Commissioner's Directive

Policy Bulletin 176

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POLICY OBJECTIVE

1. To conduct research in support of correctional policies and practices that reduce reoffending.

AUTHORITIES

2. Corrections and Conditional Release Act, sections 3, 4, 5 and 88;
Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations, section 115;
Privacy Act, paragraph 8 (2) (j);
Access to Information Act, sections 18, 21 and 22.

CROSS-REFERENCES

3. Commissioner's Directive 803 - Consent to Health Service Assessment, Treatment and Release of Information;
Tri-Council's (the Medical Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Councils of Canada) Policy Statement on Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans.

PRINCIPLES

4. Research will meet the standards of the appropriate professional and scientific bodies in relation to ethical considerations, methodology and scientific rigour.

RESPONSIBILITIES

5. The Executive Committee is responsible for approving the Annual Research Plan.

6. The Director General of Research, with the assistance of Regional Research Committees:

1. coordinates the development of the Annual Research Plan;
2. ensures the integrity of the Plan;
3. implements the Plan;
4. establishes internal ethics review committees to review research proposals as required; and
5. shares lessons learned.

7. Regional Research Committees:

1. establish partnerships with academic institutions;
2. review and recommend regional proposals for the Annual Research Plan; and
3. coordinate and facilitate the conduct of research in the operational units.

8. Staff members, at all levels of the Service, shall facilitate the researcher's access to CSC facilities and information and provide other support, as required.

APPROVAL OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS

9. Research proposals shall be assessed according to the following criteria:

1. conformity with the principles of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act;
2. contribution to the achievement of the Mission and the priorities of the Correctional Service of Canada;
3. compliance with the Tri-Council's Policy Statement on Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans;
4. level of disruption to the implementation of correctional objectives from an operational perspective;
5. quality of the methodology;
6. qualifications of researchers;
7. anticipated benefit to corrections; and
8. value for money.

10. The Deputy Commissioner for Women must approve any research proposals that involve women offenders.

MEDICAL RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT

11. There shall be no medical experimentation unless it is approved under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.

Commissioner,

Original signed by
Lucie McClung