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Report on the Human Rights of Federally-Sentenced Persons 1 For more information please contact us: By email: [email protected] By mail: The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights Senate, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0A4 This report can be downloaded at: https://sencanada.ca/en The Senate is on Twitter: @SenateCA, follow the committee using the hashtag #RIDR Ce rapport est également offert en français 2 Report on The Human Rights of Federally-Sentenced Persons TABLE OF CONTENTS THE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP .................................................................................. 7 ORDERS OF REFERENCE .............................................................................................. 9 First Session of the Forty-second Parliament ......................................................... 11 LIST OF REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................................... 13 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. 32 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................... 32 A. Federal Correctional System and Terminology ................................................ 34 B. Methodology ................................................................................................... 34 1. Site Visits ...................................................................................................... 36 C. History and Context ......................................................................................... 37 D. The Present ..................................................................................................... 39 E. The Federally Incarcerated Population and Pathways to Incarceration ............ 40 F. The Committee’s Report .................................................................................. 46 CHAPTER 1 – HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR FEDERAL CORRECTIONS ........................................................................................................... 49 A. Human Rights Protections under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act 54 B. International Protections ................................................................................. 58 1. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ...................................... 58 2. Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment .................................................................................. 58 3. United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners .... 59 4. United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non- custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) ......................... 60 5. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.................. 61 CHAPTER 2 – ENTERING THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM ............................... 63 A. Security Classification ...................................................................................... 63 Page 3 of 326 Report on The Human Rights of Federally-Sentenced Persons 1. Custody Rating Scale ..................................................................................... 65 2. Two-year Rule ............................................................................................... 75 3. Mandatory Minimum Penalties .................................................................... 76 B. Correctional Plan ............................................................................................. 78 CHAPTER 3 – CARE AND CUSTODY ............................................................................ 80 A. Living Conditions in Correctional Facilities ....................................................... 81 B. Religious and Cultural Practices ....................................................................... 84 C. Salaries, Cost of Living and the Catalogue ........................................................ 85 D. Quality and Quantity of Food .......................................................................... 87 E. Access to Hygiene Products ............................................................................. 90 F. Access to Family and Other Loved Ones ........................................................... 92 1. Family Visits .................................................................................................. 94 2. Other Methods of Communication ............................................................. 102 3. Mother-Child Program ................................................................................ 104 G. Section 81 of the CCRA .................................................................................. 108 H. Access to Appropriate Health Services .......................................................... 109 1. Dental Health.............................................................................................. 113 2. Federally-Sentenced Persons Over the Age of 50 ....................................... 115 3. Mental Health Issues .................................................................................. 119 CHAPTER 4 – THE USE OF DISCRETION IN THE TREATMENT OF FEDERALLY- SENTENCED PERSONS ............................................................................................. 131 A. Use of Force ................................................................................................... 132 1. Discrimination in the Use of Force .............................................................. 135 2. The Need for Enhanced Oversight and Accountability ................................ 139 B. Segregation of Federally-Sentenced Persons ................................................. 141 1. Issues with Administrative Segregation Pre-Bill C-83 .................................. 144 2. Structured Intervention Units: An Adequate Solution? ............................... 161 C. Mistreatment, Discrimination, and a Culture of Silence ................................. 171 1. Mistreatment ............................................................................................. 172 Page 4 of 326 Report on The Human Rights of Federally-Sentenced Persons D. Discrimination, including Racism and Sexism .................................................174 E. Access to Justice .............................................................................................179 CHAPTER 5 – REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION PROGRAMMING ...................185 A. Educational Programming and Vocational Training ........................................190 1. Higher Education .........................................................................................191 2. Vocational Training ......................................................................................195 3. Integrated Correctional Program Model ......................................................199 4. Security Threat Group .................................................................................202 B. Funding Priorities and Programming...............................................................205 C. Programming for Marginalized or Vulnerable Groups ....................................207 1. Federally-Sentenced Persons Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing .................208 2. Federally-Sentenced Racialized Persons ......................................................210 3. Federally-Sentenced Women ......................................................................234 CHAPTER 6 – THE ROAD TO REINTEGRATION ...........................................................240 A. Types of Release .............................................................................................241 B. The Parole Board ............................................................................................243 C. Access to Early Release ...................................................................................245 1. Accommodation of Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups ...........................250 D. Community Corrections ..................................................................................264 E. Making the Transition .....................................................................................270 CONCLUSION ...........................................................................................................275 WITNESSES...............................................................................................................278 First Session of the Forty-second Parliament ........................................................278 SUBMISSIONS ..........................................................................................................291 Second Session of the Forty-third Parliament .......................................................291 First Session of the Forty-second Parliament ........................................................292 FACT FINDING VISITS................................................................................................293 First Session of the Forty-second Parliament ........................................................293 Page 5 of 326 Report on The Human Rights of Federally-Sentenced Persons Appendix A: List of reports relating to the human rights of federally-sentenced persons ................................................................................................................... 295 Appendix B: Pathways to Incarceration .................................................................
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