Make a difference: Become a primary worker/kimisinaw
What is a primary worker/kimisinaw
Primary workers (PW) are front line personnel in federal women’s correctional institutions.
Their role is to support women offenders to:
- make positive choices
- take control of their rehabilitation, and
- ultimately, to prepare them for a safe reintegration into society
They are responsible for both security and case management duties:
- maintain the safety and security of the offenders and the institution
- carry a caseload (usually two to four offenders)
- prepare a variety of reports for the warden’s recommendation and/or decision, for example:
- requests for escorted temporary absences (ETAs)
- assessments for decision (AFDs) related to transfers
Note: The kimisinaw (Cree word for older sister) works specifically at the Okimaw Ohci Aboriginal Healing Lodge for Women Offenders in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan.
Profile of women offenders
Women offendersEndnote i:
- represent approximately 6% of the federal offender population
- 62% serve sentences of less than 5 years
- 42% of incarcerated women are Indigenous
- are more likely to have parenting responsibilities than are male offenders
- are less likely to commit violent crimes than are their male counterparts
Many women offenders have:
- survived emotional, physical and/or sexual violence
- mental health challenges
- problems with substance use
- low self-esteem
- been profoundly impacted by:
- poverty
- race, and
- gender inequality
Qualities required of a primary worker/kimisinaw
A primary worker must:
- have strong values and ethics
- be compassionate
- be patient
- be able to establish clear boundaries
- have strong observation skills
- have the ability to collect and summarize information
- be gender and culturally sensitive
- have the ability to maintain their composure in difficult situations
- have good written and verbal communication skills
Benefits and challenges of being a primary worker/kimisinawEndnote ii
| Benefits | Challenges |
|---|---|
| Opportunity to make a difference in the lives of women offenders | Working and intervening with offenders who have complex needs |
| Competitive salary ($70,958 to $89,068) and excellent benefits | Managing security threat groups (that is, gangs) |
| Possibility to transfer between sites | Potential need to diffuse violent situations |
| Opportunities for advancement | Shiftwork associated with a 24/7 environment, and the need to work some weekends and holidays |
| Variety, every day is different! | Managing a balance between building a rapport with an offender for casework vs enforcing security expectations |
What training involves
Correctional Training Program (CTP)
Stage one: Online training
- 80 hours over four to five weeks at home include:
- orientation to CSC
- the correctional environment, and
- specific issues and challenges
Stage two: Online pre-session assignments and material
- 40 hours of learning over two to four weeks at home include:
- learning activities that prepare recruits to effectively engage in the practical application and skill development components of stage three
- preparation time/travel arrangements for stage three
Stage three: In-class at CSC National Training Academy (Kingston, PEI or other location) (paid)
- period of approximately 14 weeks (500 hours)
- recruits receive a training allowance of $400 per week, plus expenses related to:
- transportation to and from the training site (arranged by CSC)
- accommodation, and
- meals
- relocation expenses up to $5000 upon successful completion of CTP (restrictions apply)
- subjects covered include:
- law and policies governing federal corrections and human rights
- security-related and decision-based training
- women-centred training orientation program (WCTOP)Endnote iii
Note: Primary workers take the WCT instead of firearms training, as there are no firearms at women’s sites
Where primary workers/kimisinaw work
Primary workers work in:Endnote iv
- five institutions for women (multi-level security: minimum, medium and maximum security)
- Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, ON
- Joliette Institution in Joliette, QC
- Nova Institution for Women in Truro, NS
- Edmonton Institution for Women in Edmonton, AB
- Fraser Valley Institution in Abbotsford, BC
- one Healing Lodge (minimum and medium security)
- Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge in Maple Creek, SK
The working environment
Kitchener, ON
Offender capacity: 215
Joliette, QC
Offender capacity: 132
Truro, NS
Offender capacity: 99
Edmonton, AB
Offender capacity: 167
Abbotsford, BC
Offender capacity: 112
Maple Creek, SK
Offender capacity: 60
Where you would fit in
Caption: The organizational structure in an institution, showing where primary workers are in the hierarchy
The warden is the most senior management position within an Institution. The deputy warden reports to the warden. A team of correctional managers report to the assistant warden operations. Each team of primary workers reports to a correctional manager.
What happens when the shift begins
- Receive a briefing from the correctional manager (CX-04):
- Informed of events of past 24 to 48 hours, as well as events that may transpire
- Advised of searching and other activities
- Advised of case work to be completed that day
- Informed of extra activities such as volunteer groups
- Receive assigned post(s)
- Check out required equipment
What posts primary workers/kimisinaws occupy
Principal entrance
- First contact for those entering the institution (verifies authorization)
- Prevent the entry of contraband and unauthorized items
Admissions and discharge
- Process all offender admissions to, and discharges from, the institution
- Collect fingerprints
- Provide new arrivals with all pertinent institutional information
- May conduct frisk or strip searches of offenders
- Conduct immediate needs assessments of incoming offenders
Monitoring offenders on suicide watch
- Working with very vulnerable women who have complex mental health needs in collaboration with health services and spiritual advisors
Escorting offenders
- Escort women in the community for escorted temporary absences (ETAs) (medical, family contact)
Main communication control post (MCCP)
- Monitor all radio communication and cameras around the institution
- Monitor the Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS)
Visits and correspondence (V&C)
- Conduct searches for contraband and unauthorized items
- Pick up and deliver mail
- Respond to requests to add names to offenders’ phone lists by making appropriate contacts
- Prepare packages for Visit Review Board (VRB) (that is, for visits of community members)
- Facilitate video visitation
- Facilitate placement in the private family visits (PFVs) by screening incoming visitors (searching belongings etc.) and escorting offenders to the PFV
- Supervises offender visits
Intensive Intervention Strategy (IIS)
- Posts in the IIS include the:
- structured living environment (mental health)
- structured intervention unit
- enhanced support house
- secure unit (i.e. maximum security)
- Work directly and collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team model
- Support treatment interventions such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- CD 578 Intensive Intervention Strategy in Women's Institutions
Posts requiring specialized training
- Security maintenance officer
- Detector dog handler
What is the hiring process
These links provide further information on the hiring process:
- Self-assessment Questionnaire
Is the PW job right for you? This questionnaire can help you decide.
https://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/careers/003001-3022-eng.shtml - Application Process
A step-by-step look at the application process
https://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/careers/003001-3012-eng.shtml
Conclusion
Main highlights:
- Primary workers are an integral part of a team dedicated to empowering women offenders to make meaningful and responsible choices that will ultimately enable them to return to their communities as law abiding citizens
- Primary workers ensure the safety and security of the institution while maintaining a supportive environment, with an emphasis on mutual respect and dignity
- The job of the primary worker is versatile and always changing, both challenging and rewarding at the same time
Guiding principles of women’s corrections
The five guiding principles of women’s corrections, as established by Creating Choices: The Report of the Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women (1990) are:
- empowerment
- meaningful and responsible choices
- respect and dignity
- supportive environment
- shared responsibility
For more information on the history of women’s corrections and Creating Choices visit:
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