Ethnocultural Initiatives: Presentations

CSC Transformation Agenda
BUILDING INCLUSIVE INSTITUTIONS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

Toronto, Ontario
March 26-27, 2009

Background

Former Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day announced the establishment of an Independent Review Panel to review CSC’s operational priorities, strategies and business plans (April 2007)

Panel Report released: A Roadmap to Strengthening Public Safety (December 2007)

• 109 recommendations; 5 themes
  • Offender Accountability
  • Eliminating Drugs from Prison
  • Employability/Employment
  • Physical Infrastructure
  • Eliminating Statutory release; Moving to Earned Parole*
• Recommendations also focused on correctional interventions, community corrections, victims, mental health, Aboriginal, women and ethno-cultural populations
• Government’s official response to the Report was announced via the February 2008 federal budget.
  • $122M to build the right foundations for future investments in Corrections in order to sustain an effective contribution to public safety. Particular emphasis was placed on safety and security in supporting the Government’s Drug Strategy
  • In addition, approximately $770M was provided over the period 2009 – 2013 to stabilize CSC’s resource base

Background – Recommendations 45, 46 and 89

• The Panel recommended that the unique needs of ethno cultural offender populations be considered, wherever applicable, in the Panel’s full slate of recommendations
• The Panel recommended that CSC continue to work with ethno cultural communities to ensure every means and resource are used to respond better to the needs of an increasingly diversified offender population
• The Panel recommended that CSC Review its current staff while focusing on ensuring appropriate cultural representation

Transformation of CSC: A New Vision

1. Stronger focus on how all our efforts contribute to public safety (our primary goal)
2. Consistency in the key fundamentals of delivering correctional services in a national organization
3. Higher level of integration in various aspects of our work:
   • Particularly between the institutions and the community
4. The parameters of professional judgement and exercising of creativity will be strengthened and clearly enunciated
5. Issues of accountability will be clearer for everyone involved in delivering correctional services in a national organization

2008/09 Initiatives

Eliminating Drugs

• 10 more Drug Detector teams by 2009/2010; 80 more in total by 2012/2013
• Security Intelligence positions in District Offices
• 50 FTEs used to staff towers at some sites to catch drug throw-overs (short term)
• 35 X-ray machines, 19 ion scanners and 20 walk-through Metal Detectors
• Explore new technology for deployment in institutions
• Implement scheduled visits in all institutions
• Develop a national visitor database
• Increasing consistency at principal entrance – Slow-rotation roster

Offender Accountability, Correctional Interventions and Employment

• Implement a compressed Offender Intake Assessment process
• Enhance case management processes
• Initiate/increase programs at intake
• Maximize existing program capacity
• Develop a revised program model – Integrated Correctional Program Model (ICPM). Modular and continuous intake. Pilot in Pacific Region starting in 09/10
• Implement a computerized mental health assessment at intake
• Hold international mental health symposium – best practices – and pursue implementation
• Expand employment initiatives
• Implement a national vocational assessment tool
• Increase 3rd party certification
• Develop 3 pilot projects across the country to enhance employment and employability opportunities (CORCAN)
• Integrate education, employment and programs
  Explore a 12-hour structured day for offender interventions and structured use of leisure time

Strengthening Community Corrections

• Strengthen policy on tandem visits
• Expand employment initiatives in the community
• Enhance community staff safety (pilot launched in Sept 2008)
• Enhance community consultation guidelines (location of parole offices/Community Correctional Centres)
• Expand Federal-Provincial-Territorial partnerships
• Implement electronic monitoring pilot project (launched in September 2008)
• Hold community employment symposiums in Prairies and Ontario
• Complete a review of CBRFs

Infrastructure

• Existing capital projects were reviewed through the Transformation lens – adjustments made to minimize retrofit, while ensuring continuing integrity of existing assets
• Interim capital plan prepared identifying essential capital works and accommodation initiatives
• Above accomplished taking into account a longer term Transformation Strategy based on complexes

2009-10 and beyond (Phase 2)

