Commissioner's Directive

Preliminary Assessments and Post-Sentence Community Assessments

RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROCEDURES

1. The Parole Officer Supervisor will ensure:
   1. the Preliminary Assessment, the Custody Rating Scale (decentralized intake and women offenders) and the Post-Sentence Community Assessment are completed,
   2. the Manager, Assessment and Interventions/Manager, Intensive Intervention Strategy, is notified in the event the Preliminary Assessment is not completed and/or the Post-Sentence Community Assessment is not requested. Actions taken to ensure reports are completed will be documented in a Casework Record.
   3. within their quality assessment review of the Post-Sentence Community Assessment Report, that the necessary steps/efforts have been taken, by the Parole Officers, to reach the identified source of community support.
   4. these steps/efforts are documented in the Post-Sentence Community Assessment Report.
2. The community Parole Officer will:
   1. interview the offender and complete the Preliminary Assessment, outlined in Annex B, within five working days of the offender receiving a federal sentence. Any exceptional circumstances (e.g. sentencing in a remote location) which delay these activities will be documented in a Casework Record
   2. inform the offender about the federal correctional system and provide responses to any questions
   3. gather information regarding the offender's next of kin and emergency contacts
   4. identify and document any immediate security needs, alerts, flags and critical concerns (including any significant physical or mental health issues that may come to their attention)
   5. complete the Custody Rating Scale, for women offenders and for all offenders in regions with decentralized intake units, before the offender is transferred to a federal institution, pursuant to CD 705-6 - Correctional Planning and Criminal Profile
   6. request the Post-Sentence Community Assessment(s) from the designated parole office(s)
   7. collect information from other components of the criminal justice system
   8. complete the Post-Sentence Community Assessment within 40 days, if a contact has been identified, from the date of admission to federal custody as outlined in Annex C
   1. attempt to reach the identified source of community support via phone communications
   2. if unable to reach the identified source of support via phone communications, a written communication is sent to the identified source
   3. these efforts/steps are documented within the Post-Sentence Community Assessment Report prior to locking it in the Offender Management System (OMS).
3. In cases where a Preliminary Assessment was completed within the last four years, the Parole Officer may conduct their interview by phone or videoconferencing.
4. The Manager, Assessment and Interventions/Manager, Intensive Intervention Strategy, will ensure the Preliminary Assessment and the Custody Rating Scale (decentralized intake and women offenders) are completed and the Post-Sentence Community Assessment is requested for offenders directly placed in a federal institution upon sentencing (excluding international transfers as a Community Assessment is completed for transfers), within five days of the offender's admission.
5. The institutional Parole Officer, of the Intake Assessment Unit, will complete the Preliminary Assessment and the Custody Rating Scale (decentralized intake and women offenders), and request the Post-Sentence Community Assessment for offenders directly placed in a federal institution upon sentencing within five days of the offender's admission. This excludes international transfers as a Community Assessment is completed as part of the transfer process.

Commissioner,

Original signed by:

Don Head

ANNEX A

CROSS-REFERENCES

CD 559 - Visits
CD 700 - Correctional Interventions
CD 701 - Information Sharing
CD 702 - Indigenous Offenders
CD 704 - International Transfers
CD 705 - Intake Assessment Process and Correctional Plan Framework
CD 705-6 - Correctional Planning and Criminal Profile
CD 710-2 - Transfer of Inmates
CD 710-3 - Temporary Absences
CD 710-7 - Work Releases
GL 712-1-1 - CCRA Section 84: Application Process
CD 715 - Community Supervision Framework
CD 715-1 - Community Supervision
CD 715-2 - Post-Release Decision Process
CD 715-3 - Community Assessments
CD 784 - Victim Engagement
GL 800-3 – Consent to Health Services Assessment, Treatment and Release of Information

Access to Information Act
Privacy Act

ANNEX B

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT - REPORT OUTLINE

ANNEX C

POST-SENTENCE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT ’ REPORT OUTLINE

If the offender is a federal recidivist, with the same community contacts, update only relevant information.

In cases where the offender is a federal recidivist and the offender does not provide a contact, previous contacts can be used.

1. Notification to third party
   • Contacts will be advised that information provided will be shared with the offender.
   • Should the identity of the contact require protection, the information will be documented in a Protected Information Report.
   • The contact will be informed that a summary or "gist" of any information disclosed will be provided to the offender if this information is to be used in the decision making process
2. Source(s) of information
   • For each contact, provide a synopsis which includes their name, date of birth, occupation, relationship to the offender, date of interview, description of the environment where the interview took place (if relevant) and other relevant observations about this person.
   • Indicate the contact's criminal history or Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) results, if applicable.
3. Offender's relationship with the contact or significant others
   Based on information provided by the contact, provide an assessment of:
   • the nature of the relationship between the offender and contact
   • their ability to provide support to the offender during the sentence and upon release to the community.
4. Criminal history
   Contact's comments on:
   • the offender's criminal behaviour (the age at which problems with the law started, type and frequency of offences, history of placement in juvenile or adult institutions)
   • the offender's performance on bail
   • original charges versus final outcome, and fairness of the sentence
   • the offender's accountability, motivation, responsivity and engagement.

   Parole Officer's assessment of:

   • the contact's attitude toward the offender's criminal behaviour and ability to successfully reintegrate, the nature and gravity of the offence and the degree of responsibility of the offender.
5. Contributing factors
   Contact's comments on:
   • what contributed to the offender's criminal activity
   • awareness or use of social or community services by the contact and the offender
   • the offender's motivation to engage in their Correctional Plan.

   Parole Officer's assessment of:

   • availability of community resources that could address the offender's needs upon release (if applicable).
6. Indigenous offender social history and sections 81 and 84(see CD 702)
   • When the Post-Sentence Community Assessment is being conducted for an Indigenous offender, the community Parole Officer will include, where applicable, Indigenous community leaders or representatives. They will also take that opportunity to provide information on sections 81 and 84 of the CCRA, and encourage the development of custody or release planning for that offender at the earliest time.
7. Temporary absences and private family visits(as applicable)
   Contact's comments on:
   • family eligibility and interest in participating in private family visits
   • interest in receiving the offender on temporary absences and the ability and willingness to provide suitable accommodation
   • concerns with respect to family violence (current or past relationships)
   • the offender's past and present marital status and parenting responsibilities.

   Parole Officer's assessment of:

   • the value the contact and offender place on family
   • the family dynamics
   • the relevance of unescorted temporary absences and private family visits, including reporting and supervision requirements, type and frequency of contacts.
8. Overall assessment
   Parole Officer's assessment of:
   • level and quality of the community support available to the offender
   • victim concerns.