Question Period Note: COVID-19 in Federal Corrections

The Correctional Service of Canada has implemented a number of measures to protect the offender population from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Correctional Service of Canada is committed to protecting the health and safety of staff, offenders, and the public during these unprecedented times.
• As it has been doing since the beginning of the outbreak, the Service has continued to adapt by applying infection prevention and control measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, in consultation with public health experts.
• We have implemented a multifaceted response in which each measure compliments the other and taken together keeps everyone as safe as possible during the pandemic. These measure include:
o vaccines
o universal masking and additional PPE as required
o hand hygiene
o physical distancing whenever feasible
o enhanced cleaning and disinfecting
o contact tracing
o isolation for staff and inmates when they are COVID+ or high risk contacts.

o limiting the footprint in the institution when necessary given increased COVID activity in the community.

• Additionally, CSC conducts its own contact tracing, with testing used to help detect individuals that have tested positive quickly.
• CSC continues to work with our partners to take the necessary action to keep our frontline staff, offenders, and communities safe.
• Just this month, and in order to limit the spread of COVID-19, a mandatory asymptomatic testing program for institutional staff was implemented which requires all staff to take a rapid test at home prior to coming to work every 48 hours and more frequently in the case of an outbreak
If Pressed – Staff Levels
• As it has done throughout this pandemic, the Service regularly reviews the impact upon staffing levels for all institutions.
• This allows the Service to ensure appropriate resources are available to manage operational requirements as needed and provide safe, humane care for the inmates in custody.
• There is a contingency plan in place to address any staffing level issue, such as approving staff overtime and having managers replace correctional officers, as needed.
• Currently, staffing levels at institutions are adequate to ensure the safe operations of the facilities.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has implemented a number of measures to protect the offender population from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cases among Inmates

As of January 6, 2022, there are 240 active COVID-19 cases among federal inmates across the country.

Since March 2020, CSC has had 1,960 positive inmate cases and six deaths in its institutions. CSC is transparent in its steadfast management of COVID-19 cases. As such, testing, positive cases, vaccination rates, and deaths are posted regularly on CSC’s website and updates are provided to stakeholders.

COVID-19 in Federal Institutions
All staff and inmates are equipped with level 2 medical masks. Based on the tasks being completed and an individualized assessment of risk, staff may also wear a respirator and additional PPE (ie: face shields, gowns and gloves). For example, staff who work with inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 wear respirators and face shields.
CSC has also established measures to help prevent the spread of the virus within the institutions. Employees are required to do a rapid test at least every 48 hours while at work. For outbreak sites at the direction of the EOC they can test daily while on site. All individuals entering its institutions are actively screened, and decisions regarding access to the site as well as programs and services are made in consideration of public health advice. When in-person visits are temporarily suspended, other options are available to inmates to connect with their family and support networks.
Testing and Contact Tracing

CSC has its own contact tracing capacity, which begins at the time of symptom onset.

Testing is available for both staff and inmates as rapid tests are used to help detect positive tests quickly and help inform the necessary actions to be taken. Symptomatic inmates and those who receive a positive test result are placed in medical isolation to protect themselves and those in the institution.

In May 2020, CSC implemented a voluntary asymptomatic testing program for staff and contractors working in congregate living environments in order to prevent the introduction of COVID-19 into these high risk environments. Building on this experience and in response to the increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant, CSC implemented a mandatory asymptomatic testing program for staff and contractors working in congregate living environments in January 2022. The program requires staff and contractors to test every 48 hours before coming on site and more frequently in an outbreak.

Medical Isolation

CSC’s medical isolation guidelines were developed by health professionals and adhere to public health principles to prevent and contain COVID-19 outbreaks. The algorithms are constantly reviewed and updated as the pandemic progresses and changes. When inmates are in medical isolation, all reasonable efforts are made to provide the inmate opportunities to be out of their cell to attend activities of daily living (e.g., opportunity to shower), yard time, and access to telephone calls, with appropriate infection prevention and control measures in place. Medical isolation is meant to be the least restrictive possible while keeping inmates on individual routines to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Reduced Staffing Due to Self-Isolating

As there are increasing levels of community transmission of COVID across regions, CSC regularly reviews its impact upon staffing levels for all institutions, to ensure appropriate resources are available to manage operational requirements and provide safe, humane care for the inmates in custody. There is a contingency plan, which indicates additional measures that can be taken to address a staffing level issue, such as approving staff overtime and having managers replace correctional officers, as needed. Currently, staffing levels at institutions are adequate to ensure the safe operations of the facilities.

Once a staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they will remain away from the workplace until it is deemed appropriate for them to return based on public health requirements and CSC’s guidelines for congregate living environments. CSC has not brought any COVID positive staff back to work, with or without symptoms, until they are fully recovered. CSC’s return to work protocols for asymptomatic high risk contacts meet or exceed provincial public health guidance in all cases. CSC has a protocol in place to return staff to the workplace if needed to maintain critical public safety services. The protocol meets or exceeds the local public health requirements in all provinces. The protocol focuses on returning asymptomatic staff who are isolating due to a high risk exposure and who have completed the majority of their 10 day isolation period together with ongoing rapid testing and additional work isolation measures.

Video Visitation Kiosks

To ensure offenders could maintain contact with their loved ones and support networks during the COVID-19 pandemic, CSC increased video visitation kiosks by 228%, with 117 dedicated video visitation kiosks and 70 multi-purpose kiosks that are also used to facilitate virtual health case interactions, interim offender program delivery, and legal proceedings. These are now available across the country. CSC also increased the bandwidth to support the use of video visits, and, at many sites, increased the hours during which video visits are available. This has resulted in a 300% increase in video visitation usage, with an average of 160 video visitation sessions held each day across the country in CSC’s institutions, a significant increase from the 41 sessions held on average daily pre-pandemic.

Release of Offenders

While being a full participant in the Canada-wide public health effort to fight COVID-19, CSC continues to fulfill its obligations with respect to the care and custody of inmates to prepare them for safe release into the community.

CSC and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) continue to process eligible inmates for release in accordance with the law. A number of considerations go into release decision-making with public safety being the paramount consideration. COVID-19 and other health related issues are only one of the many considerations taken into account when releasing offenders into the community.

CSC, in consultation with PBC, has worked to streamline the case preparation process for offenders. In addition, PBC is working to ensure cases are dealt with as expeditiously as possible, while continuing to use risk- and evidence-based decision-making.

In accordance with the law, consideration will be given to those who are serving non-violent offences and who have high-reintegration potential, as well as those in their advanced age who require minimum supervision. Those who are serving serious, violent offenses and who cannot be safely returned to our communities will not be eligible for release.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the overall federal inmate population has decreased by over 11%, including 16% in women’s institutions. This reduction is the result of fewer admissions from the provinces and territories, coupled with continued releases into the community. For those who will remain in CSC’s care, CSC continues to take steps to better protect them through vaccinations and enhanced health and safety protocols.

Programming During COVID-19

Correctional programming remains an essential part of reintegration. Offenders continue to participate in on-site programming and activities that support their rehabilitation and progress.

Shaping the New Normal

CSC developed a national Integrated Risk Management Framework, endorsed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, to guide its new normal. The framework identifies correctional activities, risks, and mitigation strategies to protect staff and offenders, while respecting the law and delivering CSC’s legislated mandate. If, at any time, the COVID-19 risks associated with an activity change, the framework identifies the actions CSC will take in response. CSC continues to adjust restrictions and respond as required based on information and advice from public health authorities.

Most employees whose work can be done remotely continue to work from home. Building and office occupancy is minimal and is mainly for employees whose work and/or ability to work requires them to be onsite.

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