Commissioner's Directive

Immediate Needs Identification and Admission Interviews

AUTHORITIES

PURPOSE

  • To identify inmates' immediate needs on admission and provide standards for the admission interview

APPLICATION

Applies to staff responsible for the completion of the immediate needs identification and admission interviews

RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROCEDURES

  1. The Institutional Head will:
    1. implement procedures to ensure that the immediate needs identification is conducted prior to cell assignment and within 24 hours of admission
    2. implement procedures to ensure that the admission interview is conducted within five working days of admission
    3. ensure that the knowledge and guidance of the Elder, Spiritual Advisor or Indigenous Liaison Officer are taken into account if applicable, pursuant to CD 702 – Indigenous Offenders, when completing the immediate needs identification and admission interviews.
  2. The inmate is expected to participate in the immediate needs identification as well as the admission interview

Immediate Needs Identification Interview

  1. Within 24 hours of the inmate’s arrival at a new institution (including intake, inter/intra-regional transfers, warrant of suspension, following a court return, and transfers and movements between security levels within a clustered site and women offender institutions), and prior to cell assignment, staff responsible for the immediate needs identification will conduct an interview with the inmate to:
    1. review the immediate needs identification contained in the Preliminary Assessment for security and critical concerns
    2. document, in the Offender Management System (OMS), the additional security immediate needs as outlined in Annex C
    3. complete the Immediate Needs Checklist – Suicide Risk (CSC/SCC 1433e) and document in a Casework Record. Not required in cases including movement between levels of intermediate mental health care within a clustered site or when an inmate is transferred while continuously on an enhanced observation level
    4. gather information required for cell or room assignment pursuant to CD 550 – Inmate Accommodation, taking into account the nature and gravity of the offence
    5. review the alerts, flags and needs and update as required
    6. review co-convicted inmates and update as required
    7. provide a brief orientation to institutional operating procedures
    8. facilitate a telephone call between the newly admitted inmate and their  lawyer or an individual identified on their  authorized call list to inform them of the admission to a penitentiary

      (NOTE: If the inmate is incapable of making the communication personally and requests that notification be made, the information will be communicated to the designated person by institutional authorities. Where the inmate is capable of doing so, the request will be submitted in writing and documented in a Casework Record.)

    9. complete referrals, if required, and document the immediate needs identification interview in a Casework Record pursuant to Annex D.

Inmate Cell Placement Criteria

  1. Any decision on cell assignment will be made pursuant to CD 550 – Inmate Accommodation.

Admission Interview

  1. The Parole Officer and, if required, other members of the Case Management Team will conduct the admission interview with the inmate within five working days of admission.
  2. The results of the admission interview will be entered in a Casework Record and will include:
    1. the inmate’s preferred official language for service, home language, and the need for a translator
    2. confirmation of the inmate's understanding of the role and expectations of the Case Management Team
    3. verification of information already gathered
    4. areas of need requiring immediate attention and confirmation of referrals to appropriate services (e.g ., mental health and health care)
    5. interest in participating in the mother-child program, where applicable
    6. parole eligibility information and the timeframes for submitting applications
    7. information on visits and private family visit eligibility
    8. confirmation that the Preliminary Assessment Report, if available, was shared with the inmate
    9. in the case of foreign nationals, confirmation:
      1. that the inmate was advised of the right to consular representation, specifically, the right to access and communicate with a consular official who may arrange for legal representation for the foreign national, pursuant to article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations if the inmate’s country of citizenship is a signatory to the Vienna Convention
      2. that the inmate was advised of the possible eligibility to apply for an international transfer, if the country of citizenship accedes to an international transfer agreement (see CD 704 – International Transfers)
      3. that form Notification to Foreign National Offenders (CSC/SCC 1428) was completed.
  1. The Parole Officer and, if required, other members of the Case Management Team may contact the International Transfers Unit at National Headquarters for further details on the country of citizenship, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and international transfer agreements.

