ARCHIVED - RPP 2007-2008
Correctional Service Canada

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SECTION 2: Analysis of Plans by Program Activities

2.1 Overview of Plans by Sub-Activity

The Strategic Outcome for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is that "offenders are safely and effectively accommodated and reintegrated into Canadian communities with due regard for public safety." As mentioned in Section 1, this strategic outcome is achieved through three Program Activities: Care and Custody, Rehabilitation and Case Management, and CORCAN.

CSC's priorities have been aligned with its Program Activities. The plans, which are associated with the priorities, have been aligned at the sub-activity level, as presented in the table below.

In this section, each plan, and its associated milestones, will be discussed in detail under the appropriate Sub-Activity.

Program Activity	Departmental Priority	Program Sub-Activity	Plans
Care and Custody     Administering a sentence through reasonable, safe, secure and humane custody	Safety and Security in Institutions:   Safety and security for staff and offenders in our institutions   Community transition:   Safe transition of eligible offenders into the community     Mental Health: Improved capacity to meet the mental health needs of offenders.	Security	Institutional Staff Safety * Community Staff Safety * Clarify Roles & Responsibilities of Front-line Staff * Strategic Intelligence * Strategic Plan to Reduce Illicit Drugs in Institutions
		Health Services	Infectious Diseases * Community Mental Health Initiative * Intake Mental Health Assessment Pilot Projects
Rehabilitation and Case Management   Assisting in the safe rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders into communities	Community transition:   Safe transition of eligible offenders into the community     Aboriginal Offenders: Enhanced capacities to provide effective interventions for First Nations, Métis and Inuit offenders	Case Management	Electronic Monitoring * Offender Intake Assessment Process * Improve Population Management for Aboriginal Offenders * Classification Tools for Women Offenders * Systemic Policy Barriers * Horizontal Collaboration on Aboriginal issues
		Program Development and Delivery	Community Programs * Violence Prevention * Aboriginal Programming
CORCAN Assisting in the safe reintegration of offenders by providing employment and employability skills	Community transition: Safe transition of eligible offenders into the community	Not Applicable	Employment Continuum * National Employment Strategy for Women
Corporate Services37	Management: Strengthened Management Practices	Not Applicable	Respond to the Public Service Employee Survey * Promote Values & Ethics * Internal Communications * Strengthen Human Resources Management

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³⁷ Although Corporate Services is not a Program Activity, it supports all CSC's Program Activities

 

2.2 Care and Custody

Results Commitment Administer sentences through reasonable, safe, secure and humane custody.

Contributing to public safety through the reasonable, safe, secure and humane custody of federally incarcerated offenders is fundamental to CSC's mandate and is the key results commitment for the Care and Custody Program Activity.

A wide range of activities that address the health and safety requirements of offenders are included in this Activity and are represented through four sub-activities, namely: Security, Health Services, Institutional Services and Accommodation Services.

CSC institutions can be characterized as small, self-contained communities with the infrastructure necessary to meet offenders' basic physical needs. Necessities, such as food, housing, heating, lighting, clothing, and telephone services, are all captured under the two sub-activities, Institutional Services and Accommodation Services. While there are no specific plans presented for Institutional Services and Accommodation Services in this year's RPP, these ongoing activities are fundamental to CSC's operations and together comprise approximately 40% of CSC's expenditures.

This section focuses on the Security Services and Health Services sub-activities and the plans associated with them.

Planned spending and human resource allocations for the four sub-activities are as follows:

CARE AND CUSTODY	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Financial Resources ($Millions)
Total	1,379.7	1,414.9	1,449.6
Security	640.7	648.6	655.1
Health Services	176.3	198.4	196.8
Institutional Services	94.3	88.8	88.5
Accommodation Services	468.4	479.1	509.2
Human Resources - Full-Time Equivalents	11,005	11,008	11,309

As the subsections below will show, the Care and Custody Program Activity directly supports three of CSC's five priorities, namely, ensuring the safety and security for staff and offenders in institutions, safe transition of eligible offenders into the community, and improving capacities to address the mental health needs of offenders.

2.2.1 Security Sub-Activity

One of CSC's fundamental responsibilities is to ensure that its institutions are safe for staff and offenders. To this end, CSC is committed to ensuring that the continued safety, security and rights of staff, offenders and the public are safeguarded, as measured by the number and rate of institutional security incidents by type.

While CSC operations, including its security functions, are under significant pressure due to a number of internal and external factors described in Section 1, in order to maintain key correctional results CSC remains committed and focussed on a select number of plans in support of its five priorities. Plans that relate to safety and security are outlined below.

