OFFICE OF THE CORRECTIONAL INVESTIGATOR
DEPARTMENTAL PERFORMANCE REPORT
For the
Period ending
March 31, 2002
Lawrence MacAulay, P.C., M.P.
Solicitor General of Canada
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section I: Message
1.1 Correctional Investigator's Message
Section II: Agency Performance
2.1 Mandate
2.2 Mission Statement
2.3 Business Line and Resources
2.4 Organizational Chart
2.5 Societal and Operational Contexts
2.6 OCI Logic Model
2.7 Implementation of the OCI Corporate Strategic Plan
2.8 Performance Accomplishments
Annex A: Financial Performance Overview
Financial Table 1
Financial Table 2
Financial Table 3
Annex B: Other Information
i) Contacts for further Information
ii) Agency Website
iii) Agency E-Mail Address
iv) Legislation and Associated Regulations Administered
v) Statutory Annual Reports and Other Agency Reports
Section I: Message
1.1 Correctional Investigator's Message
I am mandated as an Ombudsman for Federal Corrections. I firmly believe that the
responsible oversight of correctional operations is a service that Canadians value
greatly. The strategic outcome that they legitimately expect is that their correctional
system will be fair, equitable, humane, reasonable and effective. It is our focus
in all that we do, to ensure that this happens is indeed our "raison
d'être".
This past year has been an exceptionally challenging one for the Office of the Correctional
Investigator (OCI). On January 15, 2002 we formally adopted and then promptly initiated
the implementation of our first Corporate Strategic Plan. This plan reflects the
new management framework "Results for Canadians". It is also consistent with the
OCI's long-standing commitment to excellence in service delivery, professional and
ethical corporate behaviour, reliable and meaningful reporting and responsible spending.
Infused with a renewed focus on achieving results for Canadians this new strategic
approach to management has already begun to benefit all aspects of our operations.
While a near record number of issues from or on behalf of offenders have been brought
to our attention over the past year, we have increasingly favoured a proactive,
holistic and systemic response. In so doing, the Office has contributed to ensuring
that our correctional system is not only managed in a fair and humane fashion but
also in a manner consistent with the expectations and values of Canadians as provided
for in the CCRA.
In the months ahead, the Office will diligently pursue the implementation of its
Corporate Strategic Plan. We confidently expect that we will further improve our
performance vis-à-vis our strategic outcomes and also be able to measure
and report on the latter in an even more accessible and meaningful fashion.
Canadians increasingly recognize that the communities in which they live are ultimately
safer and better protected when offender concerns are addressed fairly, humanely
and responsibly. In the role of Ombudsman, the Office fully intends to contribute
in assuring Canadians that this is indeed what happens in our federal correctional
system.
R.L. Stewart
Section II: Agency Performance
2.1 Mandate
The Office of the Correctional Investigator was established in 1973 pursuant to
Part II of the Inquiries Act. With the proclamation in November 1992 of
Part III of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, this is now the
enabling legislation. The mandate of the Correctional Investigator, as defined by
this legislation, is to function as an Ombudsman for federal offenders. The Correctional
Investigator is independent of the Correctional Service of Canada and may initiate
an investigation on receipt of a complaint by or on behalf of an offender, at the
request of the Minister or on his own initiative. The Correctional Investigator
is required by legislation to report annually through the Solicitor General to both
Houses of Parliament.
2.2 Mission Statement
The Office of the Correctional Investigator is committed to maintaining an accessible
independent avenue of redress for offender complaints and to provide timely recommendations
to the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada and the Solicitor General
which address the areas of concern raised on complaint.
2.3 Business Line and Resources
The Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) has one Business Line which, as
detailed in Section 167 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act
(CCRA), is to conduct investigations into the problems of offenders related
to decisions, recommendations, acts or omissions of the Commissioner of Corrections
or any person under the control and management of, or performing service for or
on behalf of the Commissioner of Corrections that affects offenders either individually
or as a group.
Section 19 of the CCRA also implicitly requires that it reviews all investigations
performed by the Correctional Service of Canada following the death or serious bodily
injury to an inmate. The OCI is also engaged in similar monitoring of interventions
by Institutional Emergency Response Teams (IERT's), in keeping with the recommendations
of the Arbour Commission.
The Office of the Correctional Investigator is headed by the Correctional Investigator
who reports to Parliament through the Solicitor General. The Agency's resources
provide for 25 full-time equivalents, 12 of which make up the investigative staff.