Commissioner,

Original Signed:
Don Head

ANNEX A

CROSS-REFERENCES AND DEFINITIONS

CROSS-REFERENCES

CD 085 – Correspondence and Telephone Communication
CD 550 – Inmate Accommodation
CD 559 – Visits
CD 700 – Correctional Interventions
CD 702 – Indigenous Offenders
CD 704 – International Transfers
CD 705 – Intake Assessment Process and Correctional Plan Framework
CD 705-1 – Preliminary Assessments and Post-Sentence Community Assessments
CD 710-2 – Transfer of Inmates
CD 768 – Institutional Mother-Child
CD 800 – Health Services
CD 843 – Interventions to Preserve Life and Prevent Serious Bodily Harm

SOP 087 – Official Languages

DEFINITIONS

Case Management Team: the individuals involved in managing an offender’s case, which include at minimum the Parole Officer and the offender, and in institutions, the Correctional Officer II/Primary Worker.

Self-injury/self-injurious behaviour: the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue without suicidal intent.

Suicide: an intentional act to end one’s life that results in death.

ANNEX B

VIENNA CONVENTION ON CONSULAR RELATIONS – ARTICLE 36

Communication and Contact With Nationals of the Sending State

  1. With a view to facilitating the exercise of consular functions relating to nationals of the sending State:
    1. consular officers shall be free to communicate with nationals of the sending State and to have access to them. Nationals of the sending State shall have the same freedom with respect to communication with and access to consular officers of the sending State
    2. if they so requests, the competent authorities of the receiving State shall, without delay, inform the consular post of the sending State if, within its consular district, a national of that State is arrested or committed to prison or to custody pending trial or is detained in any other manner. Any communication addressed to the consular post by the person arrested, in prison, custody or detention shall be forwarded by the said authorities without delay. The said authorities shall inform the person concerned without delay of their rights under this subparagraph
    3. consular officers shall have the right to visit a national of the sending State who is in prison, custody or detention, to converse and correspond with them and to arrange for their legal representation. They shall also have the right to visit any national of the sending State who is in prison, custody or detention in their district in pursuance of a judgement. Nevertheless, consular officers shall refrain from taking action on behalf of a national who is in prison, custody or detention if they expressly oppose such action.
  2. The rights referred to in paragraph 1 of this article shall be exercised in conformity with the laws and regulations of the receiving State, subject to the proviso, however, that the said laws and regulations must enable full effect to be given to the purposes for which the rights accorded under this article are intended.

ANNEX C

IMMEDIATE NEEDS IDENTIFICATION

Security

As much as possible a value (yes-no-unknown) must be entered for each indicator.

  • __ May be affiliated with organized crime/gang
  • __ Concerns exist regarding incompatibles
  • __ Current offences involve explosives
  • __ Has a history of arson/fire setting
  • __ Case has attracted extensive media attention
  • __ May be subject to deportation
  • __ Has outstanding charges
  • __ May be security literate
  • __ Current offences involve use of computer technology
  • __ Protected or confidential information exists
  • __ Previous institutional adjustment concerns exist
  • __ May be gas reactant or unaffected by gas
  • __ Physical disability may preclude the use of certain types of force

Comment (for any checked indicator, explain)

Suicide Risk

The Immediate Needs Checklist – Suicide Risk (CSC/SCC 1433e) must be completed and documented in a Casework Record.

ANNEX D

CASEWORK RECORD ON IMMEDIATE NEEDS INTERVIEW – REPORT OUTLINE

  • Confirm all immediate needs and update immediate needs screen where required.
  • Indicate whether referrals were made to address immediate needs and to whom.
  • Indicate whether flags, needs and/or alerts were entered (where required).
  • List cell assignment information.
  • Confirm that the name and FPS of any co-convicted offenders are entered into the Offender Contacts screen of the Offender Management System.
  • Indicate if an initial orientation to institutional operating procedures was provided. If no, provide reason.
  • Indicate if a telephone call was offered to the offender and specify the date and time of the call (or refusal by the offender).

For more information

To learn about upcoming or ongoing consultations on proposed federal regulations, visit the Canada Gazette and Consulting with Canadians websites.