to lessons learned, and CSC is enhancing its incident investigations capacity in order to leverage current technology to maximise learning opportunities from these investigation findings.
CSC has begun a review of Practices to Prevent/Respond to Deaths in Custody, which has an objective of providing moderate assurance that key high-risk commitments undertaken by CSC regarding death in custody have been implemented.
The Service is also conducting national studies on self-injurious behaviours of both men and women offenders which will provide information on the nature and motivations for such behaviours. The studies will also serve to provide information related to the mental health, personal and criminal histories of offenders.
Improvements in the provision of mental health services such as the Computerized Mental Health Intake Screening System have improved the Service’s ability to identify and offer treatment to offenders with significant mental health needs, including those at risk for suicide, earlier in their sentences.
There are a number of variables that impact on the incidents of violence being observed within CSC institutions, namely the types of offenders who are being admitted with increasingly extensive histories of violence, prior convictions for criminal activities, and affiliations with gangs and organized crime. Gang-related activities pose a serious threat to safety and security, to CSC’s efficiency and effectiveness in managing its operational units, and in assisting eligible offenders with their safe transition into the community. Anticipating increases in the inmate population, methods to respond to and control incidents of assaultive behaviour are required and specific attention is being paid to increasing dynamic security on one hand, and reducing the effects of aggressive action with additional interventions, personal protective or responsive equipment on the other hand.
This program activity, which reflects CSC initiatives in both institutions and communities, highlights the importance of helping to bring about positive changes in behaviour and to safely and successfully reintegrate offenders back into Canadian communities. This program activity is focused on addressing offender needs across a number of life areas that are associated with criminal behaviour.
Strategic Outcome | |||
---|---|---|---|
The custody, correctional interventions, and supervision of offenders, in communities and institutions, contribute to public safety | |||
Program Activities | |||
Custody | Correctional Interventions | Community Supervision | Internal Services |
Planned Spending | Total Authorities | Actual Spending |
---|---|---|
436.0 | 456.8 | 410.1 |
Planned | Actual | Difference |
---|---|---|
4,172 | 4,365 | 193 |
Expected Results
Correctional interventions address identified individual offender risks and needs and contribute to the offender’s successful rehabilitation and reintegration.
Result
CSC has met all of its identified targets against this program activity.
Performance Indicators |
Targets | Performance Status |
Data type | 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Participation in correctional interventions | Number of participation in correctional interventions identified in Correctional Plans 25 | Increase over five years | The number of enrolments to nationally recognized correctional programs increased | # | 6,227 | 6,516 | 8,191 |
Number of completion of correctional interventions identified in Correctional Plans 26 | Increase over five years | The number of offenders completing correctional programs increased | # | 4,710 | 5,196 | 6,651 | |
Discretionary releases | Rate of offenders granted discretionary release at eligibility 27 | Increase over five years | The rate of offenders granted discretionary release has increased | % | 43.10 | 43.75 | 43.54 |
Re-admissions after release for a new violent conviction (2 years) | Rate of offender readmission after release for a new violent conviction (within 2 years of warrant expiry) 28 | Reduce over five years | The rate of offenders readmitted after release for a new violent conviction within two years of warrant expiry has decreased | % | 4.68% (2006-2007) to 4.43% (2008-2009). | ||
Re-admissions after release for a new violent conviction (5 years) | Rate of offender readmission after release for a new violent conviction (within 5 years of warrant expiry) 29 | Reduce over five years | The rate of offenders admitted after release for a new violent conviction within five years of warrant expiry has decreased | % | 9.51% (2003-2004) to 9.40% (2005-2006). | ||
Re-admissions after release for a new conviction (2 years) | Rate of offender readmission after release for a new conviction 30 | Reduce over five years | The rate of offenders readmitted after release for a new conviction within two years of warrant expiry has decreased | % | 11.20% (2006-2007) to 10.31% in (2008-2009). | ||
Re-admissions after release for a new conviction (5 years) | Rate of offender readmission after release for a new conviction 31 | Reduce over five years | The rate of offenders readmitted after release for a new conviction within five years of warrant expiry has increased | % | 21.32% (2003-2004) to 21.81% (2005-2006). |
CSC continues to face challenges regarding the effective and efficient delivery of correctional programs to offenders with increasing levels of educational and learning deficits, mental health disorders, shorter sentences and higher security levels.
