Media Relations

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. The Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Engagement, will ensure:
   1. the activities surrounding media relations comply with the requirements of the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada
   2. media relations training is coordinated by National Headquarters (NHQ) and Regional Headquarters (RHQ).

National and Regional Headquarters

2. NHQ and RHQ Communications staff will:
   1. initiate, coordinate and manage communications with representatives of the media
   2. provide advice and support to CSC management and staff.
3. Regional Directors, Communications and Executive Services, will ensure:
   1. all media-related issues originating in the regions are brought to the attention of the RHQ Communications Office, who will then consult or inform the NHQ Communications Office as necessary
   2. all media-related issues originating at RHQ Communications are brought to the attention of NHQ Communications, who will consult, advise and/or follow-up as appropriate.

Designated Spokespersons

4. Designated spokespersons:
   1. are identified by sector heads and RHQ in collaboration with the Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Engagement
   2. are accountable for their communications with the media
   3. must be prepared to describe or explain policies, programs or operations that have been announced or implemented by the government
   4. must discuss only factual information
   5. must not discuss matters that are currently before the courts
   6. must not discuss matters that could jeopardize the safety and security of any institution, staff or offenders and/or could be in breach of applicable privacy legislation
   7. must ensure that all significant media inquiries are brought to the attention of all concerned parties as soon as possible.
5. The persons listed below are designated CSC spokespersons:
   1. Commissioner
   2. Senior Deputy Commissioner
   3. NHQ sector heads
   4. Regional Deputy Commissioners
   5. Regional Assistant Deputy Commissioners
   6. Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Engagement
   7. Regional Directors, Communications and Executive Services
   8. Communications Officers at RHQ and NHQ Media Relations
   9. Institutional Heads and District Directors
   10. any staff member who has been officially designated to respond to media by any of the above-mentioned managers.

Employees and Designated Spokespersons

6. All media calls and requests received in the regions must be immediately reported to the Regional Communications Office who will coordinate the requests.
7. All media calls and requests received by employees at NHQ must be immediately reported to the NHQ Media Relations Office who will coordinate the requests.
8. All employees will respect the CSC Values Statement and CD 060 – Code of Discipline.

Identification of Staff and Offenders

9. Staff and offenders must provide written consent for the use of their photographs or to be identified for broadcast or publication purposes. This excludes photographs of individuals taken for official CSC records and purposes.
10. The form Consent to be Identified Through the Media (CSC/SCC 0297), found in Annex C, must be signed, witnessed and dated for every new media request, unless an unlimited release has been signed by an employee. A copy of the completed consent form will be placed in the respective staff or offender's file.
11. Individuals who do not wish to be identified through any medium will be relocated elsewhere for the duration of any activity that might identify them.

PROCEDURES

Disclosable Information

12. The public will have access to any CSC report or publication that is not restricted by the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, Access to Information Act or Privacy Act.
13. Generally, information regarding offenders under the age of 18 cannot be released, in accordance with section 110 of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Offender Interviews with the Media

14. Where a media representative requests to speak with an offender either by phone, in person or in written communications to conduct media activities, such as interviews, the media representative is required to inform CSC accordingly. The offender is also responsible for informing his/her Parole Officer of his/her interest in being interviewed by the media.
15. The Institutional Head and/or District Director will give final approval for all media visits and interviews (by telephone or on site) within his/her unit, following mandatory consultation with the Regional Deputy Commissioner.
16. The Regional Deputy Commissioner will ensure that the operational unit head has conducted a full assessment of the potential disruption to the functioning of the operational unit and that the interview will not jeopardize the security of the operational unit or present a risk to the safety of any person.
17. Following consultation with the Regional Deputy Commissioner, the operational unit head will document the decision in writing and include specific reference to the impact of the interview on the safety of any identified victim or a member of a victim's family.
18. Interviews with offenders may be granted provided the operational unit head has fully assessed and/or determined that:
    1. the offender's participation in the interview will not negatively impact their participation in relation to their Correctional Plan and will not have an undue negative influence on:
       1. their behaviour
       2. how they conduct themselves and how they demonstrate respect for other persons
       3. their ability to obey penitentiary rules and/or respect the conditions governing their conditional release
       4. their participation in programs
       5. the meeting of their court-ordered obligations, including restitution to victims or child support
    2. the offender has not demonstrated a prior pattern of glorification of the offence
    3. the interview can be conducted with minimal disruption to the functioning of the operational unit and will not jeopardize the security of the operational unit or present a risk to the safety of any person, including but not limited to staff, other offenders, visitors or a victim or a member of a victim's family
    4. the media representative has submitted a request (written or oral) to the operational unit head and Regional Media Relations Officer
    5. the offender has provided his/her written consent prior to the interview.
19. When an interview has been approved and the offender has consented to the interview, the journalist and the offender will be afforded the same entitlements as any other offender and visitor or correspondent under the CCRA and the CCRR.
20. Staff will take measures to ensure that the interview is conducted in a location that:
    1. will provide privacy to the offender and the journalist, if so requested
    2. will ensure the safety of the journalist and the offender
    3. will not cause substantial disruption of the operation of the operational unit.
21. For approved telephone interviews, inmates will be provided reasonable access to a telephone to participate in the interview. Any telephone costs associated with the interview will be paid either by the inmate or the media outlet, as predetermined.
22. Inmates will be provided reasonable access to journalists in order to arrange and prepare for interviews.
23. Where it is determined that a proposed interview not be granted:
    1. the inmate will be provided with the information that was considered in the decision to deny the interview or a summary of that information, pursuant to section 27 of the CCRA
    2. the journalist and the inmate will be provided with reasons, in writing, for the refusal in accordance with paragraph 91(2)(b) of the CCRR.
24. Requests made to include a media representative as a contact for an inmate will be assessed by the Institutional Head on a case by case basis in accordance with CD 559 – Visits and CD 085 – Correspondence and Telephone Communication.
25. A media representative identified as contact for an inmate who wants to publish material from meetings, telephone conversations or correspondence with the inmate, will be required to submit requests for interviews under this directive.

