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Medium Security Institutions

Introduction

Medium security institutions are the mid-range security level of correctional facilities in Canada. See the Appendices for a list of the 19 medium security institutions and a list of multi-level institutions in Canada.

See the Glossary for a description of terms.

Role of Medium Security Institutions

Medium security institutions provide incarceration through a supervised correctional environment that encourages offenders to be more responsible for day-to-day life. The environment promotes responsible, socially acceptable behaviour through moderately restricted freedom of movement, association, and privileges. The open residential structure of medium security institutions offers more responsibility and greater levels of co-operation are expected from all inmates. The correctional environment is characterized by open communication, personal accountability and respect for the dignity of the individual. This process assists in the rehabilitation of offenders and prepares them to successfully enter a minimum security institution.

Description of Premises

The perimeter of a medium security institution is well-defined, secure and controlled by supervising inmates. Weapons are kept at the institutions, but are not normally used within the institution.

Medium security institutions generally consist of an arrival and discharge building, a visiting and private family visiting area, a kitchen, a case management building, a library, a health care facility, recreational facilities, a school, and the cell unit buildings. Many institutions have residential style accommodations, which allow inmates to prepare their own meals and live responsibly to assist in their community reintegration upon release.

Inmates are responsible for the cleanliness of their cells. The furniture, windows, floor and beds must be kept clean. There are multi-bunking cells and single cells. Multi-bunking rooms can have double, triple or quadruple occupancy and desks, chairs, waste baskets, nightstands, dressers, and shelves are shared between the inmates.

The size of a medium security institution varies according to the number of inmates it houses and the programs available. See Appendix B – Medium-Security Institutions in Canada for more information about the various institutions.

Figure 1– Stony Mountain Institution in Stony Mountain, Manitoba. This is a picture of a typical cell in a medium security institution. The population is divided among five operational units offering various levels of supervision, including a healing unit for Aboriginal inmates (Ni-Miikana).

Medium Security Institution Operations¹

Arrival at a Medium Security Institution

When inmates arrive at a medium security institution, they are brought to Admissions and Discharge. The inmate's personal belongings are recorded and stored. Inmates may receive an orientation session to the institution and are assigned a Case Management Team. Inmates are assigned to a cell, which may be a double, triple or quadruple occupancy cell. There is a waiting list for double and single occupancy cells

Inmates are issued institutional clothing which they must wear during working hours. A standard set of clothing includes jeans, t-shirts, shoes, socks, underwear and seasonal wear. These clothes are required to be kept tidy for work. Clothing items such as running shoes or sandals must be purchased by an inmate from the money made through employment in the institution.

They are given an Identification Card which must be worn in many situations, such as for a temporary absence or to receive items from the institutional store.

Security

• Each Institutional Head establishes Standing Orders for controlling and directing inmate movement to provide safety and security for staff, inmates, and the institution. Inmate movement includes participation in inmate activities, such as work, health-care, or cultural and/or religious ceremonies. Standing Orders must identify:
  • times when movement is permitted,
  • the maximum number of inmates permitted to move at one time,
  • reasons for inmate movement,
  • methods of initiating inmate movement, and
  • out-of-bounds areas during movement.
•  Inmates must maintain individual and group relationships in accordance with teachings of programs, treatment and skills development.
• Some inmates reside in segregation units, in order to address problem behaviour or out of concern that other inmates will harm them. Intensive Support Units provide a drug free environment for inmates where increased searches and drug testing are conducted.
• Formal inmate counts occur daily at pre-determined times, which require Correctional Officers to count the inmates in their cells.  The "Stand To" counts require inmates to be standing unassisted. Informal count times occur at the inmate's work location, or cell, if the inmate does not work.
• Discipline procedures are in place for any inmate who violates an institutional policy or breaks the law.

Health Care

Health services are available for inmates, including regular physician services, nursing, dentistry, optometry, and psychiatry. In order to access these services,

inmates must make an appointment, unless it is an emergency (in which case, the inmate is escorted by a Correctional Officer. Other clinics that are run by the nursing staff include vaccinations, blood work, diabetes, blood pressure, and infectious disease screening.