A number of new initiatives were launched to increase operational efficiencies and capacity to deliver effective interventions to offender populations:
Capacity to deliver effective and timely correctional interventions to violent offenders has been enhanced with a 22 percent increase in program enrolment compared to 2009-2010 and an 82 percent completion rate.33
CSC implemented the Aboriginal Corrections Accountability Framework to better monitor, measure and improve the organization’s capacity to address the unique needs and risks of Aboriginal offenders. CSC has continued to develop and implement programs that are culturally appropriate and designed to address the unique needs of Aboriginal offenders.
Enhanced program capacity was realized through the hiring of 48 Aboriginal Correctional Program Officers, and increased numbers of program enrolments, recruitment of Aboriginal program facilitators, managers and Elders. Aboriginal offender program enrolments to Aboriginal-specific programs realized an overall 69.9 percent increase compared to the previous fiscal year.
The data represents the total number of aboriginal offender enrolments to aboriginal-specific nationally recognized correctional programs within federal institutions. | |||
---|---|---|---|
2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | % Change | |
First Nations | 435 | 737 | 69.4 |
Inuit | 30 | 51 | 70.0 |
M�tis | 97 | 167 | 72.2 |
Total | 562 | 955 | 69.9 |
CSC also began piloting the Aboriginal Integrated Correctional Program Model for male Aboriginal offenders at all institutions and community sites in the Pacific and Atlantic Regions. Preliminary results indicate that:
Aboriginal offender completion rates of all correctional programs within federal institutions are up 1.9 percent from 79.5 percent to 81.4 percent. This reporting period also saw the start of new Pathways Initiatives, and these enhanced healing and intervention units will create opportunities for Aboriginal offenders to better prepare for transfer to lower security environments that provide greater potential for a successful release and parole.
Preparing offenders for release was a key area of focus, with many achievements realized in this reporting period:
To address the implementation of strategies and programs that are gender informed for women offenders, CSC implemented the Continuum of Care for women offenders and Circle of Care for Aboriginal women offenders. The manual for the Women's Sex Offender Program was completed and will be implemented by fall 2011. The Women's Violence Prevention Program continues at five sites and it will be incorporated into the High Intensity Programs for all women offenders. The Women Offender Substance Abuse Program was phased out during this reporting period, as the modernized program (Continuum of Care) was implemented. A gender-informed security reclassification tool is in use.
To address the strengthening of services to ethno-cultural offenders,the Service commemorated various ethno-cultural events throughout the fiscal year, including sponsoring a variety of cultural activities. A number of ethno-cultural offenders were provided information sessions regarding release planning. Book and brochures regarding employability were developed and published in various languages to accommodate different cultural groups. The number of volunteers from varying cultural backgrounds has also increased.
The assessment and identification of risks and needs of ethno-cultural offenders have been taken into consideration in the enhancement of the Offender Intake Assessment Process. Further, an ethno-cultural portal was activated in the summer of 2010to provide concrete skills to institutional staff to assist in the delivery of interventions to this culturally diverse group of offenders. CSC also piloted components of an Inter-cultural Conflict Management training package aimed at raising awareness and understanding to promote appropriate and effective staff responses where conflicts may arise.
In order to effectively address the needs of offenders, ensuring a continuum of care is of significant importance and can be effectively achieved by a strong working relationship between institutional and community staff. Ensuring a safe release at the earliest possible date is dependent on effective relationships between institutional and community staff, and the involvement of stakeholders and partners.
There is growing international recognition and support for the development and implementation of programming that is gender specific. CSC has continued to provide programs to women that are structured to respect women’s unique needs, as well as ethnic, cultural, spiritual, and linguistic differences.
This program activity reflects the importance of CSC’s work to help ensure that eligible offenders are safely reintegrated into communities, through strong management of the community corrections infrastructure, accommodations and health services where required, and supervision for the duration of the offender’s sentence. The expected result for this program activity is that offenders will be maintained in the community as law-abiding citizens.
