Articles and Related Media

CSC and the World

By Shannon Evans, International Co-ordinator for Special Projects, International Relations, Correctional Service of Canada
(April 2006)

hen one thinks about international development and assistance, images of war-torn villages or hurricane-ravaged islands are generally what come to mind. At the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) headquarters, in Ottawa, there is a small but very busy international relations unit that promotes CSC's reputation internationally by coordinating development and technical assistance to countries worldwide that are working to improve the structure and quality of their correctional systems.

Representatives from countries from every continent and region in the world have travelled to Canada to learn more about federal corrections from offender programming, to information technology management, security and policy. CSC hosts between 30 and 50 delegations of correctional practitioners each year, including any of a number of interested parties - parole officers, psychologists, cabinet ministers and others. This is but one aspect of CSC's international work.

Human Rights and the Rule of Law

Increasingly, correctional officials worldwide, and international organizations, have come to recognize that effective correctional practices are an important component in the stability and sustainability of effective governance. As such, CSC contributes officers to international peace operations through programs established by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC). CSC's contribution focuses on assisting nations in laying the foundations of a correctional system built on principles of fundamental human rights and the rule of law. The United Nations recognizes that prison administration is a key component of the criminal justice system and is a crucial component to establishing security and stability in post-conflict nations.

CSC provides two general kinds of expertise internationally: technical assistance and peace building and reconstruction missions.

Technical Assistance

Technical assistance is defined as "the provision of guidance for correctional development". Technical assistance projects focus on an agreed number of aspects of correctional practice, such as substance abuse programming or the implementation of an offender management computer system. These are geared to the implementation of the objectives and training of local practitioners consistent with the principles of sustainable development. These missions usually last for a few weeks or months, and may be funded by the recipient jurisdiction, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), or through a CIDA or FAC program.

CSC has engaged in a number of technical assistance projects in the past few years. For example, in January, 2005, a small team of correctional experts were deployed to Namibia to assist in training Namibian correctional staff on unit management, and in July, 2005, two CSC employees went to Tanzania to provide guidance in the establishment of an computerized offender management information system that will allow the Tanzania Prison Service to track the flow of offenders through their system. In August, 2005, Dr. Bruce Malcolm, an expert in his field, spent two weeks in Japan providing information and guidance regarding sex offender programming and treatment. Other countries that CSC has worked with include China, Hong Kong, Lithuania, New Zealand, to name a few.

Peace Building and Reconstruction

Peace building and reconstruction missions provide guidance and assistance in rebuilding correctional systems in post-conflict regions. The objectives are to provide the tools to train new generations of correctional officers and management to create a sustaining system; to build and improve governmental infrastructure as a way of strengthening stability; and, to encourage peaceful and democratic governance according to the rule of law and international standards of human rights.

These are lofty goals and a difficult task when faced with a correctional system that may have little infrastructure and little funding. Fortunately, CSC's staff are up to the challenge. In a number of countries, and in coordination with local staff and governments determined to make positive differences in the correctional policies and practices of their countries, they have achieved overwhelming success in each of the peace building and reconstruction missions in which they have participated. These missions, generally longer than technical assistance assignments, are usually of an advisory nature and require well-rounded senior CSC staff with both operational and management experience.

CSC's first involvement in international peace building and reconstruction involved a comprehensive four-year mission in Kosovo that saw the three-month rotation of CSC experts to Kosovo between 1999 and 2003. Dozens of CSC staff were involved in this project at various times, and it was this initiative that established Canada as an international expert on corrections and correctional development.

Assistance to Afghanistan

CSC has deployed a corrections advisor to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on one-year assignments, for the past three years. The current corrections advisor to UNAMA has furthered the remarkable success achieved by his two predecessors who assisted in the drafting of legislation geared to humane and productive corrections that was recently passed by the Afghanistan government. CSC has provided culturally relevant advice on everything from prison reconstruction to the creation of policy and practices, staff training, gender issues, and offender programming, and has assisted in the solicitation of funding for correctional initiatives from international donors.

Helping in Côte d'Ivoire

Another country, in which CSC currently has a visible presence, is Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. In August 2005, at the request of the United Nations Mission in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and the Human Security Program (HSP) of FAC, CSC sent an official on a one-year deployment to take on the role of training and development officer to UNOCI. CSC is making a significant contribution to the development and strengthening of the capacity of the national corrections staff to design, develop, deliver and evaluate their training programs.

CSC continues to receive requests for participation in international technical assistance and expertise on peace building and reconstruction missions in critical areas of the world. CSC will continue to be engaged in providing international correctional assistance whenever operationally, and fiscally, feasible.

You are invited to visit CSC's new Web portal titled International Relations for further information on current and past international initiatives at http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/intlforum/index-eng.shtml.