Institutional Staff Safety

CSC is committed to enhancing staff safety measures and increasing its ability to respond effectively to institutional incidents. In addition to protecting staff, these measures are also aimed at creating a better climate and conditions condusive for successful behavioural changes and rehabilitation of offenders. More specifically, this plan includes:

• The completion of acquisition and distribution of stab-proof vests to designated front line correctional staff;
• The provision of additional supervision for CSC's highest-risk offenders who are housed at the Special Handling Unit;
• The continued delivery of specialized training modules for selected Correctional Officers relating to gang and safety measures, particularly at maximum-security institutions;
• Implementation of approved firearms recommendations;
• Completion of the assessment of institutional pandemic contingency plans; and
• Assessment and pilot testing of security intervention tools (e.g., TASERS, ISPEA, low impact rounds).

Community Staff Safety

Fundamental to ensuring the safe, supervised reintegration of offenders into communities is ensuring the safety and security of CSC's community staff. To continue to improve in this area, CSC is committed to:

• Implementation of a Lone Worker Protection Program for community Parole Officers to improve community staff safety;
• Developing safety training for non-Parole Officers community staff;
• Reviewing, identifying and implementing appropritate resources for community infrastructure and small offices to improve staff safety and support public safety;
• Promulgating revised community supervision policies which incorporate strengthened processes to address community staff safety; and
• Dedicating corporate resources to support Advisory Committee on Community Staff Safety.

Clarify Roles & Responsibilities of Front line Staff

The correctional environment has been changing over the past decade, with an increasingly diverse and challenging offender population, including more offenders with violent or mental health histories, gang or organized crime affiliations, and high levels of substance abuse and medical needs. This has led to the need to establish a strong focus on daily institutional security and inmate population management.

At the same time, risk assessment and correctional program interventions have become increasingly complex and technical, and the need for increasing clinical supervision, quality control and greater integration of professional assessments and interventions has been identified both internally and by stakeholders. Given the constantly changing environment, CSC is committed to ensuring front line staff have the clarity of roles and responsibilities necessary to carry out CSC's legislative mandate in the most effective manner possible. More specifically, CSC is committed to:

• Commencing implementation of the Institutional Management Structure and the Correctional Officer Deployment Initiative. This will include the establishment of new deployment standards over the next two years and the introduction of key new positions during this same time period. This will ensure the consistent deployment of correctional staff to standardized security activities and responsibilities on a daily basis;
• Working with the correctional officer's union to develop a more effective and efficient scheduling practice in CSC. This will be based on a set of co-developed scheduling principles; and
• Complete implementation of Executive Committee approved District Infrastructure.

Strategic Intelligence

The increasingly complex offender population presents new challenges requiring substantive enhancements to CSC's security intelligence capacity. This increased capacity will enhance CSC's ability to mitigate the risks posed by offenders, in particular gang-affiliated offenders, and contribute to a safer environment for staff, offenders and the public. More specifically, this plan includes:

• The continued development of a more comprehensive Gang Management Strategy, including the continued implementation of the Security Intelligence Network (SINET) at all correctional and community facilities.

Strategic Plan to Reduce Illicit Drugs in Institutions

Illicit drug use and distribution in institutions is not tolerated. Offenders found in possession of, or using illicit drugs face disciplinary action or criminal charges. Furthermore, the use of illicit drugs is not compatible with the effective and safe reintegration of offenders, and, in fact, contributes to instability and violence. To address the challenge of illicit drug use, in addition to regular and ongoing drug interdiction efforts, CSC will complete implementation of phases 1 and 2 of the Drug Interdiction Strategy to reduce illicit drugs in institutions. In particular, CSC will develop and introduce additional measures, including new procedures, to reduce illicit drugs in its institutions.

2.2.2 Health Services Sub-Activity

The CCRA requires that CSC provide every inmate with essential health care and with reasonable access to non-essential mental health care. Adequately addressing offenders' health needs assists them in participating in correctional programs that contribute to their successful reintegration and contributes to public health and safety. To this end, CSC is committed to ensuring that offenders receive essential health care services in accordance with professionally accepted standards. The key performance indicators are:

• Health intake assessments are completed; and
• Services are provided according to professional standards.

