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Commissioner's Directive

Date:
2011-05-26

Number - Numéro:
567

MANAGEMENT OF SECURITY INCIDENTS

Issued under the authority of the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada

PDF

Policy Bulletin 291

Policy Bulletin 330

POLICY OBJECTIVES

1. To ensure the safety of staff, the public and the offenders while respecting the rule of law.

2. To ensure a respectful environment that promotes ongoing dynamic interaction between staff and offenders.

3. To return the institution, after an incident, to an environment that encourages inmates to actively participate in programs and is conducive to the implementation of their Correctional Plan.

4. To ensure that the importance of effective leadership and learning (training and development) are reflected in security policies and practices.

AUTHORITIES

5. Corrections and Conditional Release Act, sections 4, 31-37, 38-44, 68 and 97

Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations, sections 4 and 19-23

Criminal Code of Canada, ss. 25-27, 34, 35, 37, 67, 69, 92(1)(b), 98(1)(b), 117.07, 494 and 495

CROSS-REFERENCES

6. Commissioner's Directive 567-1 - Use of Force

Commissioner's Directive 567-2 - Use of and Responding to Alarms

Commissioner's Directive 567-3 - Use of Restraint Equipment for Security Purposes

Commissioner's Directive 567-4 - Use of Chemical Agents and Inflammatory Sprays

Commissioner's Directive 567-5 - Use of Firearms

Commissioner's Directive 600 - Management of Emergencies

Commissioner's Directive 702 - Aboriginal Offenders

Commissioner's Directive 800 - Health Services

Security Equipment Manual

Situation Management Model (see Annex A)

Guidelines 253-2 - Critical Incident Stress Management

DEFINITION

7. Medical emergency: an injury or condition that poses an immediate threat to a person's health or life which requires medical intervention.

MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL FRAMEWORK

8. The management and control of situations must be accomplished through a framework which includes but is not limited to:

  1. the use of force, ensuring that the response and the manner in which force is used are appropriate and in accordance with CSC policy and applicable legislation (CD 567-1);
  2. the use of and responding to alarms to provide a secure environment and ensure the protection of staff, inmates, visitors and the public (CD 567-2);
  3. the appropriate use of restraint equipment to ensure the safety of the inmate and the institution (CD 567-3);
  4. the safe and secure use of chemical agents and inflammatory sprays when required (CD 567 4);
  5. the use of firearms as a last resort to protect the lives of staff, other inmates and the public (CD 567-5);
  6. the management of emergencies to ensure that all critical locations are prepared to deal effectively with emergencies in order to protect the safety and security of the public, staff and inmates (CD 600);
  7. all interventions designed to manage or control situations that jeopardize the security of an institution must:
    1. encourage the peaceful resolution of the incident using verbal intervention and negotiation,
    2. be consistent with the Situation Management Model,
    3. be based on the safest and most reasonable measures appropriate to prevent, respond, and resolve the situation, and
    4. be adapted to respond to changes in the situation; and
  8. no person must ever consent to or take part in any cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment of an inmate.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

9. The Assistant Commissioner, Correctional Operations and Programs, must ensure that:

  1. policies in support of this directive are clear, relevant, timely and accurate and are developed with the input of correctional staff;
  2. policies promote a safe and secure correctional environment; and
  3. policies are applied in a consistent manner nationally.

10. The Director General, Security, is designated to be the senior Correctional Service of Canada authority on safety and security issues within the Service.

11. The Director General, Security, must ensure that:

  1. all security procedures are conducted in compliance with the law and policies and are knowledge and research-based;
  2. policies are effectively communicated to regions;
  3. advice to regions and institutions is provided effectively; and
  4. any issues arising from security policies, their procedures or implementation are reviewed and addressed in a timely manner.

12. The Assistant Deputy Commissioners, Institutional Operations, must ensure that:

  1. policies are effectively communicated to operational units;
  2. support to operational units is effectively provided;
  3. any issues arising from security policies, their procedures or implementation are reported in a timely manner to the Director General, Security, National Headquarters; and
  4. operational reviews of policies and procedures are conducted on a regular basis.

