Let's Talk

Training Contributes to Public Safety

BY Djamila Amellal, Communications Officer, Communications and Citizen Engagement

Photos: Bill Rankin

Mechanic instructor Pierre Doucet performs regular maintenance on more than 150 shop machines.

In the core of Drummond Institution in Drummondville, Quebec, work inside the CORCAN textile shops gets underway at an early hour. Of the 320 inmates in this medium-security institution, nearly 90, under the supervision of CSC staff, work at producing various items including clothing for offenders and CSC employees.

A large building, clearly identified by the CORCAN logo, is located at one end of the yard. As we enter, we find ourselves in the largest CORCAN facility of any CSC institution. Moving down the long corridor, we pass three textile shops on the right, finished in glass walls so that work in progress can be observed.

Lucienne Thibault stands in one of the CORCAN textile shops, beside an offender who sews a pair of pants that were cut in another shop.

In the first shop, supervised offenders are busy cutting and trimming various fabrics that will be sent on to the two other workshops. Polo shirts and jeans, in the process of being assembled, are fed through the industrial sewing machines. In the second workshop, offenders are working on the shirts and pants worn by food services officers and by inmates who work in the kitchen. In the third shop, workers are producing offenders’ undergarments and shirts, as well as special-order bags for the Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice, to be held in Calgary. The fourth and final work area is used as the shipping and receiving warehouse: raw materials that arrive here are inspected and stored or distributed to the various workshops. This is also the point at which the finished products are inspected, packaged, placed on skids and shipped to outside clients.

“The raw materials are supplied by providers selected by Public Works and Government Services Canada, and the finished products are for use by CSC,” explained Lucienne Thibault, Assistant Director, CORCAN Industries, a CSC employee since 1984. “These products are sent to Montée Saint-François Institution in Laval, and from there they are shipped out to the rest of Canada.”

Instructor Nicole Rougeau with two inmates in one of the shops. The machines are highly sophisticated, so instructors ensure that offenders are well trained before they begin work.

How to Motivate?

When asked how she manages to motivate 90 offenders to work in a calm and respectful setting, the experienced Ms. Thibault responds, “We have dedicated and determined instructors in the CORCAN shops who love what they do. They work closely with offenders who are discovering their own talents, and consequently, feeling a sense of fulfillment. Their first days here are not always a model of good behaviour, but over time a feeling of pride sets in. As the offenders begin to realize that they are manufacturing finished products that are worn across Canada, their self-esteem grows.”

Preparing Offenders for Release

Denis Courtois is a CORCAN shop instructor, a tailor by trade and 20-year veteran of CSC. “They may not be drawn naturally to textiles. I take the time needed to train them. We handle various tools, including scissors; however, they are warned at the outset that the control of these tools is very stringent. The offenders are motivated by the wages they earn, and this work helps to make time pass. Often, they have never worked, and when they discover their talents, they feel fulfilled. They may work in the textile industry later, but even if they change occupations, they will at least have learned good habits such as punctuality, communication skills, teamwork, self-respect and respect for others. Employers in the community are uncompromising when it comes to such social skills and offenders learn them in the production process.”

A Demanding Employer of Choice

Drummond inmates take part in various programs in the institution, many of which are recommended in their correctional plan, or they go to school. According to the assistant director, a number of them are drawn to the textile shops because of the financial aspect.

“We are a demanding employer, but we pay them and devise ways to motivate them further. For example, in the beginning we pay them $0.75 per hour. After six months of continuous work, their wages increase to $1 per hour. Offenders can earn a maximum of $70 every two weeks. It’s highly motivational for them.”

Instructor Denis Courtois trains an offender in the fabric-cutting shop. Denis teaches him to protect his fingers by operating the sophisticated equipment safely.

Keeping Busy, Staying Safe

While the instructors in the shops train the offenders and keep up production, Pierre Doucet, a 17-year veteran mechanic instructor at CSC, maintains some 150 machines used in the shops.

“I work as a relief instructor on occasion, but my regular day-to-day work is to ensure that these fairly sophisticated machines are in running order. If one breaks down, I absolutely must repair it. This is assembly-line work, so we want to prevent bottlenecks in one shop or at one worker station.”

For Doucet, the work in the CORCAN shops not only provides an opportunity for training and preparing offenders for their release in the community, it also helps increase safety. “I love what I do because I feel like I’m helping the institution and society. When offenders are busy, they have less time for trouble. This is how we contribute indirectly to safety in the institution and in the community.”

CORCAN: At the Core of the CSC Mission

With great satisfaction, Thibault concludes, “We have a small SME within these walls. We work closely with Programs and the school board, developing occupational certifications that are recognized in the community. When I see the progress made by offenders in the shops, and I look at the day-to-day production results, I feel pride in our accomplishments.”

All of this work, performed by CSC staff on a daily basis, motivates offenders and guides them toward success. CSC’s strength lies in employees like these who treat inmates with dignity and who genuinely believe in the offenders’ potential for personal growth and transformation into law-abiding citizens. ♦