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Glossary

The Aboriginal Liaison Officer (ALO) : Assists all Aboriginal offenders while they are incarcerated.  The ALO provides counselling and assistance concerning Case Management and Pre-Release planning for Aboriginal offenders.  The ALO also assists the institutional staff as they engage with Aboriginal inmates, Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal community-based organizations, and other outside interests.

Case Management Team (CMT) : includes a Correctional Officer, a Parole Officer, a Manager of Assessment and Intervention (MAI), and if applicable, an Aboriginal Liaison Officer and an Elder. The team works with the offender to achieve the goal of reintegration back into society as a law-abiding citizen. The team members work together to develop and evaluate the inmate's case based on institutional behaviour, work performance, and adherence to the Correctional Plan.

Clinical Appraisal : A professionally-administered assessment of the offender's risk. The offender's dynamic risk factors are a part of the assessment to determine the actuarial predictor of risk.

Community Assessment : A document designed to request and record relevant offender contacts and information in the community based on field investigations by a case management officer or private agency under contract.

Conditional Release : Under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) all offenders must be considered for some form of conditional release during their sentence. Conditional release does not mean the sentence is shortened, it means that part of the sentence may be served in the community under supervision with specific conditions. Types of release include temporary absences (escorted and unescorted), day parole, full parole, work release, statutory release and long-term supervision orders.

Correctional Officers : An officer responsible for the day-to-day operations of correctional facilities. The officer's duties vary according to the type of institution, but security and the daily welfare of offenders are of primary importance in all facilities.

Correctional Plan : A detailed plan of action for maintaining a law-abiding lifestyle. The plan usually involves certain restrictions on movement and actions, as well as commitments to participate in constructive activities - jobs, programs, etc. Since each offender has different needs and problems, each plan is different. The plans focus on the specific issues in each offender's life.

The Correctional Plan is created at the beginning of the sentence when the offender undergoes a comprehensive assessment called the Offender Intake Assessment (OIA) within 90 calendar days of the offender’s sentence commencement date, depending upon the length of the sentence. The purpose of the OIA is to:

• complete a comprehensive profile of an offender’s criminal and social history;
• assess the risk posed by the offender;
• identify the problem areas that need to be addressed to reduce the risk of re-offending;
• complete the Correctional Plan outlining how the problem areas will be addressed throughout the sentence; and,
• recommend a security classification and initial penitentiary placement.

During the OIA, factors that led the offender into criminal behaviour are identified, as are areas in the offender’s life that, if changed, can reduce the risk of re-offending. The results of the OIA are documented in the Correctional Plan, which will serve as a basis to monitor the offender’s progress throughout the sentence. It outlines and prioritizes the areas that must be addressed to reduce an offender’s likelihood of re-offending and to prepare him or her for safe reintegration into society.

Custody Rating Scale (CRS) : A research-based tool to assist Parole Officers or Primary Workers in determining the appropriate level of security for the initial penitentiary placement of the offender. The CRS assigns scores to institutional adjustment and security risk.

Dangerous Offender : an offender who is subject to a designation by the court under section 753 of the Criminal Code.

Dynamic Risk Factor : A factor from an offender's life that can affect rehabilitation and progress. Dynamic factors can be changed, such as unemployment, whereas static factors are fixed.

Elder : First Nations, Métis and Inuit Elders contribute throughout the sentence to meeting the cultural and spiritual needs of diverse Aboriginal offenders in correctional operations. Elders facilitate core national correctional programs based on Aboriginal teachings and guidance for those who wish to follow a traditional healing path.

Emergency Transfers : Transfers used on an involuntary basis when there is immediate risk to the public, staff, or offenders that cannot be managed within the current site. This includes medical emergencies where an offender sustains an injury or condition that poses an immediate threat to a person’s health or life which requires medical intervention.

Inmate movement : The ability of an inmate to leave his or her cell for daily activities, such as work, religious activities, leisure activities, meals, and exercise. CSC maintains a safe, secure institutional environment by ensuring the orderly and authorized movement and supervision of inmates at our Correctional Institutions (CD 566-3).  This entails the knowledge of the daily institutional routines of our institutions from minimum, medium, and maximum security levels.  Inmate movement requires the knowledge of the inmate pass system as well as the protocols for inmate counts.  Inmate meals are also included with the movement of inmates with scheduled times for each meal throughout the day.

Institutional Head : in relation to a penitentiary, means the person who is normally in charge of the penitentiary, such as a Warden.

