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The Formal Count

BY Bill Rankin, Communications Officer, Communications and Citizen Engagement

Photo: Bill Rankin

It’s getting late, time for lights out. Collins Bay Institution Correctional Officer Paul Moran is in the midst of the nightly inmate count — one of four formal counts that occur every day. Up the range he goes, peering through the slot in each cell door, confirming that a living, breathing body is present in each cell.

His partner is doing his own count on the other side of the range. Once they finish, they switch sides, count again and then check to see if their numbers match. If the tally is correct, the number is recorded on a slip of paper and walked up to the correctional supervisor’s office where it is verified against the master count.

If all goes well, the process takes only 10 or 15 minutes — a small measure that helps ensure the security of the institution and the safety of the Canadian public. ♦