The total resources are $2,879,000 for the fiscal year 2001-2002.
2.4 Organization Chart
Represented below is the OCI's Organization Chart, as envisioned in the Corporate
Strategic Plan it formally adopted on January 15, 2002.
As will be explained in greater detail below, a number of the positions identified
remained vacant at the end of the reporting period, impeding the full implementation
of the Strategic Plan.
EXHIBIT 1 - OCI Organization Chart
Solid lines indicate reporting
relationship; dotted lines indicate
coordinating relationships
2.5 Societal and Operational Contexts
The maintaining of an independent and objective review process within a correctional
environment where the office has virtually no control over either the number of
complaints or the extent of investigations required presents a number of unique
challenges. First, the resolution of disputes in an environment traditionally closed
to public scrutiny with an understandably high level of mistrust between correctional
officials and inmates, requires that the Office not only be, but be seen to be independent
of both the Correctional Service and the Ministry. Second, given that the authority
of the Office rests with its power of persuasion and public reporting rather than
enforceable recommendations, it is imperative that appropriate administrative and
political mechanisms be available to ensure that reasonable, fair, timely, equitable
and humane action is taken on the findings made by the OCI.
In recent years, changes to the regulatory and legislative environment have forced
the OCI to dramatically expand its services. The Arbour Commission of Inquiry (1996)
noted that the statutory mandate of the OCI should continue to be supported and
facilitated because only the OCI is in the "unique position both to assist in the
resolution of individual problems, and to comment publicly on the systemic shortcomings
of the Services."
In 1997, the Auditor General noted that one of the factors creating difficulty at
that time, was the overall size of the workload. Indeed since that time the OCI
has implemented the recommendations of the Auditor General to address those workload
issues, including working with the Correctional Service to improve the inmate grievance
procedure and to provide an improved policy and procedure manual to investigators.
The Auditor General noted as well, however, that the demand for services remains
elevated, incessant and that both the overall volume and complexity of issues continues
to increase.
In October 1999, the Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Correctional
Service. The intent of this agreement is to assist both agencies in addressing areas
of offender concern in an objective, thorough and timely fashion. Accordingly, the
quality and timeliness of actions taken by the Correctional Service in response
to the Office's findings and recommendations will remain of paramount importance.
In 2000, the Sub-committee on the Corrections and Conditional Release Act
of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, recommended that the budget
of the OCI be "increased in order to expand the number of investigators and (to)
cover directly related expenses such as office equipment, communications and travel
required to conduct investigations".
In addition, the Office met throughout the year with various national and international
associations, actively involved in the fields of corrections and criminal justice,
either on an individual basis or at conferences, to review areas of mutual concern.
These linkages highlight the value placed by the Office on a collaborative approach
to the betterment of corrections consistent with the expectations of Canadians.
The OCI does not foresee any diminution or decline in either the overall demand
for services or in the complexity of the issues the OCI is called upon to address.
The environment in which the OCI is called upon to provide "Results for Canadians"
continues to be extremely challenging and one in which innovative and dedicated
service provision is essential to moving ahead.
To respond to these pressures, the OCI identified the following three priority activities
that it has begun to implement and will pursue during the first three years of the
strategic plan it adopted on 15 January 2002. These are:
- Increase the capacity for institutional visits to a level that is acceptable to
the detained population and the Canadian people.
- Create specialist positions to address issues of Federally Sentenced Women and Aboriginal
Offenders.
- Increase the ability to review and follow-up on both investigations as per Section
19 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and Use of Force Videotapes,
as per the recommendations of the Arbour Commission.
2.6 OCI Logic Model
The Logic Model presented below sets out just how the OCI views how it delivers
the services necessary to support its mandate and deliver on its commitment to the
strategic outcome of responsible, humane, fair and effective corrections.
The logic model identifies the linkages between the activities of the OCI program
and the achievement of its outcomes. It clarifies the activities that make up its
program and the sequence of outcomes expected to result from these activities. It
serves as a tool with multiple uses:
- to clarify for OCI managers and staff the linkages between activities, outputs and
the expected outcomes of the program. In so doing, it will serve to clarify and
distinguish the expected immediate, intermediate and ultimate outcomes;
- to communicate externally about program rationale, activities and expected results;
- to allow all program elements to make informed trade-off decisions for the allocation
of resources and the application of effort;
- to test whether the program "makes sense" from a logical perspective;, and
- to provide the fundamental backdrop on which the performance measurement and evaluation
strategies are based (i.e. determining what would constitute success).