Infectious Diseases

The potential for transmission of infectious diseases within our institutions through unsafe behaviour is an ongoing and serious health and safety concern, as the impact is on everyone-inmates, staff, visitors and ultimately the general public. Using funds allocated to CSC from the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada, the Infectious Diseases unit of Health Services will be focusing on:

• Improving and better coordinating discharge planning activities for offenders with infectious diseases and other physical health problems being released into the community, through the development of Regional Discharge Planning and Post-Release Health Coordinator positions;
• Expanding health promotion initiatives to encourage healthy behaviours by inmates within the federal correctional environment by establishing Health Promotion Positions;
• Anchoring Aboriginal-specific health programming across all regions, with particular focus on the Pacific and the Prairies regions, for which Regional Aboriginal Health Program Coordinator positions will be developed; and
• Improving existing health services for inmates using information gleaned from an extensive National Inmate Infectious Diseases and Risk Behaviours Survey.

Mental Health Strategy

While CSC is experiencing pressures in all areas of health care service delivery, it is in the area of mental health services that CSC is facing its most serious challenges, as discussed in Section 1.11.

Mental health problems are up to three times more common in correctional institutions than among the general Canadian population. More than one out of ten men offenders and one out of four women offenders have been identified at admission as having mental health problems, an increase since 1997 of 71% and by 61% respectively.³⁸

CSC has developed a comprehensive response strategy to the broad and multi-dimensional mental health needs of offenders. Addressing offenders' mental health needs is not only a legal obligation for CSC but it also contributes to a more stable and safe institutional environment and longer-term public safety as offenders return to the community. Although the Mental Health Strategy consists of five components, funding has to date been secured only for the Community Mental Health Initiative (see below).

The remaining, unfunded, components are:

• The implementation of enhanced clinical screening and mental health assessment processes at intake.
• The provision of primary mental health care in all CSC institutions.
• Intermediate mental health care units in selected men's institutions.
• The enhancement of facilities and staff-patient ratios in CSC's treatment centres to a level equivalent to those of community forensic psychiatric hospitals.

CSC is committed to working, as opportunities arise, with other government departments and Treasury Board Secretariat to secure funding for these components.

In the interim, CSC is committed to the following as a first step in the Mental Health Strategy:

The Community Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) aims to better prepare offenders with serious mental health disorders for release into the community, by strengthening the continuum of specialized mental health support and providing continuity of support from institutions to the community.

CMHI funds are used to address discharge planning and transitional care services, specialized mental health staff working out of selected parole offices to provide support to conditionally-released offenders with mental disorders residing in the community, including in Community Correctional Centres (CCCs) and Community Residential Facilities (CRFs), annual mental health training for staff of selected parole offices, CCCs and CRFs, as well as funds for specialized services such as psychiatric and psychological interventions.

Within these areas CSC will:

• Finalize the hiring of staff to fill the new positions created through the CMHI. This includes community mental health nurses and clinical social workers who will provide direct service delivery to offenders with mental health problems in the community;
• Deliver the initial two-day national Community Mental Health training to front line staff at selected parole sites;
• Monitor the implementation of existing mental health contracts to provide specialized services to offenders with mental disorders in the community and review proposals for additional contracts;
• Begin data collection for a national evaluation of the CMHI in keeping with the Results-Based Management Accountability Framework (RMAF) that has been developed;
• Enhance services in the community for special subgroups of offenders, including women and Aboriginals, according to local needs (e.g., increase access to psychiatric services, outreach services to link women and/or Aboriginals to community resources, volunteer programs, home support services, etc.);
• Provide staff training in mental health issues for all staff at halfway houses accommodating women.

Intake Mental Health Assessment Pilot Projects

The systematic screening and identification of mental health needs at intake is essential for two reasons: to determine the specific mental health needs and treatment of individual offenders, and to provide more accurate data on the prevalence of mental health problems in the offender population. Although implementation of the Intake Mental Health Screening Initiative must await funding, CSC has undertaken to conduct a one-year pilot project in two institutions. This pilot will field-test proposed admitting approaches to providing mental health assessments at intake for all offenders with mental health disorders.

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³⁸ Source: CIPS.

 

2.3 Rehabilitation and Case Management

Results Commitment Safe rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders into communities.

The purpose of the Rehabilitation and Case Management Program is to assist in the safe reintegration of offenders to the community.

Case management, including risk assessment and development of correctional plans, is an ongoing process that begins when an offender enters the correctional system, and continues for as long as the offender is under CSC supervision. Case management is closely aligned with rehabilitation and ensuring that each offender makes every effort to benefit from their time in the institution. Incarceration and supervision by themselves are not enough to produce the long-term changes that offenders require in order for them to lead productive, law-abiding lives in the community.  Correctional programs, in institutions and in the community, are essential to help bring about positive changes in behaviour and thereby contribute to public safety.

