Presentation of the Research Study: Towards a Policy for Canada’s Penitentiaries
The Initiation of a Debate on the Proper Recognition of the Correctional Officer’s Role
The President of the CSN, Claudette Carbonneau, today participated in the launch of a 50 page booklet entitled Towards a Policy for Canada’s Penitentiaries. In publishing this study, the Union representing Canada’s correctional officers, UCCO-SACC-CSN (Union of Canadian Correctional Officers – Syndicat des agents correctionnels du Canada), hopes to instigate a debate amongst the latter and within the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) regarding the proper recognition of the role played by its members.
The document, which digs into the history and traces The Evolution of Canada’s Prison System and the Transformation of the Correctional Officer’s Role (1950 – 2002) is a summary of a research project undertaken on behalf of the CSN Labour Relations Department by Richard Lanthier. During the presentation of the booklet, Ms. Carbonneau was accompanied by the National President of UCCO-SACC-CSN, Sylvain Martel, as well as the author of the research paper. It should be noted that the unabridged and the summary version of this study will be available in mid-september at: http://uccosacc.mgaconcept.com
The first part of the research study deals with the evolution of Canada’s prison system in relation to the transformation of the correctional officer’s role, while the second part tackles the problem of security in the penitentiary and more specifically that of violence. Finally, in the third part, the author addresses the issue of prisonization, namely, the integration of inmates into the penitentiary, and the role of correctional officers in this process.
The Overall Deterioration of the Climate
From the outset, Richard Lanthier notes that: The current state of affairs in Canada’s penitentiaries may be described in a few sentences: the overall climate has deteriorated: the penitentiary is poorly fulfilling its twin functions of security and rehabilitation; internal tensions have considerably increased over the past few years, without anyone managing to bring the situation under a semblance of control; reintegration into the community is for the most part a failure and the penitentiary is incapable of integrating inmates; correctional officers are profoundly dissatisfied with their professional status and their work, whose value is not properly recognized; the penitentiary has became dysfunctional.
The author acknowledges that the subjects being examined often stir up controversy and that in the final analysis, the real issue at hand is the very nature of the work performed by correctional officers. In conclusion, he adds: The penitentiary must have greater autonomy with respect to society, an autonomy that enables it to play its institutional role, a role that is nothing more nor less than managing the deprivation of liberty, in the best possible conditions for the protection and well-being of society, prison staff and the inmates.
Throughout the study, the author does not avoid pointing out the numerous contradictions that have marked a good part of the history of Canada’s prison system.
A Solidarity Get-Together and Handcrafted-Weapons Exhibition
The launch of the booklet coincided with a solidarity get-together at which nearly 500 correctional officers belonging to UCCO-SACC-CSN were expected, coming from all the penitentiaries across the Province of Quebec. The day-long event, which took the form of an outdoor party in the country, took place at the Colisée de Laval, in the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul district.
Music and a corn roast livened up the solidarity get-together of correctional officers, both inside the Colisée as well as under the big top that was set up in the arena’s parking lot. Activities had also been organized for the many children in attendance.
In the presence of Quebec UCCO-SACC-CSN Regional President, Pierre Malette, and Local Union Presidents, several correctional officers exhibited an assortment of handcrafted weapons made by inmates that had been seized in the penitentiaries.
Slow Laborious Negotiations
It should be recalled that since April 2002, the CSN Union representing 5,700 federal correctional officers is negotiating the renewal of its collective agreement with a two-headed employer, namely, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and the Treasury Board. The Union has time and again been bogged down in laborious, sometimes sterile discussions that just drag on and on, such that officers are quite exasperated by the slow pace of these negotiations. If truth be told, they’re creeping along at a snail’s pace…
The key issues in this round of bargaining involve notably the introduction of the seniority principle into the collective agreement, the precautionary cessation of work for pregnant correctional officers, improvements to the work schedules and the possibility for officers to retire after 25 years of service, at 50 years old, with 70% of their salary.
It should be noted that correctional officers work in a particularly difficult and stressful environment. On a daily basis, they are required to deal with people grappling with the violent effects of drugs, which are omnipresent in Canada’s penitentiaries. Their post-traumatic stress rate is extremely high.
Contact : Benoit Aubry, Information-CSN ; (514) 598-2024 ; cellulaire : (514) 971-0765 – CSN – 30-08-2003
Information: Sylvain Martel, National President of UCCO-SACC-CSN ; (514) 910-6347
N.B. : Upon request, a document summary can be obtained by e-mail; please take note that in every region of Canada, a Regional President of UCCO-SACC-CSN will be available to answer any questions from the media. Regional Presidents:
Atlantic Region : Paul Harrigan : 506-470-9450 (cellular phone) Ontario Region : Jason Godin : 613-532-1210 (cellular phone) Prairies Region : Kevin Grabowsky : 780-964-6502 (cellular phone) Pacific Region : Andy Reekie : 1-800-719-9137 (pager) Québec Region : Pierre Malette : 418-254-4905 (cellular phone)