EXHIBIT 2 - OCI Logic Model
2.7 Implementation of the OCI Corporate Strategic Plan
Strategic Direction 1: Modern Human Practices
The focus therein is on the overall improvement of OCI's approach to Human Resources
(HR) through the implementation of modern human resources practices. The ultimate
goal is essentially to ensure that the OCI recruits, retains and generally manages
its workforce so that it provides services of optimal quality and value to Canadians.
Vis-à-vis the HR-related action commitments in its strategic plan, the OCI
has achieved the following:
In March 2002, a new Corporate Services management position was staffed during an
on-going recruitment campaign. Once it is completed in the fall of 2002, the incumbent
will assume the coordination of all Human Resources (HR)-related activities from
the Directors of Investigations. This reconfiguration of roles and responsibilities
will lead to a more streamlined HR management process and allow Directors of Investigations
to concentrate their efforts on the investigative process.
Prior to the end of the current reporting period, three (3) term investigators were
offered and accepted indeterminate positions. The permanent addition of these three
already experienced investigators has bolstered the stability of the OCI workforce,
a critical element for success in the full and timely implementation of its strategic
plan.
Simultaneously with the formal adoption of its strategic plan in January 2002, the
Office of the Correctional Investigator established Management and Policy Committees
to provide overall direction and priority setting in the implementation process
of the plan. Beyond managing change, the "raison d'être"
of both committees is the need to address, in a structured fashion, on-going and
emerging issues in all operational areas covered in the five strategic directions
outlined in the Plan, including Human Resources.
In order to assist new recruits and for the benefit of its existing staff, the OCI
has developed an internal communications plan. Already implemented are the provisions
enabling all employees to suggest agenda items for both management and policy committee
meetings, concerning the timely distribution by electronic means to all staff of
the said agendas and minutes, and the archiving of these documents on the common
drive of the OCI's LAN.
The above efforts in terms of internal communications have been acknowledged in
positive terms by OCI staff members. There is a consensus that enabling all staff
to contribute to committee agendas and the universal sharing of knowledge, decisions
and plans by the OCI Management cadre has already and will continue to have a beneficial
impact on the overall quality and effectiveness of our operations. Staff appreciate
being included in the decision-making process and receiving, in a timely fashion,
the complete and accurate information they require to better manage their individual
workloads.
Also included in the Internal Communications plan is the provision to all employees,
in both hard copy and electronic format, of all OCI policies and procedures, position
papers, legal opinions and active files at both the regional and national level.
OCI staff members were consulted as to their requirements in this area and work
towards implementation began in August 2002. A new staff member with legal expertise
has been hired, on a contractual basis, to restructure the OCI's electronic information
holdings and to assist Counsel in drafting the ten new position papers requested
by the investigative staff.
In order to improve the quality and accessibility of information with regard to
its performance, the OCI developed an External Communications Plan in late March
2002, with the assistance of an expert consultant in this area. Essentially, the
plan calls for efforts to be made to assist the media in providing broader reporting
to Canadians about the OCI's performance and recommendations, and to increase the
frequency and quality of the OCI's contacts within various stakeholders.
Progress towards both these goals has been hampered by the retirement in June and
August 2002 of two of OCI's senior managers. Both these positions have now been
staffed and the OCI expects that noteworthy advances in the implementation of its
External Communications Plan will gradually be achieved before the end of the current
fiscal year.
Aware of the impact on the departure of critical personnel on the operational effectiveness
of a small agency, the OCI acknowledged the need for succession planning in its
Corporate Strategic Plan. However, a number of other HR-related initiatives were
considered to be of a higher priority and in fact, pre-conditions to the successful
establishment of a formal succession plan. While we will elaborate below on all
of these, let us now mention for the benefit of our reader that the OCI first needed
to realign its organizational structure and job descriptions with its new logic
model. The OCI now expects that it will complete a formal succession plan by the
end of the current fiscal year.
The conclusion of the on-going staffing exercise, which is now expected in early
fall 2002, will coincide with the implementation of new formal employee performance
review policy. The latter, inclusive of the required forms, has been developed after
consultation with OCI staff members and approved by the OCI Management Committee.