The rehabilitation programs identified in offenders' correctional plans are aimed at addressing problems that are directly related to their criminal behaviour - problems that interfere with their ability to function productively in society. Programs deal with such matters as substance abuse, anger management, and interpersonal skills.  Other programs and interventions focus on developing life skills, such as employability and literacy, to increase offenders' potential for reintegration.  To be able to sustain positive changes gained during incarceration, CSC relies on local communities to provide support and assistance while offenders are on supervision and even after the end of their sentence.

More specifically, the Rehabilitation and Case Management Program Activity consists of three key sub-activities, namely; case management, program development and delivery, and inmate pay.

Total planned spending and human resource allocations are as follows:

Rehabilitation and Case Management

REHABILITATION AND CASE MANAGEMENT	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Financial Resources ($Millions)
Total	490.3	479.8	479.8
Case Management	282.0	269.1	269.1
Program Development and Delivery	181.5	183.9	183.9
Inmate Pay	26.8	26.8	26.8
Human Resources - Full-Time Equivalents	4,101	4,108	4,108

Rehabilitation and Case Management Program Activity directly supports two of CSC's five priorities, namely, the safe transition of eligible offenders into the community and enhanced capacities to provide effective interventions for First Nations, Métis and Inuit offenders. Plans associated with these two priorities are described below:

2.3.1 Case Management Sub-Activity

Case management practices and policies are developed to ensure that offenders' sentences are managed based on informed decision-making that takes into consideration interventions, risk management and-most importantly-public safety. To achieve this, all offenders are assessed and assisted through their sentence in order to ensure they can be provided with the necessary interventions at the appropriate time. CSC will measure its results against this Sub-Activity by:

• Timely case preparation;
• Rate of offenders successfully reintegrated into the community;
• Rate of revocations with offence; and
• Rate of successful transfers to a lower security level³⁹

As previously discussed, CSC is facing significant financial constraints which inhibit its ability to reallocate existing resources to address emerging pressures. In order to maintain key correctional results, CSC will remain committed to a focussed but limited number of key plans in support of its priorities. With respect to case management, these plans include:

Electronic Monitoring

CSC continually strives to improve its supervision and monitoring of offenders in the community, particularly for those offenders with higher needs and risks. To this end, CSC will study the feasibility and develop a pilot program for the use of electronic monitoring devices with higher risk offenders.

Offender Intake Assessment Process

The Offender Intake Assessment (OIA) process involves a systematic analysis of significant information and the identification of the critical static and dynamic factors that affect the safe and timely reintegration of each offender. This analysis is conducted through the application of research-based tools and policy guidelines developed specifically for this purpose. Two OIA pilot projects will be completed.

• Given the trend towards shorter sentences, CSC initiated a review of the OIA process and is piloting a streamlined OIA process to determine if it can be completed in 45 days rather than 70 days; and participation/completion of required programming prior to Day Parole Eligibility Date and National Parole Board hearing.
• Pilot the Dynamic Factor Identification and Analysis-revised⁴⁰ component of the OIA process.

Improve Population Management for Aboriginal Offenders

CSC has developed and is implementing an overarching Strategic Plan for Aboriginal Corrections that will contribute to safe and healthy communities by being more responsive to the needs of Aboriginal offenders. One element of this plan is to improve population management for Aboriginal offenders. More specifically, CSC will:

• Expand existing Aboriginal-specific correctional programs;
• Increase cultural competency in case management through Aboriginal perceptions training of parole officers and assignment of Aboriginal offenders to their caseloads;
• Implement a Northern Corrections Framework with territories and provinces to better address Inuit offender issues; and
• Continue development and implementation with territorial and provincial governments of options to address the unique needs of Northern offenders, particularly the Inuit.

Classification Tools for Women Offenders:

CSC is legislated to provide a security classification for all offenders.⁴¹ In establishing the initial security classification of offenders, CSC uses the Custody Rating Scale (CRS) as one component in a comprehensive risk assessment process. To address the needs and risks unique to women offenders, CSC will:

• Continue development of the Initial Security Classification Tool for Women, including the completion of field testing and the development of an implementation plan; and
• Work toward the development of a culturally sensitive actuarial dynamic risk assessment tool for women.

Systemic Policy Barriers

Given the unique needs and risks of Aboriginal offenders, and their disproportionate representation in the correctional system, CSC is committed to implementing a formal process for consultation on all policy development and changes as they may impact on Aboriginal offenders.

