Expected outcomes:
All inmates have a correctional plan based upon an individual assessment of risks and needs, regularly reviewed and implemented throughout and after their time in custody. Inmates, together with all relevant staff, are involved with drawing up and reviewing plans.
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| 8.17 |
Correctional plans and subsequent reports were detailed and focused. Prioritized needs were relevant and achievable and based on a thorough intake assessment. The intake assessment was being revised in response to concerns that it was not sufficiently culturally or gender sensitive. Correctional plans were resumed for revokees. Women said they felt part of the correctional plan process, but their contribution to the formulation of progress reports was unclear.
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| 8.18 |
Each new admission had a thorough intake assessment to identify prioritized correctional planning needs. Since April 2005, all intake assessments and correctional plans had been completed within the stipulated 70 days for women with sentences of less than four years and 90 days for those with sentences of four years and above. The intake assessment included detailed contributions from the woman, community parole officer and the inmate's friends and family. In response to concerns that the Dynamic Factor Identification and Analysis (DFIA) was not sufficiently culturally or gender sensitive, the instrument had been updated to include gender- and culturally-responsive interview prompts. A revised DFIA was being tested to ensure its validity for Aboriginal, racialized and disabled women.
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| 8.19 |
A named primary worker and parole officer were allocated to a woman in advance of her arrival. All new arrivals were allocated to phase one of the women offenders substance abuse program (WOSAP) and a work program shortly after arrival, though the increase in the population had affected the availability of work posts. Education and other program assessments began within the first couple of weeks, and women were allocated to prioritized correctional programs before their correctional plan was finalized. This provided activity and also encouraged completion of identified programs during custody.
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| 8.20 |
From a random sample of 10 correctional plans it was evident that needs had been prioritized from the thorough background information provided in the intake assessment. Institutional targets could be differentiated from community targets, and all were realistic and measurable. However, there were examples in the plans where women were referred to by surname only.
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| 8.21 |
There was evidence from the plans that the woman had been interviewed as part of the intake assessment process. In fact, 53% of respondents to our survey said they had been involved or very involved in the development of their correctional plan, which compared favourably with the English comparator of 26%. However, it was less clear how much involvement they had in the compilation of correctional plan progress reports, although the contents of these were shared with women on completion. These progress reports were also thorough and focused, drawing on all the sources to outline the inmate's progress in the institution.
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| 8.22 |
Previous correctional plans were resumed for revokees.
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| 8.23 |
All correctional plans and reports were quality assured before they were finalized.
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Action points |
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| 8.24 |
All women should be fully involved in the formulation of reports that relate to their correctional plan.
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| Correctional and mental health programs |
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Expected outcomes:
Effective programs are available to address identified inmate risk and need, to allow timely progression through sentence.
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| 8.25 |
Relationships between staff and inmates were generally positive and respectful. There was relatively little informal engagement between staff and women inmates and limited opportunity outside scheduled activity time for staff to model pro-social behaviour. We questioned the recent decision that primary workers should wear uniform and how it fitted with the principles of Creating Choices .
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| 8.26 |
The program strategy for women offenders described the gender-specific programs available based on a needs analysis of the women offender population. In addition to the three women offenders substance abuse program (WOSAP) modules, Nova offered anger and emotion management, reasoning and rehabilitation, and three phases of the survivors of abuse and trauma program to the general population. Sex offender therapy was available for those who required it. Programmes had either been developed specifically for women offenders or adapted to meet their needs. Women without a substance abuse problem could also attend the relapse prevention WOSAP module. There was no correctional program aimed at the specific needs of Aboriginal women at Nova. In our random analysis of 10 correctional plans, there was evidence that the correctional programs offered met the prioritized needs of the women.
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| 8.27 |
National programs such as dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and WOSAP had been validated and were monitored by headquarters. All facilitators for these programs and all staff in the SLE, including primary workers as well as behavioural counsellors, had been trained to national standards.
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| 8.28 |
Following an in-depth intake assessment, women were allocated to the next available program during weekly program board meetings. Reasoning and rehabilitation (R&R) was offered only to women not assessed as needing WOSAP or DBT (provided to SLE and secure unit residents only) due to the overlap in skills covered. Four women had completed R&R since April 2005, and none had completed anger and emotion management in the current fiscal year.
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| 8.29 |
There were no R&R or anger and emotion management programs during our inspection. One woman was waiting to go on R&R, which was due to start in October 2005. However, this six-month course was likely to impinge on her earliest eligibility for day parole in January 2006 and her full parole in March 2006. Five women were on the waiting list for the anger and emotions program, which was scheduled to begin in January 2006. The program start date was already beyond the earliest day parole eligibility dates for three of these, and would coincide with one applicant's full parole eligibility date. The timeliness of these waiting lists, as checked via 'bring forwards' and quarterly CSC oversight, was judged by the scheduled program start date rather than women's proximity to earliest parole eligibility dates. This could affect a woman's ability to apply for and achieve parole, particularly if she needed to complete the custodial program as part of her correctional plan.
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| 8.30 |
We supported the practice of identifying women for prioritized correctional programs before the correctional plan had been fixed in order to encourage completion of programs before earliest eligibility dates.
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| 8.31 |
In our survey, 67% of respondents felt that their correctional programs would help them on release, which compared very favourably with an English comparator of 26%.
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| 8.32 |
The survivors of abuse and trauma program provided individual therapy, groupwork and an evening support group for participants. At the time of our inspection, ongoing individual therapy was provided to 22 women, groupwork to six and evening support to five. All requests to join the program now went direct to the facilitator, and there had been an increase in requests to join it. Two women were on the waiting list for individual therapy and one on the waiting list for evening support.
