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Minimum Security Institutions

Introduction

Minimum security institutions have the lowest prison security level of federal correctional facilities in Canada. See the Appendices for a list of the 15 minimum security institutions and a list of multi-level institutions in Canada.

See the Glossary for a description of terms.

Role of Minimum Security Institutions

Minimum security institutions offer an open correctional environment that encourages offenders to take on responsibilities for day-to-day life. Inmates pose a very low risk of escape and benefit from the environment that promotes personal development, responsible behaviour and interactions with others. This assists the offender’s re-integration into the community.

Description of Premises

The perimeter of a minimum security institution is defined but not directly controlled. Inmate movement and association is regulated but at a lower level than maximum and medium security institutions. Weapons are not kept at the institutions.

Minimum security institutions generally consist of an orientation building for new inmates, a security building, a visiting building and a private family visiting housing complex, an administrative building, a programs and school building, a case management and psychology building, recreational areas, and neighbourhoods of housing complexes. Neighbourhoods are groups of houses that are within a certain area and consist of row houses or duplexes. Each housing complex consists of individual rooms (which may be double bunked), washrooms, a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen. Within the bedrooms, inmates have a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and a TV. Inmates are encouraged to take pride in their houses and neighbourhoods, and may undertake landscaping projects to the houses, such as creating new flower gardens. Intensive Support Units are a separate housing complex that offers inmates the opportunity to reside in a drug/alcohol free environment that is subjected to increased urinalysis testing and searching.

Inmates are responsible for the cleanliness of their rooms, and are expected not to litter, spill, or track mud into the house or any other area of the Institution.  Beds must be made at all times when not in use.  General cleanliness and good hygiene are expected of every inmate.

Minimum security institutions vary in size according to the number of inmates housed and the programs offered. See Appendix C – Minimum-Security Institutions in Canada for more information about the various institutions.

Figure 1 – Beaver Creek Institution in Gravenhurst, Ontario. This is a picture of a typical cell at a minimum security institution.  Inmates at Beaver Creek Institution are housed in five residential-style units, which allow inmates to live independently and take responsibility for their needs.

Minimum Security Institution Operations

Arrival at Minimum Security Institutions

Inmates who arrive at a minimum security institution participate in an orientation process over a number of days. This assists the institutional staff in determining a placement for the inmate in one of the houses. The inmates will be taught how to prepare meals, kitchen safety, how to shop for food, cooking classes, laundry, cleaning duties, managing food costs, and the institutional rules and policies. Inmates are also assigned a Case Management Team.

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, such as jackets.

Inmates' personal effects are kept track of by Admissions and Discharge Officers. Some inmates may be permitted to have personal items sent in to the institution prior to their arrival. The items must be pre-approved, as items found in an inmate's possession which are not listed on their record are considered unauthorized items. Inmates participating in temporary absences or work releases are not allowed to take anything out or bring anything back without prior approval.

Inmates are assigned to a house and a room. Single rooms are normally assigned on a seniority basis.

Security

Residents are not permitted to have inmates from other areas of the Institution visit them in their houses.  In-house residents may visit other inmates in their rooms, but they must return to their own bedrooms for formal counts and at curfew.  Inmates are allowed to socialize in the common areas of any of the neighbourhoods; however they may only use the telephones and laundry facilities in the common area in their own neighbourhood.

Institutional counts are conducted daily at their houses and at central building locations. Counts are conducted at breakfast, lunch, dinner, in the evening, and overnight.

Inmates generally have a curfew of 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. The housing units have an alarm system that will be set off if any outside doors are opened.

Health Care

The inmate is responsible for personal health decisions, habits, and behaviours.  Registered nurses are available weekdays and a physician visits the institution twice weekly. An inmate must make an appointment to see a nurse or doctor. Psychology, physiotherapy, optometry, dental, and other services are generally available at the institution or an institution nearby.

To the extent possible, inmates self-administer their medications in order to be responsible for individual health.

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 Programs

Correctional planning at minimum security institutions provides programs that motivate offenders to be responsible individuals as they re-integrate into the community. All programs focus on re-integration and preparing the offender for life in the community. Institutional and community programs, activities, and services are conducted in an open environment to promote trust, responsibility and accountability.

If an inmate does not comply with the Correctional Plan by being removed from or refusing to participate in a program or school, the inmate will receive the lowest level of pay and may be re-classified to a higher security institution.

Programs offered at minimum security institutions include:

• sex offender programs;
• family violence prevention;
• substance abuse treatment;
• reasoning and reintegration;
• living skills development;
• personal development;
• education and vocation programs;
• relapse prevention;
• reasoning and rehabilitation programs;
• Aboriginal substance abuse and basic healing programs.

Minimum security institutions offer the Small Group Meal Preparation Program as part of living skills programs to promote personal growth, positive interactions and a sense of responsibility.  Within each house, the inmates pool resources and cooperate in daily food-related activities.  Inmates are responsible for all aspects of meal planning and preparation and for respecting proper hygiene and sanitation guidelines.  Each house chooses a food representative who is responsible for purchasing and storing items purchased from the Institution's grocery store.  The budget is credited weekly to the house, not to individual inmates.  All food must be purchased as a group, and the group is responsible for operating within the budget.  Inmates are responsible for the quality of food intake and their personal well-being.

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

Social and Recreational Programs

Minimum security institutions have the greatest range of social and recreational programs. Social programs that are available include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, a craft and games groups, ethnic groups, music groups and the John Howard Society, among others.

Some minimum security institutions have community service programs where inmates assist various non-profit community and government agencies. These projects involve working outside the institution and the surrounding communities.

Inmates can participate in a hobby craft group or individual hobbies such as wood carving, stained glass, leather work, drawings and artwork, or beadwork.  All offenders doing hobby craft must possess a hobby craft permit and pay for their own supplies.

Institutions may offer various recreation programs that require offender responsibility and accountability.

Employment and Pay

Inmates choose which employment positions interest them that are consistent with their Correctional Plans.  If the inmate is a suitable candidate, the inmate is assigned to that position (unless there is a waiting list). Inmates must have completed grade 10 or its equivalency in order to be considered for a CORCAN position.

Employment opportunities vary according to the institution. There are positions in grounds-keeping and maintenance. Inmates can work in food services to obtain certification in food handling or cooking. Inmates can also work as school tutors, library workers, in various institutional services, and in community services outside of the institution¹.

Education

Schools at minimum security institutions provide offenders with provincially accredited programs to assist in their successful reintegration into the community.  All inmates who are functioning below Grade 12 are expected to attend school as per CSC policy.  Employment in the school is normally on a half-time basis.  The courses offered include English as a Second Language, basic literacy, basic numeracy, and secondary school courses, such as English, math, history, geography, science, and computer studies.  The school offers a wide variety of computer-assisted learning for Adult Basic Education as well as the secondary school program. Post Secondary correspondence courses are available for those who have completed grade 12 and prefer to study on their own time.  Post-secondary students pay for their own courses; however, they may qualify for provincial assistance.

A library is available at minimum security institutions. The library offers books, magazines and reference material on a wide range of subjects of interest to all inmates.  Copies of legal issues and regulations pertaining to institutions are housed in the library, and are available for offenders.  Lending rules and hours of operation are posted on the Library Bulletin Board.  Inmate accessible computers may be used for school access.