Horizontal Collaboration on Aboriginal Issues

CSC must work collaboratively both within the Public Safety portfolio and with other federal departments and agencies, and with other levels of government, in order to address the gap in correctional results between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal offenders. CSC is committed to more active involvement in interdepartmental committees and consolidation of efforts, such as:

• Indian Residential Schools Resolution-proposed settlement agreement (led by Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada);
• Housing and Homelessness Initiative renewal (led by Human Resources and Social Development Canada); and
• Memorandum of Understanding on Aboriginal employment and employability (led by Service Canada).

2.3.2 Program Development and Delivery Sub-Activity

CSC continually aims to develop and deliver structured correctional interventions that address identified offender needs and contribute to successful reintegration into the community.

CSC measures its results against this Sub-Activity by:

• Number and percentage of offenders completing programs in institutions and the community, and the corresponding recidivism rate.

In the context of financial constraints, as previously discussed, CSC is currently committed to a limited number of key plans in support of its priorities. With respect to program development and delivery, these plans include:

Community Programs

Ensuring a seamless continuum of care from institution to community is critical to enhancing the potential for the safe reintegration of offenders and public safety. In recognition of this, CSC has undertaken initiatives to enhance program delivery in communities. These programs address key offender needs in the areas of employment, interpersonal relationships, substance abuse, community functioning and attitude. More specifically, CSC will:

• Promote the use of the Community Maintenance Program, incorporating elements and objectives of all community reintegration programs; and
• Implement the Attitudes, Associates and Alternatives Program for offenders who maintain criminal attitudes and affiliations and who are experiencing reintegration difficulties in the community.⁴²

Violence Prevention

In response to the changing offender profile and trend towards shorter sentences, CSC has initiated the development and implementation of a number of correctional interventions that will target those offenders who are less motivated to change, more prone to violence and have significant substance abuse issues. More specifically, CSC will:

• Continue to provide parole officers with training and the skills to motivate resistant men offenders and reinforce their behaviour gains; and
• Pilot the newly developed Moderate Intensity Violence Prevention and Substance Abuse program for men offenders, at most medium security institutions and at intake (reception) units.

Correctional programs are designed to address offenders' criminogenic factors and thus contribute to their successful reintegration into the community by minimizing their risk to re-offend. While some basic elements of effective correctional programming apply to both men and women offenders, other elements do not. Gender-specific programming must reflect an understanding of the psychological development of women. To this end, CSC has undertaken the development of a program to address the needs of women offenders who have committed violent offences or who are considered at moderate to high risk to commit violent crimes. More specifically, CSC will:

• Develop a Violence Prevention Program for Women (VPPW), including an advisory committee, a program manual and deliver train-the-facilitator training, at all women offender institutions.

Aboriginal inmates, including women Aboriginal offenders, neither participate in standard treatment programs nor complete them at the same rate as do other inmates. Initial results indicate that Aboriginal offenders complete Aboriginal-specific programming at much higher rates than general core programs.⁴³ Recognizing the need to develop Aboriginal alternatives to core programs, and the specific risks and needs of Aboriginal women offenders, CSC has undertaken the development of several program-based initiatives to improve Aboriginal offenders' safe reintegration. More specifically, CSC will:

• Continue the development of an Aboriginal relapse prevention maintenance program;
• Implement recommendations from the Preliminary Evaluation of the Aboriginal-specific high intensity violence prevention program ("In Search of Your Warrior") to sustain positive results for safe reintegration; and
• Revise the women offenders' "Spirit of Your Warrior Program" to include a substance abuse and gang membership components.

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³⁹ The rate measures the percentage of transfers to a lower security level for "access to programs" or "re-assess security requirements" reasons where the offender was not transferred to a higher security level facility for at least 120 days.
⁴⁰ Dynamic factor identification and analysis directs the Parole Officer/Primary Worker towards areas of concern that may be unique to offenders.
⁴¹ As per section 30 of the CCRA and sections 17 and 18 of the CCRA Regulations.
⁴² "Attitudes, Associates and Alternatives" is a cognitive-behavioural reintegration program based on the principles of relapse prevention and self-regulation. The program has been designed for delivery in the institution and the community and will include offenders who are experiencing reintegration difficulties in the community.
⁴³ CSC: Corporate Reporting System, December 2006.

 

2.4 CORCAN

The purpose of CORCAN, a Special Operating Agency of CSC, is to contribute to the successful reintegration of offenders by providing employment training and employment services in the community. They provide opportunities for "real-world" work in CSC institutions and employment placement for the critical initial transition period of time after they are first released into the community.

Giving a sense of purpose to offenders and contributing to their personal management skills helps maintain a safe environment in institutions. Providing offenders with the employment experience, skills and trades certification programs they need to become productive citizens when they return to the community helps them succeed in their reintegration and reduces the risk of re-offending. 

CSC research has shown that offender participation in CORCAN's training programs immediately prior to release leads to a reduction in re-offending, particularly for offenders who are on parole.⁴⁴ 

CORCAN operates shops in 36 institutions across Canada, many of which are ISO certified. The workshops operate in a business-like manner, taking into account the institutional setting and training imperatives. Offenders can be trained in agribusiness, construction, manufacturing, textile production and a range of services.

CORCAN emphasizes the establishment of links between institutions and the community. It also offers support services in 37 community employment centres across Canada to assist offenders in securing employment immediately upon release.

The total planned spending and human resource allocations related to this Program Activity are as follows:

CORCAN	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Operating Costs ($Millions)	77.5	77.5	77.5
Revenues $55.3 million revenues generated by sales $22.2 million from CSC for training	(77.5)	(77.5)	(77.5)
Human Resources - Full-Time Equivalents	385	385	385

Key performance indicators are:

• Number and percentage of offenders enrolled in employment training;
• Number of certificates earned and age of the offenders;
• Number and percentage of offenders receiving services in the community; and
• Number and percentage of offenders finding employment in the community.

CSC is committed to the following plans⁴⁵:

Employment Continuum: Ensure the full implementation and integration of the Employment Continuum.

The Employment Continuum includes the identification of offenders' employment needs, building and enhancement of vocational skills and, upon release, supporting and enabling offenders to secure and retain employment.

National Employment Strategy for Women: the Strategy has been completed and implementation is underway. It is presently supported in each of CSC regional women's facilities.

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⁴⁴ Forum on Corrections Research, CSC, January 1996: Vol. 8, no. 1.
⁴⁵ CORCAN is implementing the following plans in partnership with CSC

 

2.5 Management Practices

In order to strengthen management practices throughout the organization and sustain results in CSC's operational priority areas, the following plans have been identified:

Respond to the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES)

In response to the 2005 PSES results, CSC co-developed, with its six bargaining agents, an action plan that addresses the three major areas of concerns identified: harassment; grievances; and respect, trust and accountability. The action plan includes:

• Increased training and awareness on harassment and grievances;
• Developing, in consultation with bargaining agents, a new policy on managing harassment;
• Clarification of roles, responsibilities and accountabilities related to the management of harassment and grievances;
• Increased use of external facilitators and investigators for harassment investigations.
• Increased monitoring of harassment and grievance processes; and
• Training managers in conflict management.

Promote Values and Ethics

CSC's Values and Ethics Unit is focussing on implementing a National Ethics Strategy to promote values and ethics in the workplace. This will include: providing staff and unions with feedback on the focus groups, developing tools to promote ethical dialogue and improved decision-making, revision to the mandate of the Ethics Advisory Committee, explore the value of developing a CSC statement of values and ensuring that the Informal Conflict Management Sytem (ICMS) co-ordinators in each of the regions has an ethics and values component on their job tasks.

The strategy includes identifying selected operational sites to further develop and to validate specific initiatives.

This strategy, along with the specific action plans being pursued relative to the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES), will ensure that CSC increases it management focus on supporting productive working relationships, resolving conflicts more effectively and increasing trust within the organization at all levels.

Improve Internal Communications

CSC has already made significant progress in improving internal communications, however, more work remains. More specifically, CSC will:

• Establish new and improving existing print and electronic publications;
• Increase the frequency and improving the efficacy of face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, and training sessions;
• Promote employee recognition;
• Support active Internal Communications Advisory Committees;
• Provide ongoing, clear, consistent messages to staff on CSC priorities, trends, corporate issues, etc.;
• Provide staff with information at same time or earlier than the public;
• Support active CSC presence at meetings with National Labour Management Committees (NLMCCs);
• Promote improved upwards communication practices;
• Conduct face-to-face meetings with staff via town hall meetings, visits and addressed several employee groups;
• Include internal communications commitments and results in Performance Agreements;
• Continue the "Coffee with the Commissioner" initiative at NHQ; and
• Establish new NHQ Award for bridge-building and collaboration between regions and NHQ.

