In June 2019, “Damage/Control: Use of force and the cycle of violence and trauma in BC’s federal and provincial prisons” was published by the West Coast Prison Justice Society/Prisoners’ Legal Services. The report analyzes law and policy governing the use of force by correctional officers in light of interviews with over 100 federal and provincial prisoners. The report finds that both CSC and BC Corrections officers use force in response to prisoners in emotional distress and as a tool to coerce compliance, even when there is no immediate risk to safety. It argues that relying on physical force in these circumstances creates an adversarial environment that compromises safety and wellbeing for both prisoners and staff.
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Mental health and detention
To BC Corrections
Regarding the Adult Custody Policy
Recommendation 3: Require officers to weigh the risk of not intervening with force against the risk of harm (including psychological harm) resulting from a use of force and to ensure interventions are proportionate in light of this assessment.-
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To BC Corrections
Regarding emergency response teams
Recommendation 6: Limit the role of the ERT/CEE teams to emergencies involving imminent threats of serious physical harm, such as hostage takings or riots. Ensure decisions to deploy the ERT consider the potential traumatic impact of the team on the prisoner and weigh the potential for psychological harm against the potential benefit of using this high level of force. Amend the Adult Custody Policy to reflect this.-
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To BC Corrections
Regarding training
Recommendation 8: Expand training on conflict resolution, de-escalation skills, nonviolent crisis intervention and working with people with mental health disabilities. This should be designed in conjunction with mental health experts and people with lived experience.-
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To BC Corrections
Regarding training
Recommendation 9: Require advanced training in working with people with mental health disabilities for all Mental Health Liaison Officers as well as staff working on mental health and no-violence units, in segregation, and as members of ERTs as a prerequisite for performing these roles. Require regular refresher courses.-
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To BC Corrections
Regarding prisoners with physical and mental health disabilities
Recommendation 10: Create specialized officer-nurse teams to respond to situations involving emotional or medical distress using joint decision-making. This could follow models in the community that pair specially trained police with psychiatric nurses to respond to emergencies involving people with mental health issues.-
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To BC Corrections
Regarding prisoners with physical and mental health disabilities
Recommendation 11: Develop an alternative model for recognizing and responding to prisoners with mental health disabilities in crisis, in partnership with the Provincial Health Services Authority (including the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital) and people with lived experience. This includes prisoners in emotional distress (such as prisoners who are self-harming) as well as prisoners who are experiencing behavioural emergencies connected with their disabilities. These responses should be supportive and trauma-informed rather than punitive.-
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To BC Corrections
Regarding prisoners with physical and mental health disabilities
Recommendation 13: Identify an expert who can play a role similar to the Force Options Coordinator in reviewing uses of force against prisoners with mental health disabilities to identify problems and solutions.-
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To BC Corrections
Regarding prisoners with physical and mental health disabilities
Recommendation 14: Transfer authority for interventions to address self-harm and suicidality, including restraints, observation cells and suicide smocks, to the Provincial Health Services Authority. Eliminate the use of the BOARD and WRAP, except where authorized by the Provincial Health Services Authority for medical purposes.-
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To BC Corrections
Regarding prisoners with physical and mental health disabilities
Recommendation 15: Select officers who excel at conflict resolution and empathy to work as Mental Health Liaison Officers and on therapeutic units, and involve the Provincial Health Services Authority in their training.-
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To BC Corrections
Regarding internal use of force reviews
Recommendation 22: Prisoners who are repeatedly subject to force should have all subsequent uses of force automatically reviewed by the Force Options Coordinator and, if appropriate, by the mental health expert mentioned in recommendation 13.-
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