In keeping with common practice in this area, all OCI employees will now benefit
from an enhanced annual performance review, inclusive of a formal opportunity to
discuss their individual career plan and training requirements with their immediate
supervisor.
While most of the HR-related initiatives it has already taken constitute enhancements
to its employee recruitment and retention practices, the OCI elected not to prioritize
the gathering of all of these within the structure of a formal plan. It expects
to do so before the end of the current fiscal year.
The OCI's staffing and selection process, which traditionally had been somewhat
informal, has been reviewed and modified, in accordance with the guidelines of the
Public Service Commission. Five (5) positions have been or are in the process of
being staffed through a process, which now requires the use of selection boards
and formal criteria for candidates. The OCI is confident, based on the number of
qualified applicants and the thoroughness of its new approach to selection, that
the quality of candidates recruited will be of a high level.
The OCI has also now completed a formal orientation plan for all employees. It is
expected that first benefit will be the better and faster integration of the new
employees that will join the OCI workforce in early Fall 2002, as they will be systematically
introduced to all facets of OCI operations before assuming their new responsibilities.
Over the last year, the OCI has and continues to experience an extensive metamorphose
in its organization structure and just about all aspects of its operations. In view
of the human dimension of this period of rapid change, OCI management has decided
to postpone the institution of a formal employee satisfaction survey, with the issue
to be revisited later in the current fiscal year.
Strategic Direction 2 : Renewal of Internal Business Processes
The focus therein is the re-engineering of the tools, methods and internal practices
that constitute the OCI's current service delivering model. The ultimate goal pursued
is to optimize the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of the said model, to ensure
that OCI is able to more easily anticipate and respond more adequately to any and
all changes in demand for its services.
As mentioned above, the adoption of the corporate strategic plan in January 2002,
led to the creation of the OCI Management and Policy Committees. In view of the
relatively small size of our agency, these committees were viewed as the best vehicles
to manage and foster acceptance and support for change within the OCI. Accordingly,
all OCI staff members are able to propose topics for discussion by both committees
and receive, in a timely fashion, both the agendas and the minutes of the meetings
of both committees.
The OCI has redesigned the front end of its contacts tracking system (CTS), after
a review of its information and reporting needs. The new version of CTS is currently
being field tested by four experienced investigators and is expected to be operational
before the end of the current fiscal year. Preliminary assessments confirm that
the new version of CTS will reduce the administrative burden to complete files and
reports.
In late May 2002, the OCI developed an Integrated Planning Framework, relating priorities,
service level metrics and resources to its logic model.
However, the OCI has not yet undertaken any concerted action to implement this Planning
Framework. After careful review and analysis it was determined that the most logical
and prudent course of action was to wait until all new employees, notably those
who have recently been or are in the process of being recruited for the positions
of Director of Investigations and Senior Investigators were in place and had gone
through the Orientation Program mentioned above.
While the demand for OCI services in the different regions and at various institutions,
is the object of daily discussion between OCI Investigators and their respective
Directors of Investigations, the delay in the full implementation of the Integrated
Framework reported above effectively precluded the establishment, in a formal and
systematic fashion, of priorities for service level response.
As mentioned above, the OCI has established Management and Policy Committees to
address on-going and as they arise, new issues related to all operational areas
encompassed in the five strategic directions of the Plan, including internal business
processes. The OCI believes the timely sharing of both the agendas and minutes of
theses committees with the OCI staff has resulted in better internal management
through openness and accountability.
In order to ensure that investigative staff has the right information at the right
time, the OCI has reviewed the efficacy and out puts from CTS and the linkages between
CTS and other OCI electronic information system.
As suggested earlier, the efficacy of CTS and its outputs have been greatly improved
by the streamlining of data entry at the front end. Priority was given to this aspect
because it was determined that it would be most beneficial to the investigative
staff in the day to day management of their respective caseloads.
While the requirements have been determined, the actual work to create linkages
between CTS and other OCI electronic information systems has not yet been undertaken,
and most likely will not begin, until the further changes identified in the field
testing of the new CTS prototype have been done and in turn, also subjected to field
testing. Accordingly, the OCI expects to revisit this issue towards the end of the
current fiscal year.
In the same vein, the OCI has developed and has begun field testing a prototype
of the Institutional Balance Scorecard tool. Review of this prototype is expected
to be undertaken before the end of the fiscal year and should result in the establishment
of primary indicators in each "area of focus" (i.e. Transfers) in the OCI's assessment
of individual institutional performance.
