Technical Assistance Projects

Algeria

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) approached the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) in February 2003, with a request for CSC participation in a one-week needs assessment as part of a prison reform pilot project in Algeria. The goal of the project was to work towards implementing a pilot institution focussed on the social reintegration of offenders. In August of 2003, a team of correctional experts went over to Algeria, and, following that, a delegation of Algerian officials visited CSC.

As a direct result of this exchange of visits, the Algerian Ministry of Justice requested CSC's participation in the prison reform project, the first phase of which involved the sharing of knowledge through study tours of Algerian staff in Canada. CSC's Quebec region hosted the first group of Algerian officials in September 2004, and focussed on Offender Intake Assessment. The second group was comprised of six wardens and came in April 2005, to observe institutional security practices. A final group of medical doctors, psychologists and a toxicologist came during the first two weeks of May 2005, to observe CSC's Health Services practices.

In the last phase of cooperation, CSC sent a representative to the International Seminar on Prison Architecture held in Algeria, December 2005.