Correction services head marching orders: less segregation, more engagement
OTTAWA — A mandate letter for Canada’s new corrections commissioner calls for more engagement with community groups to help prevent released prisoners from re-offending — something prisoner advocacy organizations say the prison system has not been very good at doing.
The letter, issued Wednesday to Correctional Service of Canada commissioner Anne Kelly, also calls on her to reduce the use of segregation, especially for inmates suffering from mental illness.
Two major lawsuits launched since 2015 have challenged how the prison system uses segregation to keep inmates in line, or to prevent them from harming themselves or others.
The letter says prisons should explore new, supervised use of computers so inmates are more prepared to enter the workforce once they are released.