Let’s Talk sat down with former ICPM Project Leader Carmen Long to get an inside look at the Service’s third generation of correctional programs.

LT – What impacts do you think this new third generation of Correctional Programs will have on offender rehabilitation and public safety?
CL – The Integrated Correctional Program Model (ICPM) overcomes historical challenges and gaps to ensure more offenders will have access to the right program at the right time. Furthermore, the move towards a holistic approach makes the programs much more responsive to the needs of the offender population, and public safety is enhanced when program resources are focused on higher-risk offenders.

LT – What is the biggest challenge you and your team have faced so far working on the ICPM file?
CL – Change management is difficult. One of our greatest challenges was dealing with the strong reactions to change. While this change still poses a challenge, we are bolstered by the support of many people, and I believe that this ongoing dialogue has only strengthened the project.

LT – What previous career experiences qualified you and prepared you for your role on the ICPM file?
CL – My operational experience, combined with my national management and program development experience, was key. Though the most significant thing I learned during my career is how important a team is to the success of a project. The ICPM is where it is now because of an incredible team of dedicated people.

LT – What do the academic experts in the area of correctional programming think of this new approach?
CL – The ICPM team met with correctional programming experts Don Andrews, Paul Gendreau, Ed Zamble, and Steve Wormith to discuss the new approach in detail. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive.

Indeed, Don Andrews made a point of noting how impressed he was by the “highly individualized nature of the new model.” Although the benefits of taking an integrated approach might seem obvious at this time, Ed Zamble reminded us that “we couldn’t have done the model [ICPM] until we tried the programs all separately and learned from them.”

LT – How many people have worked with you to get this file to where it is today?
CL – The ICPM has benefited tremendously from the enthusiastic support of many people from across Canada. In addition to the core members of the ICPM Development and Implementation Team, I would like to recognize the following staff members, whose support and contributions made the ICPM possible:

Brenda Lepage, and later Julie Blasko as our Transformation Team leads, provided invaluable assistance.

John Edmunds of the Union of Solicitor General Employees has shown continued interest and support.

We also work closely with Chris Malloy, Paul Weaver, Kent Merlin, Linda Arsenault, and Rob Mills in order to develop meaningful program management and performance reports.

Cindy Cooper-Johnson and Lyne Parks helped us immensely in making modifications to the Offender Management System.

Alvin Kube from the Aboriginal Initiatives Division is a close partner. And Emily Henry works closely with the ICPM Elder Working Group.

The National Parole Board welcomed us and we have collaborated closely with them throughout the different stages of the project, especially in the Pacific Region.

In closing, I would like to thank each and every person who played a role in shaping the ICPM. It took a lot of hard work and I look forward to witnessing the positive impact this new program model will have on public safety results.