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| 8.33 |
This program clearly provided much needed support to women, who valued it. However, although it was mentioned as a desired intervention in correctional plans, the facilitator was no longer asked to contribute to correctional plan progress reports.
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| 8.34 |
The SLE was an impressive therapeutic environment providing specific treatment interventions to women with mental health needs. At the time of our visit there were five residents in the SLE out of a capacity of eight. One was involved in DBT and the remaining four in psycho-social rehabilitation. Two additional secure unit women were involved in the DBT program.
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| 8.35 |
Women could access the SLE through various routes, mainly through a recommendation from their case management team, but also through self-referral and community parole officer recommendation. All women had to want to be involved in the SLE to be accepted. Applications were considered by the coordinated care committee, which was attended by all SLE staff on duty. These meetings were held fortnightly to encourage attendance from the woman's primary worker and were minuted with action points. Once accepted, applicants were moved into the SLE within a short time and began a 30-day assessment period to acclimatize them to its routines. This was followed by programming, and the woman was assigned a SLE primary worker for the duration of her stay.
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| 8.36 |
The SLE provided an excellent example of interdisciplinary working and there was plenty of evidence of positive interactions between staff and inmates. There were weekly interdisciplinary team meetings to discuss the progress of each resident. The outcomes of these meetings were discussed with the women and treatment goals set. Women spoke highly of their treatment in the SLE, for both program intervention and relationships with staff.
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| 8.37 |
All residents were involved in activities in the general population in addition to their SLE commitments. There was also commendable regular and timetabled outreach support to ex-residents.
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Action points |
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| 8.38 |
An annual needs assessment should be conducted to ensure that programs offered continue to meet the identified needs of women at Nova.
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| 8.39 |
The waiting list for programs should prioritize applicants by their earliest parole eligibility dates.
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| 8.40 |
Feedback from the survivors of abuse and trauma program facilitator should be included in correctional plan progress reports.
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Good practice |
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| 8.41 |
The SLE was a holistic therapeutic environment that supported women with specific mental health needs, and offered additional support to encourage and maintain their successful return to the general population
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| Life-sentenced inmates |
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Expected outcomes:
Life-sentenced inmates should receive equal treatment in terms of their treatment and the conditions in which they are held. These expectations refer to specific issues, which relate to the management of life-sentenced inmates.
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| 8.42 |
Relationships between staff and inmates were generally positive and respectful. There was relatively little informal engagement between staff and women inmates and limited opportunity outside scheduled activity time for staff to model pro-social behaviour. We questioned the recent decision that primary workers should wear uniform and how it fitted with the principles of Creating Choices .
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| 8.43 |
Six women were serving life sentences at Nova. All were convicted of second degree murder, with minimum sentences varying between 10 and 15 years. All lifers arrived within days of sentencing, and no longer than 15 days. A CSC parole officer saw newly sentenced lifers in the provincial prison for an initial assessment, and the parole officer dealt with any immediate questions and identified any urgent needs.
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| 8.44 |
On arrival at Nova, all new life-sentenced women were held initially in the secure unit. At the time of the inspection there was one lifer in the secure unit. Until shortly before the inspection, CSC policy was that all life-sentenced inmates should spend two years in maximum security, except in exceptional circumstances. Figures supplied by the CSC suggested that this had happened within the two year period. On 1 September 2005, this policy was changed to allow wardens to make initial placement decisions for those serving life sentences. Technically the revised policy still required a security classification review for lifers in maximum security only every two years. Given the contrast in living conditions for women in Nova, and the very restricted opportunities in the secure unit, this was too long.
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| 8.45 |
Life-sentenced women completed the standard orientation program led by the primary worker. There was no specific orientation for lifers. As there were very few new lifers we accepted that orientation needed to be tailored to the individual. The LifeLine service provided an in-reach worker who visited the prison regularly and who offered orientation to new lifers and during the reception and initial placement stage of their sentence. Unfortunately, this worker was not available during the inspection and no one in the institution could tell us about this orientation.
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| 8.46 |
There was very little distinct treatment for lifers as a group (although they did get better quality mattresses in recognition that they would spend a long time there). Any special needs were identified on an individual basis, which seemed appropriate with the small numbers involved. The six lifers were a disparate group in age and the stage in their life sentence. There was little reason to hold special lifer days.
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| 8.47 |
Correctional planning was the same for life-sentenced women as for others. There was no formal annual review of the plan, but the casework team reviewed it after each significant event. The standard of the lifer plans we sampled was high, with a thorough assessment of the offence and identification of risk factors. Although there were annual assessments of progress against the correctional plan, individual lifers did not appear to be present at these reviews.
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| 8.48 |
A lifer could spend her whole sentence of many years at Nova, with little opportunity to acquire work-related skills or occupy herself purposefully. Most of the activities provided centred on programs, basic education and domestic work. Lifers had the opportunity to spend some time at other institutions, but this was not appropriate for some and did not compensate for the lack of opportunity to have a meaningful 'career' at Nova. (See paragraphs 5.28 to 5.34).
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| 8.49 |
Correctional planning ensured that lifers were prepared for release gradually. Escorted and unescorted absences were considered at the appropriate stage of sentence, and release plans were agreed with community parole officers before cases went to the parole board.
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Action points |
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| 8.50 |
Women lifers in maximum secure conditions should have their classification reviewed at least every 90 days.
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| 8.51 |
An annual review of progress against the correctional plan should be held with the full casework team, including the woman lifer.
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| 8.52 |
Better employment opportunities should be offered to allow lifers to acquire appropriate vocational skills.
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