Government Operations Committee on Feb. 10th, 2011

[Don Head]

That's a very good question and comment.

One of the things we measure ourselves against, in comparison with other correctional jurisdictions, is how we provide programs and interventions to offenders. In comparison with the United States of America, although there are pockets in different states, I consider that we're still one of the leaders in providing services to offenders.

Our overall intervention strategy is made up of three main pieces: education in areas such as substance abuse, violence prevention, and sex offender programming; cognitive skills and living skills programming; and employment skills. These are the three cornerstones of our correctional system. They are responsible for the good public safety results that we've been producing over the years. Part of my job is to go through these exercises in relation to budget reductions and any new legislation and to make sure that our strategy piece is front and centre. At the end of the day, I need to make sure I continue to produce those public safety results.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Mr. Head.

Thank you, Mr. Martin.

Mr. Regan.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Commissioner, you said that double-bunking has gone up. Could you tell us by what percentage it has gone up? And could you tell us how much you expect it to go up over the next year, over the next two years, over the next five years?

[Don Head]

We were hovering around a 10% margin of double-bunking for many years. This year we're moving up beyond 12% to 13%, although I have some facilities right now that are much higher than that. I have some facilities at 20%, a couple at 50%. And my assessment units, which are the intake from the courts and the provinces, are at 100% double-bunking right now.

We anticipate, as we move through this process of building new units, that we will reach levels of 20% to 30% double-bunking before those units are actually complete and I can move people back to single cells.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

I'd be very concerned that this practice will lead to more friction among inmates and more problems within prisons.

What has the attrition rate been? And what's the history of the attrition rate? Have the numbers been increasing? How much do you expect the attrition rate to increase over the next three years?

[Don Head]

That's a good question.

Three years ago our attrition rate was 5.2%. The year after that, it was 5.4%. Last year it was 4.6%. And this year, up till the end of December, it's at 3.3%. So it's been relatively flat. There's been a bit of an increase.

One monitoring advantage of mine is that I sign all the retirement letters and retirement certificates for my employees. So I gauge things by the stack of certificates that come onto my desk. A couple of years ago there was a bit of an increase. It has now levelled off. And right now it's a little lower than it was during the last three years.

There may be a couple of factors at play here. We chart very closely the potential eligibility of people who are retiring based on age and time of service.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

I'm just looking for the strict numbers.

[Don Head]

Those are the numbers right now.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

You've given me an idea of what it's been. If you don't have the forecast right now, perhaps you could provide us with it later. We would like to know where you see the attrition rates going—

[Don Head]

Yes.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

—based on what you must know about ages and so forth.

[Don Head]

We see it still between that 3% and 5% over the next couple of years. For the next two years, we're projecting that about 1,000 people will retire, with a 7.4% margin of error.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

How much do you expect Canada's prison population to grow as a result of Bill C-59, which abolishes the early parole?

[Don Head]

That number is in the normal processes for sharing with government, so I'm not at liberty to share it with you now.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Before these bills relating to crime and sentencing would be introduced, would Corrections Canada be consulted as part of that process?

[Don Head]

Yes, we would.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

By the time the bills are tabled in Parliament, surely you have an opportunity to begin the process of figuring out what impact it may have.

[Don Head]

Sorry, I should clarify. We're not consulted before the bill comes in. We become aware most of the time when the bill is coming forward. I did not want to leave you with the impression that we were involved in discussions at that time.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

So the government doesn't consult Corrections Canada on what the impact would be of these kinds of bills?

[Don Head]

We provide input once the information becomes available.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Yes, once it's tabled, not until it's introduced in the House. That's very interesting.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer has said that the Truth in Sentencing Act will add $1 billion per year to your budget over the next five years. There are of course a whole series of other.... I think there are 11 criminal justice bills right now before Parliament that can also expect to add costs. Can you provide the committee with a list of how much each of the government's other crime bills will add to the prison population and to the cost? Surely we're entitled to have some idea of that, considering that many of these bills have been before Parliament for quite a while now. The government says forever, but that's not accurate.

[Don Head]

I can provide you with the ones that have been passed. As for the others, unfortunately, I'm bound by cabinet confidence.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Okay.

In terms of what we're looking at, with regard to your forecasting and budgeting, you can't tell us anything, I take it, about how much more it's going to add to what you have to budget if all these bills pass?

[Don Head]

In certain cases I could describe some of the assumptions we would be taking into account, but the numbers we would be putting forward through Treasury Board submissions I couldn't share.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

The government has those numbers, but it won't release them to us.