Public Safety Committee on Dec. 6th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Good morning, everyone. Welcome. This is meeting number 17 of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, Tuesday, December 6, 2011.

This morning we'll continue our study of drugs and alcohol in our prisons. We will begin by hearing first from the Correctional Service of Canada. You'll note by the different positions of our guests this morning that this is a response to some of the questions that came out of our last meeting, follow-up questions as to the transformation.

From the Correctional Service of Canada we have Mr. Ross Toller, the deputy commissioner of the transformation and renewal team, and Brian Wheeler, area director of the London area parole office.

We welcome each one of you this morning. We thank you for taking time out of your schedule to appear before our committee. We understand that you have a number of opening comments you would like to make, and then take some questions from our committee.

Mr. Toller, welcome. It's good to see you again. We look forward to what you have to say.

[Ross Toller, Deputy Commissioner, Transformation and Renewal Team, Correctional Service of Canada]

Great.

Good morning, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. My opening comments will be only five minutes and I will be making opening comments on behalf of Mr. Wheeler and myself.

Thank you for inviting us to appear before you today to discuss how the Correctional Service of Canada manages the issue of drugs within our penitentiaries, with a more focused attention on our part on the programming treatment piece. I am joined today by Brian Wheeler, area director of the London area parole office. I would acknowledge that Mr. Wheeler in the past has been a parole officer, as have I, although admittedly I'm much more dated than Mr. Wheeler in that particular area.

As you have heard from the commissioner and other officials, CSC takes a three-pronged approach to managing offenders with a substance abuse addiction; that is, prevention, treatment, and interdiction. Today I'd like to focus my opening remarks on the area of treatment and discuss some of the substance abuse programs offered at our federal institutions and in the community.

Mr. Chair, CSC offers integrated substance abuse programming for offenders that allows them the opportunity to live a productive, lawful life, free of addiction. As the commissioner mentioned to you at his appearance last week, we have recently invested over $30 million to enhance our capacity to deliver programs to offenders in a timely and effective manner.

CSC's national substance abuse programs are developed based on empirical evidence and most recent scientific findings. We regularly evaluate these programs for their effectiveness in contributing to crime prevention, and we make adjustments as necessary to ensure our programs are delivering positive public safety results for Canadians.

By way of background, as soon as an offender arrives at intake, he or she is assessed and matched to the appropriate intensity of intervention. The more significant the offender's needs, the higher the intensity. Our programs are primarily delivered to groups, but we include individual sessions to address the very unique needs of a diverse population. In CSC programs, offenders explore their previous substance abuse, take accountability, and learn a variety of methods to prevent future addictive behaviour and criminality.

We have also developed and implemented specialized programming for aboriginal and women offenders, who have unique patterns of substance abuse, and for whom cultural and gender-specific programming is more appropriate. Mr. Chair, CSC's substance abuse programs are held up internationally as a standard of excellence. I am proud that other countries, such as Sweden, Norway, and Great Britain, have adopted CSC's programs for use in their institutions.

Quite simply put, this is because our programs work. Research shows that offenders who participate in substance abuse programs are 4.5 times more likely to earn discretionary release, 45% less likely to be re-incarcerated because of a new offence, and 63% less likely to return with a new violent offence.

Beyond CSC's national substance abuse programs, we offer opioid substitution therapy to offenders as a harm reduction measure. While our goal is certainly for offenders to stop using intravenous drugs entirely, we must also take steps to minimize adverse effects related to the use of opioids. This includes the spread of HIV or hepatitis C within our institutions, as well as in the community. This type of therapy is also useful in combination with our programming to help offenders gradually disengage from illicit drug use.

If an offender meets the criteria for admission to the program, a nurse would administer a drug such as methadone to the offender in the institutional health services area under direct observation. Mr. Chair, this is a medical program administered by medical professionals to improve the health of offenders and the safety of our staff.

Research has shown that the methadone maintenance program is an effective form of therapy for offenders with an intravenous drug addiction. We have seen reductions in opioid use, criminal activity, and re-incarceration throughout offenders who have participated in the program. We also find they are more likely to continue treatment in the community. Furthermore, offenders who have taken methadone maintenance have fewer drug-related institutional charges.

Every day, CSC employees across the country are working to promote offender rehabilitation and create safer communities for Canadians. This includes delivering CSC's suite of internationally renowned programs to help offenders break the cycle of addiction and return to communities as productive, law-abiding citizens.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide you with more information on this subject, and I would certainly, along with Mr. Wheeler, welcome any questions you may have of us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Thank you very much, Mr. Toller.

We'll move into the first round of questioning with Ms. Hoeppner, for seven minutes.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Thank you very much.

Thank you, gentlemen, for being here. I have several questions I want to ask you or areas I want you to expand on.

Mr. Toller, you talked about the opioid substitution therapy and then in connection with methadone maintenance treatment. Could you expand a little on the opioid substitution therapy?

[Ross Toller]

Sure. We have an assessment of inmates who come with addictive properties or who have been known to have been addicted. We run it through a medical check. Basically the program is worked through medical channels. If an offender is deemed to require a substance such as methadone therapy as an alternative to seeking other types of drugs, it will be administered in a very controlled setting.

