Policy Bulletin

Why was the policy changed?

CD 708 - Special Handling Unit has been revised to reflect the changes that have been made to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) as well as to address recommendations stemming from the report of the 2008 Policy Review Task Force.

What has changed?

Several technical modifications have been made to the layout of the document. Extensive editing was done to remove extraneous details, to improve clarity of the direction and to focus on staff responsibilities.

For inmates convicted of any terrorism offence, where the Custody Rating Scale is maximum, the Regional Deputy Commissioner of the region where the offender was sentenced will determine whether the offender meets the criteria for a placement to the SHU for assessment purposes. As applicable, the offender may be directly placed from provincial custody to the SHU.

For inmates placed directly to the SHU, the Psychologist at the SHU will complete the mental health screening and, if required, the mental health assessment.

The Regional Deputy Commissioner will review the cases of inmates who have been in segregation for 120 days to determine whether they still require transfer to the SHU for assessment purposes.

The requirement, as per section 87 of the CCRA, to take into consideration the inmate's state of health and health care needs has been included in the decision process to transfer an inmate from the SHU. This is captured in the Responsibilities section and in the related Assessment for Decision Report Outline.

How was it developed?

This policy was updated by the former National Policy Review Team. It was then revised collaboratively by the Strategic Policy Division and the Institutional Reintegration Operations Division and was the subject of a national consultation.

Accountabilities?

All positions for which there is an accountability are clearly identified in the Responsibilities section of the policy.

Who will be affected by the policy?

Staff at the SHU and those involved in the administrative and case management functions specific to the SHU.

Other impacts?

None.

Contact

Director
Institutional Reintegration Operations
613-995-7954