NCJ Number
198274
Date Published
June 2002
Length
81 pages
Annotation
This report provides information concerning the investigation, resolution, and recommendations in response to individual offender complaints to the Office of the Correctional Investigator, in Ottawa, Canada.
Abstract
This investigative report was conducted in response to 8,405 complaints from prisoners, with investigative staff conducting over 3,100 interviews with inmates and correctional staff over a period of 375 days in Canadian Federal penitentiaries. The issues under review section reviews such topics as double bunking, involuntary transfer and consent to mental health interventions, sexual harassment policy, and inappropriate and demeaning strip search procedure. The status of case summaries from the 99/00 Report is reviewed. A summary of recommendations section discusses the special handling unit, inmate pay, inmate grievance procedure, case preparation and access to programming, transfers, preventive security guidelines, use of force, classification of offenders serving life sentences, and Aboriginal offenders. Some works in progress are discussed, such as administrative segregation, older offenders, and confidential medical information. The statistics section of this report provides a breakdown of the areas of complaint, dispositions, institutional visits, and interviews in terms of contacts by category. In conclusion, it is noted that the response to the information contained in this report has been excessively slow, overly defensive, and lacking commitment to timely corrective action.