Moving Towards the Light: Independent Review of Adult Corrections Released
Highlighting the significance of the report and
outlining a plan to reform adult corrections in Newfoundland and
Labrador, the Honourable Tom Marshall, Minister of Justice and Attorney
General, today released the independent review of adult corrections in
Newfoundland and Labrador. Decades of Darkness: Moving Towards the
Light is a comprehensive review of the corrections system. The
review contains 77 recommendations to help improve the living conditions
and the availability of programming for inmates, along with the working
conditions of correctional officers and others in the corrections
system.
On April 18, 2008 the Department of Justice announced
that an independent review of adult corrections in Newfoundland and
Labrador would be led by Simmone Poirier with Gregory Brown. The
consultants were provided terms of reference which included matters such
as a review of management and organizational structure, labour
relations, health services and programming, facilities and physical
infrastructure. Dr. Terry Carlson, former Executive Director of the John
Howard Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, also joined the panel to
focus on the perspective of inmates. The consultants presented their
final report on October 1, 2008.
"I am pleased to accept in principle all 77
recommendations of the consultants, taking into consideration budgetary
and collective bargaining processes. The report illustrates to us that
corrections has had difficulties and may continue to face challenges but
change is welcomed and attainable," said Minister Marshall. "Since
receipt of the report, much work has been undertaken by the Department
of Justice to review the recommendations and act upon those that could
be implemented quickly."
"Some of the 77 recommendations which have been actioned
are the installation of windows in the segregation unit of Her Majesty�s
Penitentiary, re-opening the gymnasium and intermittent unit, hiring a
psychologist on contract for that facility, and instituting a weekly
teleconference between institutional heads," said Minister Marshall.
"Many of the recommendations deal with systemic issues that will take a
longer period of time to address. It will be a significant task but
through a collaborative effort we will face these challenges."
Dr. Carlson has agreed to lead the Department of Justice
team assigned to implement the recommendations and both Ms. Poirier and
Mr. Brown have offered their continued support. In addition, the
Newfoundland and Labrador Branch of the Canadian Mental Health
Association, the John Howard Society of Newfoundland and Labrador,
Stella Burry Community Services, and Turnings have agreed to work with
the department to address needs of the correctional facilities. Their
involvement will include initiatives such as providing correctional
officers with training for mental health issues and awareness, along
with violence and addiction counselling for inmates.
"The support received from community groups has been
extremely positive," said Minister Marshall. "With the guidance of Dr.
Carlson and his many years of experience with inmates and the
corrections system, I am confident we have engaged the best individuals
and groups possible to accomplish our goal of improving the corrections
system."
The consultants also recommended that correctional
officers receive protective vests and that collapsible batons be issued
to officers for use when escorting inmates to and from correctional
facilities.
"While recently addressing the Correctional Officer
Component Convention, many in attendance emphasized to me that
protective vests and collapsible batons are a priority for them," said
Minister Marshall. "I appreciate these concerns and believe this to be a
life-safety issue which must be addressed in a timely fashion. A tender
is being prepared and it is our plan that correctional officers will
have this equipment by the end of the fiscal year."
Along with the review of adult corrections, Ms. Poirier
and Mr. Brown also reviewed the search policies of the Newfoundland and
Labrador Youth Centre located at Whitbourne. Many of the issues raised
by the review, such as increased usage of the St. John�s Detention
Centre, have already been addressed. The department also accepts in
principle the recommendations of the consultants with regards to this
facility.
"As stated by the consultants, strip searches are very
intrusive and this is particularly true with respect to youth
offenders," said Minister Marshall. "We must ensure that such searches
are kept to a minimum and, as recommended in the report, clear policy
outlining how they are conducted must be in place and known to youth
care counsellors. Not only must we be aware of issues surrounding gender
and culture, but also of the unique challenges that young offenders in
custody often face."
The Department of Justice will continue
to assess the recommendations of these reports and implement any which
can be done in a timely manner. Copies of the independent review of
adult corrections and the review of search policies of the Newfoundland
and Labrador Youth Centre can be found at
- 30-
Media contact: Ken Morrissey kenmorrissey@gov.nl.ca
2008 12 08 10:40 a.m. |
|
All material copyright the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. No unauthorized copying or redeployment permitted. The Government assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any material deployed on an unauthorized server. Disclaimer/Copyright/Privacy Statement |