Strengthening Human Resources Management

Strengthening Human Resource Management is fundamental to ensuring CSC can sustain its public safety contribution in the long term. Over the next three years, CSC will implement its national strategic Human Resource Management Plan which is the overall plan for the management of the human resources function nationally within CSC. It establishes priorities, plans and activities that are integrated with the business priorities of CSC

The national strategic Human Resource Management Plan identifies four priorities over the 2007-2010 period:

1. Strengthened HR management practices, tools and capacity
2. An effective representative workforce
3. Learning, training and development to meet future business needs
4. Improved workplace health and effective and responsive labour relations

To achieve this, CSC is implementing the national strategic Human Resource Management Plan:

1. Strengthen HRM practices, tools and capacity to effectively support the business needs of CSC by:
   • improved planning and governance;
   • renewed policy framework;
   • establishing business case to address gaps in HR national Strategic Plan;
   • building HR capacity; and
   • modernizing HRM processes and tools.
2. Attract and retain an effective representative workforce to meet CSC business needs by:
   • Establishing a national framework and guidelines for HR planning;
   • Establishing a comprehensive workforce profile for each occupational group with particular attention to: Correctional Officers, Health Services professionals, other professionals;
   • Establishing and implementing HR plan and strategies related to Aboriginal Employee representation; Institutional Management Review and Deployment Standards; women offender facilities and Health Services;
   • Establishing national and regional recruitment strategies for each occupational group; and
   • Establishing a succession planning framework for EX feeder groups.
3. Provide CSC employees with the learning, the training and development to meet CSC's priority of safer communities for Canadians by:
   • Implementing the redesigned Correctional Training Program;
   • Re-designing Parole Officers Orientation Program; and
   • Establishing and implementing training in support of Institutional Management Review and Deployment Standards initiatives and of security and safety of operational employees.
4. Provide CSC employees with a healthy workplace and with effective and responsive labour relations by:
   • Implementing fully the co-developed Public Service Survey Action Plan;
   • Establishing EAP framework;
   • Implementing the Grievance Delegation Strategy;
   • Pursuing national consistency in the implementation of all Collective Agreements; and
   • Enhancing dialogue at the different Labour Relations forums.

 

2.6 Measuring Progress

While Section 2 of this Report has identified CSC's plans for the next three fiscal years (2007-10), the table below summarizes the plans and associated milestones specifically for the 2007-08 fiscal year only.

PLANS	MILESTONES FOR FISCAL YEARS 2007-08
Program Activity 1: Care and Custody
Security Sub-Activity
Institutional Staff Safety	Complete the acquisition and distribution of stab-proof vests. Provide additional supervision for CSC's highest-risk offenders at the Special Handling Unit. Continue delivery of specialized training modules for selected correctional officers relating to gang and safety measures, particularly at maximum-security institutions. Implement approved firearms recommendations. Complete the assessment of institutional and community pandemic contingency plans. Assess and pilot testing of security intervention tools (e.g., TASERS, ISPRA, low impact rounds, etc).
Community Staff Safety	Implement the Lone Worker Protection Program for Community Parole Officers. Develop safety training for non-Parole Officer community staff. Review, identify and implement appropriate resources for community infrastructure and small offices. Promulgate revised community supervision policies. Dedicate corporate resources to support Advisory Committee on Community Staff Safety.
Clarify Roles and Reponsibilites of Front-line Staff	Commence implementation of the Institutional Management Structure and the Correctional Officer Deployment Initiative. Work with the correctional officer union to develop a more effective and efficient scheduling practice in CSC. Complete implementation of Executive Committee approved District Infrastructure.
Strategic Intelligence	Introduce several key elements of the Gang Management Strategy.
Strategic Plan to Reduce Illicit Drugs in Institutions	Implement the Drug Interception Strategy.
Health Services Sub-Activity
Infectious Diseases	Develop Regional Discharge Planning and Post-Release Health Coordinator positions. Establish Health Promotion positions across the Service. Develop Regional Aboriginal Health Program Coordinator positions in Prairie and Pacific Regions. Develop new health programs and improve existing services for inmates.
Community Mental Health Initiative	Finalize the hiring of staff to fill the new positions created through the Community Mental Health Initiative. Deliver the initial two-day national Community Mental Health training to front-line staff at selected parole sites. Monitor the implementation of existing mental health contracts to provide specialized services to offenders with mental disorders in the community and review proposals for additional contracts. Begin data collection for a national evaluation of the Community Mental Health Initiative. Enhance services in the community for special sub-groups of offenders, including women and Aboriginals, according to local needs. Provide staff training in mental health issues for all staff at halfway houses accommodating women.
Intake Mental Health Assessment Pilot Projects	Conduct one-year pilot in two institutions.