• Transformation Team funding sunsets at the end of March 2010
• Integrate responsibility for Transformation in sectors, regions, institutions and community
• Strong focus on community/institution continuum
  • Correctional Plan
  • Correctional Programs
  • CORCAN (Employment)
  • Education
  • Parole Eligibility, Pre-release and Transition to the Community
• Strong focus also on:
  • Eliminating drugs from institutions
  • Distinct populations: Aboriginal, women, ethno-cultural, mental health
  • Role of Victims
  • Legislative and Regulatory Agendas
  • Responding to the gaps

2009/10 Initiatives

Eliminating Drugs

• Continue implementation of initiatives started in 2008/09
• 67 more Security Intelligence positions in 2009/2010 for NHQ/RHQ/institutions/community (this includes SIOs, clerical support, analysts and project officers) – a total of 168 more by the end of 2011/2012
• Enhance the consistency of visitor searching with increased targeting of those who are identified as risks
• Improve the tools and techniques we employ to detect drugs being brought to the institution, to prevent drugs entering the institution, or to locate drugs that have entered the institution
• Develop and implement a gang strategy and a drug strategy
• Improve the management presence and threat risk assessment process at the Principle Entrance

Offender Accountability, Correctional Intervention and Employment

• Continue development and implement enhanced case management
• Develop new and enhanced risk assessment training for Parole Officers in consultation with the National Parole Board
• Continue work on development and pilot of the ICPM
• Implement Offender Intake Assessment – Revised (includes changes in OMS
• Implement elements of the Mental Health Strategy: enhanced clinical screening and mental health assessment processes at intake; the provision of primary mental health care in regular men’s and women’s institutions
• Implement an employment strategy for women offenders
• Develop and implement an employment strategy for Aboriginal offenders
• Enhance education levels and development of work skills training to provide increased opportunities for employment in the community
• Strengthen the provision of services to ethno-cultural offenders

Strengthen Community Corrections

• Develop new and enhanced risk assessment training for Parole Officers in consultation with the National Parole Board
• Evaluate our capacity to use Electronic Monitoring as an effective supervision tool
• Align community programs and interventions with institutional initiatives, with a particular focus on Aboriginal offenders and women offenders
• Enhance community partnerships inclusive of the expansion of Aboriginal community based accommodation alternatives
• Improve mental health capacity
• Sponsor and organize community corrections summit to enhance community partnerships and horizontal networking with other agencies / departments
• Develop and implement a Northern Strategy for Community Corrections

Infrastructure

• Refine and extend the concept of complexes, including identifying requirements
• Prepare a business case for the recommended delivery/financing model
• Seek approval in principle and Preliminary Project Approval to proceed with complexes

Human Resource Renewal

• Implement the Strategic Plan for Human Resource Management and integrate in the Transformation Renewal agenda
• Strengthened human resource management practices, tools and capacity
• Ensure an effective representative workforce
• Enhance learning, training and development to meet future business needs
• Improved workplace health and effective and responsive labour relations
• Develop and implement an Aboriginal Recruitment Strategy
• Develop and implement a learning and development cadre to ensure that CSC workforce possess the skills and competencies to respond to CSC business needs

Monitoring Progress

• Develop and implement a more robust performance management framework of performance indicators, quality data, and appropriate tools for sharing and reporting on results

Strong two-way communications are essential

• “Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!”
• Much has been done…
  • Let’s Talk special issue – May 2008
  • Messages from Commissioner
  • GEN-comms and Commissioner’s Comment
  • Submit and share best practices
  • News@work
  • Executive Development Symposiums
• New strategies include…
  • Engage staff and managers at operational units
  • Develop region and site specific tailored communications approaches
• Anything more?…

What can you do to support the CSC Transformation Agenda?

• Review the Report and its recommendations
• Think about areas specific to your work and how these recommendations could be implemented
• Contribute creative ideas and innovations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of CSC – get involved in initiatives at your operational unit
• Transformational Priorities (over and above quick wins)
• Work with partners

Send your questions / comments / suggestions to the Team by e-mail to GEN-NHQ Transformation