In mid June 2002, the OCI relocated. Its new accommodations provide sufficient space
for all its current staff and new recruits and accordingly, has proven to be a more
enabling environment and more conducive to service delivery.
Efforts have also been undertaken in other administrative sectors. The telephone
intake system has been reengineered to reduce redundant non-emergency use. This
reengineering process has translated in a systematic campaign by investigative staff
to educate the offender population, through regular meetings with specific offenders
and offender groups (i.e. inmate committees), on the most appropriate use of the
OCI emergency toll free line. Directors of Investigations continue to monitor the
process, by reviewing the statistics collected daily by the support staff on the
number and nature of the telephone calls received from the offender population.
Also included in the reengineering of the telephone intake process is a much tighter
screening of the telephone calls by support staff and the gradual evolution of their
roles towards bona fide intake officers. Anticipated in that regard is the need
to rewrite their job descriptions, reclassify their positions and provide the necessary
training to enable them to fully assume their new responsibilities. The ultimate
goal pursued is to have the support staff, in their enhanced role as intake officers,
field the requests for basic information or referrals and thus allow the investigative
staff to focus on the more complex cases. The OCI expects to complete the actions
above before the end of the current fiscal year.
Almost complete is the re-engineering process of the mail system. Files and correspondence
are now shared among investigative staff and as noted above, plans to achieve even
greater integration through an expanded CTS are on the agenda for the last quarter
of the current fiscal year.
In view of the many areas which currently are experiencing significant change and
the number of ongoing internal communications initiatives, the OCI has decided to
delay the updating of its policy and Procedures Manual. The OCI Management and Policy
Committees will review this matter towards the end of the current fiscal year.
Strategic Direction 3: Enhanced Accountability
Stemming from the identified need for the OCI to adopt an integrated approach towards
planning and management of operations, the focus is on the accountability in this
regard, at the corporate level, and on an individual basis, of all OCI investigative
staff. The ultimate goal is the promotion by timely information sharing and various
other means, of individual and collective responsibility for the OCI's overall performance.
In terms of its action commitments in this strategic direction, the OCI can report
the following:
Movement towards an increase in OCI's participation at CSC institutional, regional
and national meetings has been hampered by the retirement in June 2002 and August
2002 of two of its Senior Managers (Directors of Investigations). Progress vis-à-vis
that action commitment will be gradual, as both new Directors of Investigations
and still yet to formally selected Senior Investigators fully assume their new responsibilities.
Another major factor in any revision of the schedule of meetings with CSC will be
the implementation of the OCI Integrated Planning Framework, a process that will
provide a sound basis to determine the number, level and agenda of the meetings
with CSC that may be required.
As mentioned above, the OCI holds monthly management meetings with fixed agenda
and minute taking, all of which are shared, in a timely fashion, with all OCI staff
members.
In late June 2002, the OCI formally adopted a revised employee performance appraisal
policy. In the months ahead, OCI Managers will meet all employees under their responsibility
to agree on performance objectives, and the latter will include explicit references
to the use of OCI specific tools (i.e. CTS) and CSC tools (i.e. OMS, Radar).
Individual Directors had instituted unit meetings to review all operations, including
performance issues and that practice will continue under the new Directors of Investigations.
It is expected that the focus on performance will increase gradually as the Balanced
Scorecard initiative mentioned above begins to generate sufficient data to constitute
a reliable basis for comparative performance evaluation and decision-making.
Perhaps more critical in sharpening the focus on performance will be the implementation
of the Integrated Planning Framework which the OCI developed in late May 2002. It
will allow OCI to formally institute performance management and measurement, relating
OCI performance at an institutional and inmate specific level.
Consistent with its purpose to address on-going and new issues relating to enhanced
accountability, the OCI Management Committee has formally recognized the primacy
of the individual investigator's responsibility for review of and communication
about institutional performance.
The OCI has yet to institute a three year planning cycle. Progress towards that
action commitment is tied to the implementation of the OCI Integrated Planning Framework
and the integration within its management cadre of its new recruits in the positions
of Director of Investigations and Senior Investigators.
In the same vein, the OCI has yet to institute the annual review of its strategic
plan. Its Management Committee is keenly aware however that beyond the consolidation
of the progress made in Year 1, the first priority for Year 2 will be the full implementation
of what is at the very core of the Strategic Plan, that is the Integrated Planning
Framework.
