In November 2020, “Solitary by another name: The ongoing use of isolation in Canada’s federal prisons” was published by the West Coast Prison Justice Society / Prisoners’ Legal Services. The report identifies ways that the Correctional Service Canada (CSC) continues to routinely keep prisoners in solitary confinement, or solitary-like conditions of isolation, sometimes for months on end, despite Canada’s claims to have eliminated the use of segregation. It recommends legislative limits on the use of isolation, care in community-based hospitals for prisoners with serious mental illnesses and increased funding for Indigenous-run healing lodges, and calls for an external review of staff culture at all levels.
17 search results
for
Independent offices of the Legislature
Regarding structured intervention units
Recommendation 19: We recommend that all prisoners in an SIU have access to a television in their cell within one day.-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Regarding structured intervention units
Recommendation 20: We recommend that governments fund legal aid to provide prisoners with legal representation in SIUs in each jurisdiction in Canada.-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Regarding structured intervention units
Recommendation 21: To facilitate meaningful access to counsel, we recommend legislation or policy providing:- That outside agencies should be allowed to provide in-person legal aid clinics in SIUs on a regular basis.
- That CSC staff must deliver and facilitate all legal callback requests within 24 hours.
- That CSC must share relevant documentation directly with counsel at least three days in advance of all SIU reviews, without requiring a signed consent form.
- That outgoing faxes to counsel be provided to all prisoners free of charge and within one working day.
- That prisoners be provided sufficient time to meet with counsel in person, in a confidential room.
- That all necessary steps be taken to facilitate the attendance of counsel at hearings, including advising counsel of the time and date of the hearing as soon as it is scheduled and confirming requests by counsel to attend.
-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Regarding structured intervention units
Recommendation 22: We recommend legislation be amended to provide Independent External Decision Makers the power to order that specific alternatives to SIU be implemented, including transfers under s 29 and 81 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Regarding structured intervention units
Recommendation 23: We recommend legislative amendments to provide Independent External Decision Makers the power to order specific changes to a prisoner’s conditions of confinement and the power to investigate allegations of staff misconduct in SIUs.-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Regarding structured intervention units
Recommendation 25: We recommend that legislation be amended to provide Independent External Decision Maker reviews of SIU placements within five days, and every subsequent 15 days thereafter. Sufficient resources should be allocated to Independent External Decision Makers for them to be able to fulfil their roles.-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation:
Regarding structured intervention units
Recommendation 26: We recommend a legislative amendment to make it clear that health care considerations under s 87(a) of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act take priority over the criteria for placement in SIU.-
Category and theme:
Audience:
Groups affected:
Location of recommendation: