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Special Handling Unit (SHU)

Introduction

The SHU is a national institution in Canada that is classified as maximum security. It offers a short-term incarceration alternative for certain inmates who demonstrate that they cannot be safely managed in another institution and present a serious threat to staff members or other inmates. The SHU is not a "super max" institutional model that the United States uses.

See the Glossary for a description of terms.

Role of the SHU

The role of the SHU is to contribute to the safety of staff members, inmates and the security of the institution.  Inmate placement at the SHU is considered as a short-term transitional period, and inmates usually remain at the SHU for less than two years.

Description of Premises

The SHU is located within the Regional Reception Centre (RRC) in the Quebec region. The RRC is a maximum-security institution.

Built in 1984, the SHU can accommodate up to 90 inmates. The facility is divided into five cellblocks with two ranges each. Each range accommodates up to nine inmates, and each cellblock has a common room and courtyard.

Security in Maximum-security Institutions

All maximum security institutions in Canada, including the RRC, meet the same security standards. They include:

• The perimeter is comprised of walls or high fences, strategically located control towers and electronic systems for detecting any movement inside the perimeter.
• The Correctional Officers posted to the towers are armed.
• The different buildings in the institution are separated by locked grates, fences and walls. Inmate movement, opportunities for associating and privileges are strictly regulated.
• Some inmates reside in segregation unitsin order to address problem behaviour or out of concern that other inmates may harm them.
• Each time an inmate leaves the institution (for medical reasons, a court appearance or other approved reasons), the Institutional Head conducts an assessment of the threats and risks that may be present to determine the appropriate security measures. This assessment determines the number of Correctional Officers who will escort the inmate, the restraint methods and other security measures, including the use of firearms that may be required. Usually, three officers escort the inmate and two types of restraints are used.
• During absences from the institution, inmates travel in a vehicle equipped with self-contained, secured compartments in order to keep inmates separated from staff members at all times.  These compartments are made of metal and Plexiglas, and the door is secured with a padlock. During transport, inmates are physically restrained using handcuffs and/or transport chains and/or leg irons. Prior to departure, the officer in charge of the escort is informed of the security requirements.

What sets the SHU apart from other maximum security institutions are measures applied inside the institution:/p>

• The schedule of activities involves greater control during movements.
• Extra cameras are installed strategically for full visual surveillance of the premises.
• During all movement that requires contact between inmates and Correctional Officers, inmates are handcuffed and at least two officers provide an escort.
• Caseworkers and other staff are never in physical contact with inmates.
• Inmates do not have direct contact with their visitors; they are always separated by a Plexiglas window.

SHU Accommodation

Admission Criteria

An inmate can be transferred to the SHU following a single incident of violent behaviour or a series of incidents. The reason for the transfer is that the inmate cannot be managed appropriately at the location of incarceration.

A transfer to the SHU involves three stages: the request for a transfer to the SHU, admission, and then assessment following the transfer. The Warden of the institution where the inmate is incarcerated recommends the inmate for transfer to the SHU. The Regional Deputy Commissioner must then authorize the transfer to the SHU for an assessment of the inmate's behaviour. The decision whether or not to admit an inmate to the SHU is made by the Senior Deputy Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).

Within four months following the inmate’s transfer to the SHU, a Parole Officer completes a detailed case assessment to assist the National Advisory Committee in making a recommendation to the Senior Deputy Commissioner concerning the offender’s placement to the SHU. If the inmate was transferred directly to the SHU after sentencing, the Parole Officer also performs an intake assessment within the same timeframe.

Programs

In keeping with its role as the short-term accommodation alternative for inmates, correctional planning at the SHU aims primarily to help inmates modify their attitudes and stabilize their behaviour in order to allow them to return to another maximum-security institution as soon as possible.

In 2003, CSC developed the Motivation-Based Intervention Strategy specifically for unmotivated SHU inmates who present a high risk of reoffending. The intervention proposed under this strategy, which is delivered by Parole Officers, helps motivate the inmates’ openness to change. It allows inmates to identify problem behaviours, determine which of them they want to change, and examine the positive and negative consequences of their decisions. The SHU endeavours to motivate inmates to participate actively in their correctional plan.

The SHU offers programs on violence prevention, substance abuse and personal motivation as part of the inmate's Correctional Plan. The essential programming components at the SHU include: correctional interventions, psychiatric and psychological interventions, personal development opportunities, recreational opportunities, Elder services, spiritual counselling, and Chaplaincy services.

Transfer Decision Process

Given the role of the SHU, the restrictive nature of the facility and the objective of returning inmates to other maximum-security institutions, inmate transfer reviews are completed at least every four months.

The Case Management Team (CMT) assesses the inmate’s progress against his Correctional Plan.  This includes the inmate’s level of cooperation, the extent of the changes made, and the general ability to meet the correctional plan. Before recommending whether or not to transfer an inmate back to another penitentiary, the CMT asks the receiving institution to develop a management plan that explains how the inmate will be managed if the inmate is transferred.

The management plan and risk assessment are presented to the National Advisory Committee, which are considered during the Committee's case review of the inmate.

The Senior Deputy Commissioner often takes into consideration the recommendations of the CMT and the National Advisory Committee to decide if the transfer is to occur. If the Senior Deputy Commissioner considers that the inmate has not demonstrated sufficient progress, the inmate remains at the SHU.  In such cases, a new plan is developed within the next four months and is presented to the National Advisory Committee and the Senior Deputy Commissioner for review.