Strategic Outcome | |||
---|---|---|---|
The custody, correctional interventions, and supervision of offenders, in communities and institutions, contribute to public safety | |||
Program Activities | |||
Custody | Correctional Interventions | Community Supervision | Internal Services |
Planned Spending | Total Authorities | Actual Spending |
---|---|---|
123.9 | 134.6 | 102.7 |
Planned | Actual | Difference |
---|---|---|
174 | 201 | 27 |
Expected Result
The provision of a structured and supportive environment during the gradual reintegration process contributes to the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders and to public safety.
Result
CSC has met all of its identified targets against this program activity.
Performance Indicators |
Targets | Performance Status |
Data type36 | 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Offenders under community supervision who incur suspensions | Rate of offenders under community supervision who incur suspensions37 | Reduce over five years | The rate of offenders under community supervision who incurred one or more suspensions of their conditional release decreased | OPY | 72.97 | 69.96 | 65.22 |
Performance Indicators |
Targets | Performance Status |
Data type | 2008-2009 | 2009-201038 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Offenders under community supervision who incur new convictions | Rate of offenders under community supervision who incur new convictions 39 | Reduce over five years | The rate of offenders under community supervision who incurred new convictions has decreased | OPY | 12.60 | 11.75 |
Rate of offenders under community supervision who incur new convictions for non-violent offences 40 | Reduce over five years | The rate of offenders under community supervision who incurred new convictions for non-violent offences has decreased | OPY | 10.45 | 9.82 | |
Rate of offenders under community supervision who incur new convictions for violent offences 41 | Reduce over five years | The rate of offenders under community supervision who incurred new convictions for violent offences decreased | OPY | 2.15 | 1.93 |
CSC has continued to focus attention on the integration of correctional effort as it pertains to the Community Supervision activities. Throughout the year, CSC realized the following achievements:
Many offenders will return to the community on some form of release. Efforts made in the area of community supervision have clearly impacted positively as is denoted by the decreasing numbers of suspensions and the incurrence of new convictions for offenders under community supervision.
CSC secured additional resources in 2010-2011 to support increased measures and interventions to manage higher risk offenders who reside in community residential facilities. Implementation of these measures will commence in 2011-2012 and increase over the next two years. CSC continues to work with its partners to ensure that the best strategies and supports are in place for successful reintegration: for example, CSC met with Regional Halfway House Association representatives to further strengthen the working relationship.
In 2010-2011, Community Mental Health Initiative funding was renewed for 5 years (2010-2015). A recent evaluation demonstrated that the Community Mental Health Initiative has significantly improved CSC’s capacity to address the mental health needs of offenders by reducing the risk of suspension and revocation for offenders receiving community mental health services by 34 percent and 59 percent respectively, than a comparison group. With increased access to mental health services, the Community Mental Health Initiative has resulted in enhanced public safety while promoting the principles of offender accountability, continuity of care and community partnerships.CSC’s future responses and actions to the Community Based Residential Facilities Review Paper will be incorporated into a Community Accommodation Strategy and its subsequent action plan scheduled to be completed in 2011. The Community Accommodation Strategy builds on the results of stakeholder engagements that occurred between September 2010 and April 2011 for the Community Corrections Strategy.
This program activity includes corporate and administrative services supporting the effective and efficient delivery of operational programs and activities across the organization, and contributes meaningfully to horizontal and/or government-wide initiatives.
Strategic Outcome | |||
---|---|---|---|
The custody, correctional interventions, and supervision of offenders, in communities and institutions, contribute to public safety | |||
Program Activities | |||
Custody | Correctional Interventions | Community Supervision | Internal Services |
Planned Spending43 | Total Authorities | Actual Spending44 |
---|---|---|
212.9 | 244.1 | 383.7 |
Planned | Actual | Difference |
---|---|---|
2,818 | 3,027 | 209 |
Expected Result
Efficient organizational functioning and support to our Transformation Agenda.
Result
CSC has mostly met its identified targets against this program activity.