Strategic Direction 4: Realignment of Service Delivery Model
The focus therein is on the re-engineering of the OCI's organizational structure,
in alignment with its new logic model. The ultimate goal pursued is to ensure that
OCI applies the right resources at the right time to its priority demand areas.
As in the other strategic directions outlined in its Plan, it is the OCI Management
Committee which addresses on-going issues and as they arise, new issues related
to realignment of the Service Delivery Model.
At this point in time, the OCI has finalized and implemented reclassification of
all permanent positions (structure) in alignment with its logic model.
In the same vein, the OCI has also reviewed and redefined Roles and Responsibilities
and this, in a fashion consistent with its logic model.
In March 2002, a new position of Coordinator, Aboriginal Issues was staffed internally.
However, the longer than expected campaign to recruit Senior Investigators has resulted
in the fact that the OCI does not yet have the resources in place to relieve the
incumbent of his existing investigative caseload. Allowing for an orientation period
of the yet to be formally selected Senior Investigators, the OCI expects that the
new Coordinator of Aboriginal Issues will be able to assume his new duties towards
the end of 2002.
The same staffing difficulties can also be offered as an explanation for the OCI's
delay in providing specialized Federally Sentenced Women (FSW) services at an appropriate
level. The OCI's progress on this action commitment has been further hampered by
the decision of the incumbent, who had been selected internally in March 2002, to
return to the private sector in June 2002. In view of the complexities of the staffing
process, the recruitment of a new Coordinator of FSW Issues is tentatively expected
to be achieved in the last quarter of the current fiscal year.
In March 2002, a new position of Coordinator, Section 19 and Use of Force Reviews
was staffed internally.
In response to a very significant increase in the number of files received from
the Correctional Service of Canada, the OCI has undertaken an effort to streamline
its review process of Section 19 Investigations and Use of Force incidents. New
criteria, inclusive of time frames for OCI review have been established. This new
approach should eliminate the existing backlog by the end of the current fiscal
year and prevent the recurrence of such an administrative surcharge.
Strategic Direction 5: Ongoing Performance Measurement Strategy
The focus here is on the validation of the data to be collected to measure performance,
inclusive of the collection process. The ultimate goal pursued is the assurance
that the OCI has a complete and reliable base of information for evaluation and
decision-making and is thus, able to more easily anticipate and respond more adequately
to changes in the demand for its services.
At the conclusion of a careful review and analysis by its investigative staff, the
OCI has determined the nature of the data it needs to collect to manage its investigative
process.
In fact, the validation of the data to be collected was a necessary step not only
in the reconfiguration of the front end of CTS but also in the creation of a prototype
of the OCI Balanced Scorecard Evaluation tool.
As mentioned earlier, this prototype is currently being used by OCI investigators,
to evaluate, report on and identify changes over time in the health of institutions
to which they are assigned.
While it has essentially completed the review of its data collection process with
regards to CTS, the same cannot be said, at this time, with regard to the OCI Balanced
Scorecard tool. As mentioned earlier, the usefulness of the latter will be the object
of a review towards the end of the current fiscal year.
The OCI has established, through its strategic planning exercise, a number of performance
indicators. However, the ultimate validation of their usefulness, in the contexts
of a performance measurement and evaluation strategies, will only be achieved once
progress is accomplished by the OCI vis-à-vis other action commitments in
its Strategic Plan.
As suggested above, the prototype of the OCI's Balanced Scorecard tool has yet to
generate sufficient data to establish a reliable Institutional Health Index. The
revised version of CTS, which is expected to be operational in the Fall of 2002,
will enable OCI to begin tracking the number of recommendations made to the Warden
of each CSC institution. Finally, the implementation of the Integrated Planning
Framework will be the proving ground for the measurement points and evaluation metrics,
which the OCI has selected within its performance measurement and evaluation strategies.
2.8 Performance Accomplishments
The primary function of the Correctional Investigator is to independently investigate
and attempt to bring resolution to individual offender complaints. The Office as
well has a responsibility to review and make recommendations on the Service's policies
and procedures associated with the areas of individual complaint to ensure that
systemic areas of concern are identified and appropriately addressed. This year's
Annual Report contained observations and specific recommendation in 22 such areas,
including transfers, double bunking, case preparation and access to programming.