Intake Assessment : This process provides an effective introduction of offenders to the federal correctional system.  The Intake Assessment ensures that all offenders:

1. undergo a full assessment and referral process addressing specific program, security, medical, psychological, psychiatric, employment, and educational needs;
2. offenders are provided with information and counselling as required regarding the federal correctional system which includes the following: rights and responsibilities; Mission Statement of CSC; adaptation to the penitentiary environment; educational and vocational counselling; availability of spiritual and cultural services; program opportunities; rules and regulations governing the conduct of offenders; security levels of institutions; policy and procedures on temporary absences, work releases and conditional releases; offender grievance process; function of the Correctional Investigator's Office; Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; role of Elders, Aboriginal Liaison Officers, Aboriginal Community Development Officers, Pathway's Units; Section 81 and 84 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA); access to information procedures; and the CCRA.

Involuntary Transfer : A transfer of an offender that is initiated by CSC for reasons in section 28 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.

Judicial Review : A review by the courts to determine a reduction in the number of years of imprisonment without eligibility for parole, pursuant to section 745.6 of the Criminal Code. The offender must submit his/her application to the Chief Justice in the province in which the conviction occurred. The Chief Justice then determines/decides whether the application should proceed. The Judicial screening of the application will evaluate the documents within the application in accordance with the Criminal Code (paragraphs 745.63 (1) (a) ). These documents include the application, any summary reports provided by CSC or other Correctional Authorities, and any other written evidence presented to the Chief Justice or Judge by the applicant or the Attorney General.  Upon review of the documentation, the Judge may hold a pre-hearing conference during the screening process and upon full screening and discussion; the Judge will determine whether the Offender is required to appear.

Motivation-Based Intervention Strategy(MBIS) : The MBIS is an intervention designed to provide additional support to offenders who refuse programs, offenders who drop out of programs, and offenders who require additional assistance in understanding and applying program content.  The MBIS addresses the specific needs of offenders from these three groups who may benefit from MBIS participation for different reasons.  Because studies suggest that offenders who drop-out or refuse correctional programming are more likely to re-offend, the MBIS will assist these offenders to access supports that will allow them to return to or participate in correctional programs but that are not available within a traditional correctional program setting.

National Advisory Committee (SHU) : The SHU National Advisory Committee (NAC) makes recommendations to the Senior Deputy Commissioner of the SHU regarding admissions to, maintenance in, or transfer of an offender from the SHU; conducts case reviews in an interview with the offender upon the offender's request; and oversees and monitors the operations of the SHU. The NAC consists of a manager from National Headquarters of CSC, the Manager of Assessment and Intervention of the SHU, two Institutional Heads from maximum-security institutions in different regions, a mental health representative from Health Services at National Headquarters, and a person external to CSC

Offences:

• Summary offence : a summary offence encompasses the most minor offences in the Criminal Code. The punishment is usually a fine of up to $5,000 or six months imprisonment or both. A person convicted of a summary offence would serve his/her sentence in a provincial institution and not a CSC federal institution.
• Indictable offence : an indictable offence includes the most serious offences. If a person is convicted of an indictable offence, the sentence can be for “two years plus a day” or “two years less a day” and served in a CSC federal institution or provincial facility, respectively.

Parole Officer : A CSC staff member who supervises the offender's progress in the institution and community. A Parole Officer must be a graduate of a recognized University; have experience in assessing human behaviour and structured intervention skills with individuals with a aim toward changing human behaviour.  Parole Officers must have knowledge of the following: Mission Statement of CSC; Corrections and Conditional Release Act and Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations; Risk Assessment, Case Management process; and in some instances knowledge of the needs that are specific to women offenders including Aboriginal women coupled with knowledge of gender specific programming.

Primary Worker : The Primary Worker participates as a member of a team. He/she contributes to the "case management" of a small assigned caseload of women offenders. Part of the responsibilities include being an active participant in the case planning process, prepare reports, prepare ETA, UTA and transfer packages, participate in case conferences, attend and present cases at Parole Board of Canada hearings and participate in the orientation of women to the facility. Primary Workers will also be trained to deliver specific programs such as: personal development programs (life skills, substance abuse etc.), coordinate recreational activities, and supervise or train the women in food preparation.

Security Reclassification Scale (SRS) : A research-based tool developed to determine the most appropriate level of security at key points throughout an offender’s sentence.

Security Reclassification Scale for Women (SRSW) : A research-based tool developed specifically for women to determine the most appropriate level of security at key points throughout a woman offender’s sentence.

Segregation Units : An offender separated from the institution population as a disciplinary measure (administrative segregation) or for protection from other offenders (protective custody), either at the discretion of the Warden or the offender's request.

Standing Orders : Policies and procedures set out by the Warden to complement the Commissioner's Directives (CDs) within a specific institution.

Static Risk Factor : A fixed factor in an offender's past that helps predict future behaviour and assess long-term recidivism potential, such as age or prior criminal history.

Voluntary Transfer : transfers initiated by the offender who is requesting to be moved to another penitentiary.