 

PLANS	MILESTONES FOR FISCAL YEARS 2007-08
Program Activity 2: Rehabilitation and Case Management
Case Management Sub-Activity
Electronic Monitoring	Develop resource assessment, program purpose, goals and scope for electronic monitoring pilot program for offenders under community supervision.
Offender Intake Assessment Process	Assess the viability of streamlining the Offender Intake Assessment (OIA) process for offenders. Pilot the Dynamic Factor Identification and Analysis-revised component of the OIA process.
Improve Population Management for Aboriginal Offenders	Expand existing Aboriginal-specific correctional programs in all regions. Implement Aboriginal perceptions training of parole officers and assignment of Aboriginal offenders to their caseloads. Implement a Northern Corrections Framework with territories and provinces to better address Inuit offender issues. Continue development and implementation with territorial and provincial governments of options to address the unique needs of Northern offenders, particularly the Inuit.
Classification Tool for Women Offenders	Work toward developing a culturally-sensitive actuarial dynamic risk assessment tool for women. Complete field testing.
Systemic Policy Barriers	Implement a formal process for consultation on all policy development and changes as they may impact on Aboriginal offenders.
Horizontal Collaboration on Aboriginal issues	Address the gaps in external collaborative capacity through a more coordinated approach within the Public Safety portfolio, with other federal departments and agencies, and with other levels of government.
Program Development and Delivery Sub-Activity
Community Programs	Promote the use of the Community Maintenance Program. Implement the Attitudes, Associates and Alternatives Program. Continue to develop capacity to provide Circles of Support and Accountability. Continue to develop partnerships for faith-based community support programs.
Violence Prevention	Pilot the delivery of Violence Prevention and Substances Abuse Programs to men offenders who are going through intake assessment. Complete the training of all parole officers to give them the skills to motivate resistant men offenders and reinforce the behaviour gains of offenders. Pilot the newly developed Moderate Intensity Violence Prevention Program for men offenders. Develop a Violence Prevention Program for Women. Develop and deliver training to Correctional Program Officers on violence prevention for women.

 

PLANS	MILESTONES FOR FISCAL YEARS 2007-08
Program Activity 3: CORCAN
Employment Continuum	Continued implementation and integration of the Employment Continuum.
National Employment Strategy for Women	Continued implementation of the National Employment Strategy for Women.
Management Practices
Responding to the Public Service Employee Survey	Increase training and awareness on harassment and grievances. Train managers on conflict management. Develop, in consultation with bargaining agents, a new policy on managing harassment. Clarify roles, responsibilities and accountabilities related to the management of harassment and grievances. Increase use of external facilitators and investigators for harassment investigations. Increase monitoring of harassment and grievance processes.
Promoting Values and Ethics	Provide staff and unions with feedback on the focus groups. Develop tools to promote ethical dialogue and improved decision-making. Revise the mandate of the Ethics Advisory Committee. Explore the value of developing a CSC statement of values. Ensure that the ICMS co-ordinators in each of the regions has an ethics and values component on their job tasks.
Internal Communications	Establish new and improving existing print and electronic publications Increasing the frequency and improving the efficacy of face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, and training sessions. Promote employee recognition. Supporting active Internal Communications Advisory Committees. Provide ongoing, clear, consistent messages to staff on CSC priorities, trends, corporate issues, etc. Provide staff with information at same time or earlier than the public. Support active CSC presence at meetings with National Labour Management Committees (NLMCCs). Promote improved upwards communications practices. Conduct face-to-face meetings with staff via town hall meetings, visits and addressed several employee groups. Include internal communications commitments and results in Performance Agreements. Continue "Coffee with the Commissioner" initiative at NHQ. Establish new NHQ Award for bridge-building and collaboration between regions and NHQ.
Strengthening Human Resources Management	Improve HR planning and governance. Renew HRM Policy Framework. Develop business case to address gaps in HR National Strategic Plan. Build HR Capacity. Modernize HR processes and tools. Establish national framework and guidelines for HR planning. Establish a comprehensive workforce profile for each occupational group with particular attention to: Correctional Officers, Health Services professionals, and other professionals. Establish and implement HR plan and strategies related to Aboriginal Employee representation; Institutional Management Review and Deployment Standards; women offender facilities and Health Services governance. Establish national and regional recruitment strategies for each occupational group. Establish a succession planning framework for EXs and EX feeder groups. Implement redesigned Correctional Training Program. Re-design Parole Officers Orientation Program. Establish and implement training in support of Institutional Management Review and Deployment Standards initiatives and of security and safety of operational employees. Implement fully the co-developed Public Service Survey Action Plan. Establish Employee Assistance Program (EAP) framework. Implement the Grievance Delegation Strategy. Pursue national consistency in the implementation of all Collective Agreements. Enhance dialogue at the different Labour Relations forums.

 

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