13. The Institutional Head and District Director must be responsible for:

  1. implementing policies;
  2. managing challenges as they arise in such a way as to return the institution to a safe and secure environment as soon as possible;
  3. ensuring that all staff are properly equipped and trained in their duties; and
  4. establishing a process to monitor compliance and the effective implementation of these policies.

14. The Institutional Head must ensure that all the responsibilities referred to in CD 800 - Health Services are adhered to.

15. Staff must ensure that:

  1. they know and understand the applicable law, policies and procedures, including cultural and gender issues;
  2. they demonstrate fairness, judgement and professionalism in returning the institution to a safe and secure environment;
  3. they take every reasonable step to return the institution to a safe and secure environment as soon as possible when they become aware of any situation which, in their opinion, jeopardizes the safety of the institution or anyone in it;
  4. they interact positively and constructively with other staff and inmates; and
  5. they resolve conflicts and problems at the lowest level possible.

RESPONSE TO MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

16. Refer to CD 800 - Health Services.

SITUATION MANAGEMENT MODEL

17. The model (see Annex A) is a graphic representation used to assist staff in determining the correct response options to be used in managing security situations.

18. The purpose of these options is to maintain a safe environment in our institutions and to protect the public, staff and inmates by controlling inmates using the safest and most reasonable responses to the situation.

ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION

19. Each situation must be assessed in terms of the CAPRA problem-solving model.

20. The acronym CAPRA refers to:

  • Client;
  • Acquiring and Analysing;
  • Partnership;
  • Response; and
  • Assessment.

21. The model facilitates the acquisition and analysis of client and situational information, and the consideration, through partners, of response strategies.

22. Continual assessment of the effectiveness of the response is an integral aspect of the CAPRA process.

23. The inmate's current behaviour, situational factors (e.g. location, presence of weapons, other inmates, social history, etc.), tactical considerations (past behaviour, size of inmate, skills of the officer, availability of backup, etc.) and the risk relating to the incident must be assessed on an ongoing basis.

24. Responses to the situation must be reformulated to reflect any significant changes, and the risk the new situation represents. Every situation must be managed using the safest and most reasonable response appropriate to the incident.

25. When necessary and possible, staff members must consider isolating, containing, withdrawing, reassessing and re-planning their response option so that the most appropriate response is implemented. The effectiveness of previous interventions must be part of this ongoing assessment.

INMATE BEHAVIOUR

26. Cooperative - There is no verbal or physical resistance. The inmate responds to staff presence, verbal communication and complies voluntarily with verbal commands or orders.

27. Verbally Resistive - The inmate may display behaviours that include, but are not limited to, verbal assaults, profanity, taunts, or refusal to communicate with staff. However, the inmate does comply with verbal orders.

28. Physically Uncooperative - The inmate refuses to comply with staff directions or orders or refuses to move from an area or leave a cell. The inmate may offer active physical, but not assaultive, resistance by pulling or running away or resisting staff attempts to move him or her to a standing position.

29. Assaultive - The inmate threatens verbally, or implies through physical behaviours, actions or gestures, the intent to apply force to harm or injure another person. The inmate, directly or indirectly, applies force against another person in a manner that causes or has the potential to cause harm or injury.

30. Shows Potential to Cause Grievous Bodily Harm or Death - The inmate displays a behaviour that leads the staff to reasonably believe that such a behaviour could or will result in grievous bodily harm or death to another person or himself/herself.

31. Escape - Any act or attempted act to breach (break) prison, escape from lawful custody, or without lawful excuse be at large before the expiration of a term of imprisonment to which that person has been sentenced.

SELECTION OF APPROPRIATE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

32. The appropriate management strategies must be chosen following the initial and ongoing assessment of the situation as detailed in paragraphs 19 through 25.

33. Strategies may include, but are not limited to, use of front-line staff, Aboriginal Elders/religious leaders, unit teams, extraction teams, crisis negotiators, emergency response teams, crisis management teams, police or military assistance.

VERBAL INTERVENTION, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND NEGOTIATION

34. Whenever appropriate, staff must attempt to manage situations using dynamic security, staff presence, verbal intervention, conflict resolution, negotiations, or verbal orders.