Psychological services are also generally available, which includes needs/risk assessments, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention. The purpose of these activities is to assist offenders with their mental health needs and to contribute to the effective care of inmates, and their safe and timely reintegration.

Mental Health

CSC is legislatively mandated to provide every inmate with essential health care and reasonable access to non-essential mental health care that will contribute to the inmate’s rehabilitation and successful reintegration into the community.

Improving the capacity to address mental health needs of offenders is a corporate priority for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), as we continue to enhance our contributions to public safety.

CSC currently delivers a continuum of mental health services to meet the needs of offenders from intake to warrant expiry, including:

• CSC has fully implemented a computerized system to screen new offenders at intake to better enable staff to identify those offenders that need further mental health intervention upon admission.
• Institutions have put in place inter-disciplinary teams of mental health professionals to provide basic, mental health services and supports.
• Five Regional Treatment Centres provide treatment for male offenders with the most serious mental health conditions who require in-patient treatment beds. The Treatment Centre in the Prairies and the Institut Phillipe-Pinel, a provincial psychiatric facility in Quebec, have units for intensive mental health treatment of women offenders.
• For minimum and medium-security women offenders with mental health needs, separate units (Structured Living Environments) have been established at each of the five women’s facilities.
• Transitional care leading up to and following release to the community is available to enhance the existing case management and clinical supervision model.

Programs

Correctional planning at medium security institutions provides programs that assist inmates to become autonomous, live in a less structured environment than a maximum security institution, and prepare themselves to move to a minimum security institution. Correctional programs are structured interventions that address the factors directly related to offenders' criminal behaviour and Correctional Plan.

Correctional Programs

Correctional Programming promotes successful offender reintegration through structured intervention that addresses the factors directly linked to offenders' criminal behaviour. Programs contain clearly defined objectives, participant selection criteria, a process for participant evaluation and a process of evaluating program effectiveness. The programs are delivered by Correctional Program Officers, Psychologists, and Teachers. Some of the programs available include:

• sex offender programs,
• family violence prevention,
• substance abuse programming,
• violent offender programs,
• methadone maintenance,
• personal development programs, and
• Aboriginal substance abuse and basic healing programs.

See the Correctional Program Descriptions for more details on the correctional programs offered for offenders in the community.

Social and Recreational Programs

There is a greater availability of social and recreational programs at medium security institutions compared to maximum security institutions.

Social programs that are available include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, various ethnic and cultural groups, Lifers Group, the Native Brotherhood, the John Howard Society, religious groups, and a Toastmaster Club, among others. Community gatherings may be held throughout the year, which allow inmates to invite visitors from outside.

Inmates are able to participate in the hobby of their choice with a hobby craft permit.  Inmates must purchase hobby craft tools and supplies and these must be approved by the institution. Other social programs are usually available, depending on the institution that assist in personal and social development.

Various recreational activities are available to foster the development of responsible social interaction.

Employment and Pay

Medium security institutions offer various employment training programs to provide inmates with employable skills that assist offenders in transferring to a minimum security institution and to become contributing citizens. Institutions provide work experience and accredited training programs. Inmates are paid for their employment in which they use their earnings to pay for supplies in prison, legal fees, child support, private family visits, and educational costs.

Many medium security institutions employ inmates as part of cleaning crews in the living units and various departments, such as the kitchen and health care departments. Inmates can be hired for general maintenance, grounds work, electrical work, painting, carpentry, plumbing, and garage work. Inmates may work as tutors for other inmates if they possess their Grade 12 education.

Education

Education is a core program and offers a variety of courses, including English as a Second Language, basic literacy, numeracy, and secondary school courses at the Grade 9 and 10 level, such as English, math, history, geography, science, and computer studies. The school also offers secondary level technology courses and some senior secondary school courses.

Offenders who have not completed Grade 10 or its equivalent are expected to attend school as part of their Correctional Plan. With the right combination of courses, many students can go on to earn their high school diploma.

Secondary school level correspondence courses are available through the Guidance Office, usually for those who have completed Grade 10 and prefer to study on their own time. Inmates must pay for any correspondence or post-secondary education.