In so doing the Office aims to assure the Canadian public that the federal correctional
system is managed efficiently, equitably and fairly. All complaints received by
the Office are reviewed and initial inquiries made to the extent necessary to obtain
a clear understanding of the issue in question. After this initial review, in those
cases where it is determined that the area of complaint is outside our mandate,
the complainant is advised of the appropriate avenue of redress and assisted when
necessary in accessing that avenue. For those cases that are within our mandate,
the complainant is provided with a detailing of the Service's policies and procedures
associated with the area of complaint. Where deemed necessary, an interview is arranged
with the offender.
In addition to responding to individual complaints, the Office meets regularly with
inmate committees and other offender organizations and makes announced visits bi-annually
at each institution during which the investigator will meet with any inmate, or
group of inmates, upon request.
From 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002, the Office received a near record of 7,993 contacts
with or on behalf of offenders. This historically high volume reflects the Office's
efforts to offer optimal accessibility to the Offender population. It also underscores
the constancy in the confidence expressed by offenders in the Office, as a viable
recourse for problem resolution, and their wide-ranging knowledge of our mandate,
role and responsibilities.
EXHIBIT 3 - Number of Contacts Received from Offender Population
Also in the course of the present reporting year, the Office's investigative staff
spent 344 days at federal penitentiaries and conducted 2,838 interviews. We also
held in excess of 300 meetings with various offender organizations, including inmate
committees, lifer groups, black inmate associations, native brotherhoods and sisterhoods.
EXHIBIT 4 - Interviews Conducted with Offenders
In order to comply with the recommendations of the Arbour Commission, the Office
reviewed 1,037 Institutional Emergency Response Team (IERT) videotapes and other
documentation related to Use of Force incidents, compared to 546 in the previous
year and 451 in 1999-2000. Throughout the current reporting year, the OCI observed
that its recommendations had contributed to varying degrees of improvement in CSC's
own reviews of these Use of Force incidents at the institutional, regional and national
levels. Accordingly, the OCI has now streamlined its review process and will focus
its efforts on Use of Force incidents which occur in institutions/regions that continue
to present significant difficulties of compliance at the legal, procedural or policy
levels. We also reviewed 115 Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) investigation
reports pursuant to Section 19 of the Correctional and Conditional ReleaseAct
(CCRA).
Further to all of its investigative and review efforts, the Office has made specific
recommendations to the Correctional Service of Canada, focused on corrective measures
to address areas of operational concern.
As the above figures also illustrate, this has been an exceptionally challenging
year for the Office. The level of our activities, which is among the highest reported
in recent years, clearly demonstrates the ongoing impact of the Office's implementation
of the recommendations made by the Auditor General in December 1997.
The Office's activities are consistent with its legislative mandate. While exercising
due regard for economy, efficiency and effectiveness, the Office has increased its
contribution to the safe, fair, humane and equitable treatment of offenders under
federal jurisdiction.
In providing a viable and credible outlet for the tensions and pressures that invevitably
develop within penitentiaries, the Office contributes to the reduction of costly
disturbances and other acts of violence. The Office also contributes to the safety
of all communities by helping to ensure that federal offenders who are released
have not only been dealt with fairly and humanely but have also been provided with
appropriate assistance in their bid to become law abiding citizens.
Annex A
Financial Performance Overview
Financial Table 1
Summary of Voted Appropriations
Financial Requirements by Authority (thousands)
Office of the Correctional Investigator
Correctional Investigator - Salary and motor car allowance
Contribution to employee benefits plan
Financial Table 2
Comparison of Total Planned Spending to Actual Spending
Departmental Planned versus Actual Spending
Less: Respendable Revenues
Other Revenues and Expenditures
Cost of services provided by other departments
Financial Table 3
Historical Comparison of Total Planned Spending to Actual Spending ($ millions)
Historical Comparison of
Departmental Planned versus Actual Spending ($ millions)
Office of the Correctional Investigator
Annex B
Other Information
i) Contacts for Further Information
Correctional Investigator
P.O. Box 3421
Station "D"
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 6L4
P.O. Box 3421
Station "D"
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 6L4
ii) Agency Website:
www@oci-bec.gc.ca
iii) Agency E-Mail Address:
org@oci-bec.gc.ca
iv) Legislation and Associated Regulations Administered
Corrections and Conditional Release Act, Part III. (R.S.C., 1992, Ch. 20).
v) Statutory Annual Reports and Other Agency Reports.
Annual Report of the Correctional Investigator.