Public Safety Minister, Ralph Goodale, spoke to delegates at the 2019 National General Assembly and began by recognizing the skill and dedication of Correctional Officers whose work is done primarily out of the sight and mind of most Canadians.
The work done and challenges faced by Correctional Officers cannot go unacknowledged and Minister Goodale thanked all Correctional Officers for the work they do. He acknowledged that we do far more than just maintaining security and we perform a wide variety of other roles.
He touched upon the following areas:
- Changing the law to allow the use of body scanners in federal facilities;
- He committed to ensuring the inclusion of the families of Correctional Officers under the memorial grant program;
- A National Action Plan on Post Traumatic Stress Injuries will include all public safety personnel. Funding will be allocated to provide much-needed research into the causes of PTSI amongst public safety personnel;
- Introduction of Bill C-83 will provide a new way to deal with inmates who need to be separated from the general population for safety reasons. Recent court decisions striking down administrative segregation as unconstitutional are being challenged but the Minister is concerned that Administrative Segregation will possibly become illegal as soon as this summer without a realistic alternative in place for Correctional Officers to use in order to manage a dangerous inmate. Government is proposing Structured Intervention units (SIU) to provide more programming and interventions. Inmates out of cells for 4 hours daily and have at least 2 hours of contact with others;
- Plans will need more Correctional Officers to be hired in order to implement these new SUI’s safety and effectiveness;
- More mental health staff will be hired for RTC’s in order to provide treatment to inmates and let Correctional Officers be “Correctional Officers.” Correctional Officers are highly trained professionals who are not psychiatrists and shouldn’t have to be;
- New Advisory Panel will be established shortly after Bill C-83 becomes law. Panel members will monitor the implementation of SUI’s to ensure they are done right and money is invested in the system on time and properly. Former Correctional Officers will be part of this Advisory Panel;
- PNEP – Union met with Minister last fall and proposed a different approach to this issue. Rather than providing safe injection kits, CSC is to have a safe injection site (overdose prevention site) under the supervision of health care personnel. CSC has been granted a class exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act which will allow the pilot overdose prevention site model at Drumheller Institution to go ahead;
- The Minister spoke about the issue of Harassment and the need to have a workplace free from harassment, bullying and discrimination. Various measures have been implemented such as a confidential tip line and email account at Edmonton Institution. These measures will be expanded across all regions. Minister is committed to ensuring that CSC will provide a safe and healthy workplace that is free from harassment and sexual violence.