Policy bulletin 619

Commissioner’s Directive (CD) 541 – Interjurisdictional and CCRA Section 81 Agreements
CD 705-6 – Correctional Planning and Criminal Profile
CD 706 – Classification of Institutions
CD 710-1 – Progress Against the Correctional Plan
CD 710-2 – Transfer of Inmates
Guidelines (GL) 710-2-1 - CCRA Section 81: Transfers
GL 710-2-3 – Inmate Transfer Processes

Following a full review of the above-mentioned policies and associated guidelines, changes were made to improve our case management decision-making and to better align our transfer and security classification policies as well as to ensure that:

• the role of the Deputy Commissioner for Women is strengthened in the decision-making process relative to transfers of offenders to all women’s Institutions/Healing Lodges; and,
• Indigenous communities are engaged in transfer recommendations, as part of an interdisciplinary case management approach.

These revised policies will ensure more structured sentence planning for medium-security offenders serving long-term sentences before a transfer decision to a multi-level healing lodge, which has a defined but not directly controlled perimeter, is made.

The following factors in the transfer policy for such offenders will be considered :

• the length of an inmate’s sentence;
• the time remaining before an inmate is eligible for an Unescorted Temporary Absence (UTA); and,
• the requirement for a long-term offender to be in the ‘preparation for release’ or ‘reintegration into the community’ phase of their Correctional Plan as per Annex G of CD 705-6.

These amendments result from discussions held between the following sectors, in collaboration with the Strategic Policy Division:

• Senior Deputy Commissioner;
• Correctional Operations and Programs; and,
• Women Offender.

These policies apply to the individuals detailed in the policy documents.

Roles and responsibilities are detailed in the policy documents.