Commissioner's directive 568-3: Identification and management of security threat groups

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. The Assistant Commissioner, Correctional Operations and Programs, will:
   1. ensure there are processes in place to support the regions, including the provision of intelligence information at the strategic and operational levels, to manage issues related to security threat groups
   2. ensure there is a process in place for the identification and management of security threat groups and offenders affiliated to said groups
   3. ensure there are processes in place that facilitate the Correctional Service of Canada’s liaison and collaboration with law enforcement and intelligence partners nationally and internationally
   4. chair the National Strategic Intelligence Committee.
2. The Director General, Security Branch, will provide to senior management status reports and advice on intelligence and emerging issues as they relate to security threat groups.
3. The Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Correctional Operations, will:
   1. maintain a strategic intelligence information collection and dissemination capacity within the region
   2. chair the Regional Strategic Intelligence Committee
   3. ensure there is a process in place for the timely and accurate collection and dissemination of security information and strategic and operational security intelligence issues between the institutions, parole offices, Regional Headquarters and National Headquarters
   4. ensure that appropriate policies, processes, and ongoing communication mechanisms are in place to support the collection, analysis and dissemination of security intelligence information.
4. The Institutional Head/District Director will actively support the security intelligence function at each site and engage staff in contributing to the security intelligence through the gathering and sharing of information.
5. The Deputy Warden/Associate District Director will ensure that offenders affiliated with security threat groups are not permitted to hold positions of influence over other offenders. Under normal circumstances, all offenders affiliated with a security threat group are precluded from participating in activities such as being Inmate Committee members, inmate canteen operators or institutional spokespersons for cultural groups or associations.
6. The Security Intelligence Officer will:
   1. coordinate information gathering for the identification of offenders affiliated with security threat groups and the identification of new security threat groups
   2. share with staff members responsible for offender supervision any information that may affect the management of the risk posed by an offender or that may affect staff or public safety
   3. sensitize staff to the importance of security intelligence and the role they can exercise in its application for case management and security purposes.
7. All staff will record information on all activities related to security threat groups, their members and associates, including information related to the identification of new security threat groups, and will share this information with the Security Intelligence Officer.

PROCEDURES

8. The affiliation level of an offender with a security threat group (member/associate/key player) will be considered a significant risk factor when making any decision related to the offender. The Case Management Team will consider the current activity level of the offender (active or inactive) when assessing risk and when making recommendations related to the offender.

Identification of Security Threat Groups

9. New security threat groups will be referred by the Security Intelligence Officer by completing the Referral Sheet – Identification of a New Security Threat Group (CSC/SCC 1184-01).
10. The Security Intelligence Officer will forward the Referral Sheet – Identification of a New Security Threat Group (CSC/SCC 1184-01) and all available supporting documentation to the Security Intelligence Analyst at Regional Headquarters.
11. The Security Intelligence Analyst will complete the collection and analysis of any additional information on the newly identified security threat group.
12. The Security Intelligence Analyst will forward the Referral Sheet – Identification of a New Security Threat Group (CSC/SCC 1184-01) and supporting documentation with a recommendation to the Regional Strategic Intelligence Committee, for decision.
13. The Regional Strategic Intelligence Committee will then forward the Referral Sheet – Identification of a New Security Threat Group (CSC/SCC 1184-01) to the National Strategic Intelligence Committee for final review and approval.
14. Once a decision has been rendered by the Regional or the National Strategic Intelligence Committee, the Director, Preventive Security and Intelligence, will proceed with having the approved Security Threat Group entered into the Offender Management System.

Assessment of Affiliation with a Security Threat Group

15. The Security Intelligence Officer will complete the applicable parts of the Assessment of Affiliation with a Security Threat Group (CSC/SCC 1184-02) within the prescribed timeframes for each new admission, prior to an offender’s transfer, prior to an offender’s release, when new information is received or upon the offender’s request.
16. When a recommendation is made to affiliate an offender with a security threat group, terminate the affiliation, or change the offender’s role or status, the Security Intelligence Officer will meet with the offender to explain the recommendation. The Security Intelligence Officer will also share a copy of the Assessment sheet with the offender prior to the decision by the Institutional Head/District Director and give the offender an opportunity to respond to the recommendation in person or, if the offender prefers, in writing.
17. The Security Intelligence Officer will provide the offender five working days to prepare and submit a rebuttal to the proposed recommendation.
18. If applicable, the offender’s response/written rebuttal to the recommendation will be taken into consideration by the Institutional Head/District Director before rendering a decision.
19. Once a decision has been rendered by the Institutional Head/District Director, a copy of the results of the Assessment of Affiliation with a Security Threat Group (CSC/SCC 1184-02) will be shared with the offender, entered in the Offender Management System, and placed on the Preventive Security file.
20. If the offender is identified as a key player, the Security Intelligence Officer will produce the Management Plan (Key Players with a Security Threat Group) (CSC/SCC 1184-04) within the prescribed timeframes. Once completed, the Management Plan must be presented to the Institutional Head/District Director for approval. The Security Intelligence Officer will then place the Management Plan on the offender’s Preventive Security file.
21. If the Assessment of Affiliation with a Security Threat Group (CSC/SCC 1184-02) reveals a no affiliation result, the Institutional Head/District Director will not need to sign the form. A copy of the completed assessment will be shared with the offender. The no affiliation result will be recorded in the Offender Management System.
22. If upon review the result is no change, the Assessment of Affiliation with a Security Threat Group form (CSC/SCC 1184-02) will not need to be completed and signed by the Institutional Head/District Director. The no change result will be recorded in the Offender Management System to confirm that a review was completed.