Performance Indicators | Targets | Performance Status |
---|---|---|
An organizational culture and operation respectful of Public Service values and ethics |
Maintain “Strong” Management Accountability Framework rating in this area in addition to increasing positive responses from staff through surveys |
CSC’s rating under the Management Accountability Framework assessment was “Acceptable” in the most recent assessment, compared to “Opportunity for Improvement” in the previous assessment. |
Effective organizational relationships where conflict is appropriately managed |
A decrease over five years in related staff grievances. An increase over five years in positive responses from staff in surveys |
Union of Canadian Correctional Officers grievance committees are in place in every Institution. The number of grievances filed by CSC employees was reduced from 2963 grievances in 2009-2010 to 2847 in 2010-2011, a reduction of 3.9%. |
Public resources are well managed through effective internal controls and timely monitoring |
Financial discrepancies, if any, raised on time and resolved immediately |
CSC will continue maintaining effective processes to regularly monitor, report on and analyse the use of resources. Furthermore, CSC will continue to improve its system of internal controls. |
Effective outreach to community partners and information services for victims |
Increase in satisfaction ratings over five years |
Building on the increased satisfaction from victims as reported in 2009, CSC has implemented initiatives to enhance outreach to Aboriginal victims, partners and stakeholders. CSC has also developed a framework to streamline the delivery of services to victims with other agencies and jurisdictions in two pilot regions. |
Recruitment and retention strategies for healthcare professionals, trades and other occupational groups with low workforce availability |
Reduction in vacancies within CSC healthcare professionals, trades and other occupational groups |
Nurse, social worker and psychology vacancies have been reduced and a Health Recruitment and Retention Strategy has been implemented across regions in order to improve on vacancies of other healthcare professionals. |
A Common Human Resources Business Process is implemented in conjunction with the Canada Public Service Agency |
Reduction in timeframes for staffing processes |
CSC has implemented common business processes for staffing, and learning and development across all regions, thus streamlining and standardizing business processes to further improve efficiencies. Compensation service standards have also been implemented. An "Express Lane Staffing" system and teams have been put in place across regions, thus simplifying the process and reducing timeframes for low risk staffing actions representing more than 60% of all staffing actions. |
Human resource capacities in all areas |
Strengthen human resource capacities in all areas |
Development programs to strengthen skills in areas requiring specific expertise have been put in place. CSC has implemented numerous tools which are accessible to management across regions and allow them to plan, monitor and manage their workforce. The on-line Human Resources Services Portal has been implemented across regions which provides managers with a single window to access all human resources-related information. There are also a series of online tools for Human Resources professionals. As part of the Human Resource Management System, employees, managers and Human Resource professionals have increased self-service capacity and online training and quick reference tools. CSC has collaborated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for the delivery of correctional training programs (organized as part of national recruitment strategies) at a centralized facility. There is also a service agreement with Canada Border Service Agency for use of its basic facilitation training. |
Relationships with partners |
Enhance relationships with partners |
CSC continues to enhance relationships with partners through citizen engagement activities such as CSC Partners Day, Educational Resources Portal, Regional Halfway House Association, Citizen Advisory Committees, National Volunteer Association, Victims Advisory Committees, Community Forum Program, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and National Associations Active in Criminal Justice, Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy and Consultation Initiatives. |
Infrastructure and accommodation strategies |
Review infrastructure and accommodation strategies |
The Long Term Accommodation Strategy has been reviewed and updated in the context of the Truth in Sentencing Act coming into force in 2010. |
During this reporting period, internal services areas across the organization focused on strengthening management practices:
CSC’s use of an internal Human Resource Management Dashboard is noted as a best practice according to Treasury Board Secretariat direction as it serves to facilitate workforce planning for operational managers.
The Management Action Plans resulting from various internal audits completed in 2010-2011 are strengthening CSC’s overall governance and management structure by improving its policy framework, communications, training (talent management), monitoring and reporting, and resource management.
The Ontario region is initiating a Formal Internship Program registered with the Association of Psychology, Postdoctoral and Internship Centres and the Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Program. Selected interns will start in the fall of 2011, with this initiative facilitating the recruitment of mental health care professionals.