News Releases

Pacific Region

News Release

Communiqué

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VANCOUVER, BC, November 17, 2005 - The Wardens of federal and provincial prisons are meeting in Vancouver November 18 to exchange ideas and share information on working with offenders.

"This is only the second time that Wardens from both BC Corrections and the Correctional Service of Canada have held such a forum to discuss issues which are common to prison administrators at every level," said D.J. Demers, Regional Deputy Commissioner for the CSC's Pacific Region.

"Both the CSC and BC Corrections are dedicated and responsible for protecting the public. We face many of the same challenges in fulfilling this mandate," Mr. Demers added.

The agenda for the one-day meeting will include topics as diverse as the dynamics of inmate populations, programming for difficult inmates and facility surveillance and security systems.

BC Corrections is responsible for the incarceration and supervision of offender's sentences to terms of less than two years. The Correctional Service of Canada is responsible for the incarceration and supervision of offenders sentenced to two years or more, up to and including life.

The Pacific Region of the Correctional Service of Canada operates ten federal institutions and four parole districts. It currently incarcerates 1,990 inmates and supervises 1,030 offenders in the community.

BC Corrections operates ten correctional facilities and provides community correctional services to all communities within British Columbia. It currently holds 2,400 inmates and supervises 19,000 offenders in the community.

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For more information, media representatives may contact:

Dennis Finlay
Regional Communications Manager (Pacific)
(604) 870-2680