Termination of an Offender's Affiliation with a Security Threat Group

23. Upon receiving a written notification from an offender indicating that he/she intends to terminate his/her affiliation with a security threat group, the Security Intelligence Officer will review the notification and complete the following within 45 days of receiving the notification:
    1. interview the offender
    2. compile all the relevant information relating to the termination notification
    3. complete the applicable parts of the Assessment of Affiliation with a Security Threat Group (CSC/SCC 1184-02).
24. The Institutional Head/District Director, in consultation with the Chair of the Regional Strategic Intelligence Committee to help ensure the appropriateness of the decision about to be made, will accept or reject the notification for the purpose of recording the offender’s intent to terminate his/her affiliation with a security threat group.
25. Once a decision has been rendered by the Institutional Head/District Director, the Assessment of Affiliation with a Security Threat Group (CSC/SCC 1184-02) will be forwarded to the initiating Security Intelligence Officer. The Security Intelligence Officer will share a copy of the assessment and decision with the offender and then place the completed form and supporting documentation (if any) on the offender’s Preventive Security file.
26. If the offender’s stated intention to terminate his/her affiliation with a security threat group is accepted by the Institutional Head/District Director, the Security Intelligence Officer will make an amendment in the Offender Management System and ensure that the Parole Officer responsible for the case is informed as soon as possible about the decision that was rendered.
27. If the offender’s stated intention to terminate his/her affiliation with a security threat group is rejected by the Institutional Head/District Director, a review of any subsequent termination notification is not required more than once every twelve months, unless supported by the Security Intelligence Officer. The offender must provide significant new information for further consideration.

Staff Assistance and Support

28. In all situations where staff members are believed to be targets of coercion, intimidation or threats from offenders identified as having an affiliation to a security threat group, the Security Intelligence Officer will immediately advise the Institutional Head/District Director.
29. The Institutional Head/District Director will report the situation immediately to:
    1. the Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Correctional Operations
    2. the Director General, Security Branch
    3. the Director, Departmental Security.
30. All parties concerned will coordinate all efforts to assess and effectively manage the risk, including the implementation of a safety plan if necessary as indicated in the Employee Protection Program.
31. All provisions as described in CD 253 – Employee Assistance Program, GL 253-1 – Employee Assistance Program and GL 253-2 – Critical Incident Stress Management will be made available to staff members who are targets of coercion, intimidation or threats.

Commissioner,

Original signed by:
Don Head

ANNEX A

CROSS-REFERENCES AND DEFINITIONS

CROSS-REFERENCES

• CD 083 – Inmate Committees
• CD 253 – Employee Assistance Program
• GL 253-1 – Employee Assistance Program
• GL 253-2 – Critical Incident Stress Management
• CD 568 – Management of Security Information and Intelligence
• CD 705 – Intake Assessment Process and Correctional Plan Framework
• CD 710 – Institutional Supervision Framework
• CD 712 – Case Preparation and Pre-Release Framework
• CD 715 – Community Supervision Framework
• Canada’s National Security Policy – Securing an Open Society
• Security Threat Groups Profiles
• Inquiries Act
• Security of Information Act

DEFINITIONS

Active: a key player, a member, or an associate who is currently engaged or participating in the activities of a security threat group.

Associate: an offender who is involved with a security threat group but who is not considered a member of the group.

Inactive: a key player, a member, or an associate who is not currently engaged or participating in the activities of a security threat group.

Key player: a fully committed member who has a strong leadership role in a particular security threat group and has a degree of influence over its members and/or associates.

Management Plan (Key Players with a Security Threat Group) : a tool used to monitor offenders identified as key players of security threat groups and that pro-actively identifies and assesses the level of potential threats. It is also used to identify appropriate intervention measures and strategies to help prevent, reduce, or suppress the influence of key players in a correctional setting.

Member: an offender directly and/or formally involved with a security threat group who promotes, furthers or assists in criminal acts for the group.

Security threat group (STG): any formal or informal ongoing inmate/offender group, gang, organization or association consisting of three or more members. Most security threat groups encountered in a correctional setting fall into one of the following basic categories: street gangs, prison gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, traditional organized crime, Indigenous gangs, white supremacy groups, subversive groups, terrorist organizations and hate groups.

Termination: an offender who has formally severed their involvement with a particular security threat group.