RESTRAINT EQUIPMENT

35. Restraint equipment may be used in routine situations, such as an escort or transfer, where it is specified by policy that such equipment may be applied on a cooperative offender.

36. Restraint equipment is one of several response options that may be used to manage a situation when the inmate's behaviour is within the cooperative to assaultive range.

INFLAMMATORY SPRAYS, CHEMICAL AGENTS AND PHYSICAL HANDLING

37. These three response options are a continuum of responses that are most often used in combination to manage situations where offender behaviour is physically uncooperative.

38. These responses would be used when verbal intervention or restraint equipment have proven ineffective or are assessed as inappropriate options for the situation.

BATONS AND OTHER INTERMEDIARY WEAPONS

39. These responses may be the safest and most reasonable interventions when offender behaviour is assaultive or worse.

40. These responses would be used when verbal intervention or chemical agents/inflammatory sprays are not available, have proven ineffective or are assessed as inappropriate response options for the situation.

41. These responses may be appropriate prior to resorting to the use of firearms to manage escapes, or more serious assaultive situations or behaviours likely to cause grievous bodily harm or death (i.e., riots and major disturbances).

42. The term "other intermediary weapons" includes canine, high pressure water, and any other equipment that may be approved for use in the Security Equipment Manual.

FIREARMS

43. The use of firearms, in the form of the delivery of a deliberately aimed shot at a person, is limited to preventing grievous bodily harm, death or escape from a medium or maximum-security institution and satisfies the criteria set out in subsection 25(5) of the Criminal Code of Canada: "A peace officer is justified in using force that is intended or is likely to cause death or grievous bodily harm against an inmate who is escaping from a penitentiary within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, if

  1. the peace officer believes on reasonable grounds that any of the inmates of the penitentiary poses a threat of death or grievous bodily harm to the peace officer or any other person; and
  2. the escape cannot be prevented by reasonable means in a less violent manner".

44. A firearm must be used only when other response options are not available, have proven unsuccessful or are not the safest and most reasonable intervention given the situational factors.

45. Firearms may also be used indirectly via physical presence with a firearm, charging of the firearm and/or use of a warning shot. The physical presence of a firearm in conjunction with the duties of an armed post does not constitute a use of force (e.g. catwalk or in a tower) unless the firearm is pointed at an individual or displayed as a show of force or for psychological effect.

REPORTING

46. Staff and management must debrief and report throughout the management of the entire situation in order to facilitate the ongoing assessment of situational factors and management options.

47. Upon resolution of the situation, the necessary verbal and written reports must be completed, in accordance with CD 567-1.

48. Staff must be provided with critical incident stress management services when required.

49. Inmates who require attention following critical incidents must be offered support services by institutional Psychologists, Chaplains, Aboriginal Elders or other religious leaders. Services must normally take the form of individual counselling interviews.

50. Following an incident:

  1. a list of inmates who may be in need of assistance must be developed (through consultation with inmate representatives, if appropriate);
  2. this must occur as soon as possible after an incident (usually the next morning if the incident occurs after normal working hours), with institutional Psychologists or Chaplains or Aboriginal Elders or other religious leaders who have offered to meet with inmates affected by a critical incident;
  3. the participation by inmates is entirely voluntary.

51. Support services must also be available, upon request, to other inmates not on the list referred to in subparagraph 50 a. Psychologists, Chaplains, Aboriginal Elders or other religious leaders providing services must record interventions by means of case notes placed on the inmates' files, and must submit the names of inmates offered services to their supervisor.

52. Offenders in the community who require attention following critical incidents must be offered support services by community psychologists, contract psychologists or other spiritual leaders, as appropriate, in a fashion similar to the way services are provided to inmates.

Commissioner,

Original signed by:
Don Head

ANNEX A

Situation Management Model

CSC Staff and Management will prevent, respond and resolve situations using the safest and most reasonable intervention.

Graphic representation used to assist staff in determining the correct response options to be used in managing security situations.

 

Date Modified: 2011-07-19

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