Media Project Requests

26. Media project requests will be submitted in writing. Requestors will complete the Media Project Request Form (see Annex B) and submit it to CSC NHQ Media Relations or RHQ Media Relations.
27. All such requests will be assessed by CSC before informing the requestor whether the project request can be accommodated.
28. Media project requests include, but are not limited to:
    1. filming for television series or a special features
    2. cinematographic productions, such as movies
    3. television and/or radio documentaries
    4. broadcast or web productions
    5. blogs and/or social media projects
    6. video and/or photographic projects
    7. written projects such as books, written features or series, or any other publications
    8. other entertainment purposes.

News Releases

29. National News Releases – Nationally distributed news releases must be approved by the Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Engagement, and the Commissioner. They must be made available in both official languages simultaneously.
30. Regional News Releases – Regional news releases such as announcements must be approved by the Regional Deputy Commissioner, or a designate, who will ensure that the Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Engagement, or a designate, has an opportunity to review the release before it is issued. Regional news releases must be made available in both official languages simultaneously.
31. Regionally distributed news releases dealing with security incidents must be approved by the Regional Deputy Commissioner, the Regional Communication Manager and/or the operational unit head. They must be made available in both official languages simultaneously.
32. CSC will collaborate with law enforcement authorities and other CSC partners with respect to incidents in the community.
33. In all cases of an offender's death, CSC will inform the next of kin that a news release will be issued within 24 to 48 hours following the death. If more time is required to inform family members, adjustments will be made for the release of the information to the media.

Institutions and Districts

34. Institutions or parole offices will normally issue a news release in both official languages simultaneously, should one of the following incidents occur:
    1. hostage-takings
    2. large groups of inmates refusing to work or refusing to return to their cells
    3. major assaults on staff or inmates
    4. seizures of lethal substances, explosives, firearms
    5. major seizure of contraband (e.g., drugs and unauthorized items)
    6. major disturbance causing disruption of institutional routine for the inmate population or day-to-day activities
    7. any major incident
    8. inmate escapes from maximum, medium and minimum security institutions, including escapes from escorted temporary absences and failure to return from unescorted temporary absences or work releases
    9. the death of an inmate while in CSC custody.

Responding to Media Inquiries

35. The following information concerning offenders currently under sentence and under the jurisdiction of the Service may be released to the media in accordance with subsection 8(2) of the Privacy Act:
    1. the offender's full name (excluding aliases)
    2. the offender's age and date of birth (information to be provided only in the case of unlawfully at large individuals)
    3. the fact that the offender is under federal jurisdiction
    4. the current offence of which the offender was convicted and the court that convicted the offender
    5. the date of commencement and length of the sentence that the offender is serving
    6. the eligibility dates applicable to the offender under the CCRA for temporary absences or conditional release
    7. the offender's statutory release date
    8. the offender's warrant expiry date
    9. other offences for which the offender was convicted (this information will be provided only in the case of unlawfully at large individuals). If an offender has received a record suspension for an offence, details of that particular offence will not be disclosed
    10. names of offenders who have been victims of serious assaults where criminal charges have been laid
    11. names of offenders who have been victims of homicide or who have committed suicide. Pursuant to CD 530 – Death of an Inmate: Notifications and Funeral Arrangements, this information will only be released after next of kin have been notified.

Responding to Social Media Inquiries

36. Requests made through social media sites are to be redirected to NHQ Media Relations or RHQ Media Relations for processing, as with all other media requests.

Commissioner,

Original Signed by:
Don Head

Annex A

Cross-References and Definitions

CROSS-REFERENCES

• CD 060 – Code of Discipline
• CD 081 – Offender Complaints and Grievances
• CD 085 – Correspondence and Telephone Communication
• CD 530 – Death of an Inmate: Notifications and Funeral Arrangements
• CD 559 – Visits
• CD 567 – Management of Security Incidents
• CD 568-1 – Recording and Reporting of Security Incidents
• CD 701 – Information sharing
• Communications Policy of the Government of Canada
• Statement on Values and Ethics in the Correctional Service of Canada

DEFINITIONS

Designated spokesperson: a person with authority to discuss, be interviewed and/or conduct background briefings on CSC policies, programs and operations with representatives of the media. A list of designated spokespersons can be found in paragraph 5 of this CD.

Media: any individual, group, institution or organization engaged in the business of gathering or transmitting information for publication or broadcast, including print, radio, television broadcasting and electronic/webcasting.

Social media: on-line platforms that allow for participants with distinct social/user profiles to create, share and interact with user-generated content, which can include text, images, video and audio.

Annex B

Download the Media Project Request Form

Annex C

CONSENT TO BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE MEDIA FORM

Download the Consent to be Identified Through the Media Form