What happens, essentially, is with methadone the offender attends the nursing area, where he is administered the methadone in a liquid form. He is required to talk immediately after that to ensure that he hasn't hidden the methadone, and he is required then to drink water to ensure that the methadone is taken. Then he is required to sit in the room for 20 minutes under the nurse's supervision, because there have been cases in the past where offenders have actually regurgitated the methadone shortly afterwards.

It's very controlled. Monitoring takes place. Generally speaking, the methadone program is a long-term program, anywhere from one to two years and in some cases even longer than that. Once it's deemed that the addiction properties have been dissatisfied through medical channels, it will be determined to take that off.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

So then that would be administered to an inmate, obviously, who has been deemed to have that level of addiction, but also who is serving a longer sentence. Is that true?

[Ross Toller]

No, it could be a short-term sentence, because if you have a short-term sentence the actual continuation of the methadone program could continue in the community, along with the interchange of medical community people in the community.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

There's a link; there's communication between the community—Mr. Wheeler, if you want to jump in, I'm not sure if this would be your area—for the continuance of treatment between inside the facility and then once the inmate is released. Is that correct?

[Ross Toller]

Yes.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

In the same vein, we've heard a little bit of testimony that in terms of harm reduction, supplying and providing needles to inmates was a suggestion. But then we heard a lot of contradictory testimony where we were told that needles were not welcome. We even have some experience where some of our members visited a penitentiary recently and they were told by inmates that they don't want needles in the prisons. I wonder if you could comment on that, on what your thoughts are in regard to needles in prisons as a form of harm reduction.

[Ross Toller]

Yes. As a service we've adopted the position not to support needle exchange. Rather, we take the approach of using harm reduction capability.

I think you have heard some testimony about how drugs or drug paraphernalia get inside the institutions. I think you've heard testimony about throw-overs. Sometimes the way things are hidden includes needles. So we do offer a bleach program for inmates who might have the capability of having access to a needle. This is to aid in the prevention of HIV or hepatitis C.

In the past, I know there have been some concerns about the potentiality of needles being used for weaponry. Hence the reasons why we've taken more harm reduction capability. Aside from that, there's much harm treatment prevention information that's given to inmates, including pamphlets and working with families to look at harm reduction in that capacity.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Our government has taken on a zero tolerance policy in regard to drugs in penitentiaries. Could you comment on what effect the drugs still being available in prisons has on inmates who are trying to participate in these programs, trying to rehabilitate themselves and become more productive citizens when they leave? What is the effect on these inmates of having the drugs available?

[Ross Toller]

There's a strong correlation between drugs and violence inside the institution. I believe you may have heard some past testimony related to the extortion capabilities and the violence that is inflicted with drugs, with people under the control of drugs. Drug interdiction strategies are very prolific for us to create an environment for inmates who want to change their behaviour, who are interested in participating in programs, who have a desire to turn their lives around. It instills an environment that has fewer lockdowns and more capabilities to stop that stuff from going on. That's why we have a three-pronged approach to deal with the issue. Zero tolerance, of course, is exactly where we are at. Unfortunately, as you've heard, there are still methods and ways that people get it in; hence our three-pronged approach.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

We've also heard testimony that sometimes there have been problems in that people will bring drugs in for their own use, but obviously it's to traffic, yet there hasn't been enough legislation in place to prosecute them. Is this something that would help you doing your job? People, including inmates or whoever it is, are bringing in drugs now in amounts at not enough of a level where they could be prosecuted if the amounts are too small.

[Ross Toller]

Yes, very much. I think it is a concern for us in many ways to understand the context of the clientele we have and the context that what may be seen in the general community as a small amount of drugs is actually quite prolific in our particular institutions and the environment we have. So generally speaking, we've seen that drugs are three to four times the street value. Supply and demand issues would take place there as well.

I think any sort of work we can do with the crown attorneys to understand the context, or even legislative requirements that may support crown interest to pursue these types of activities in a more aggressive stance, would aid us immensely.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

It seems we almost need to have one set of rules regarding drugs for the outside and another set of laws regarding the possession of drugs within penitentiaries.

[Ross Toller]

I think it's very important for crown attorneys that at various points we need them to understand the context. Crowns have limitations as well, of course, but at the same time understanding that in the correctional environment it is so much more compounded because of the environment we work in.

The reality is that drugs that come inside come into our community first. I think understanding our context is very, very important. A small amount is a big amount to us.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Thank you very much.

[Le président, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Mr. Chicoine, you have seven minutes.

[Sylvain Chicoine, NDP, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Thank you, Chair.

I would like to thank both our witnesses for coming here today to share their experiences with us.

This committee has heard a lot about the accessibility of programs inside the penitentiaries. I'd like you tell me briefly about the programs inmates have access to once they are released on parole, in terms of both accessibility and effectiveness.

[Ross Toller]

Sure. Would it be worthwhile to give you a little bit of the context of the programs? Because many continue on the inside through to the outside.

[Sylvain Chicoine, NDP, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Absolutely.

[Ross Toller]

Okay.

Probably one of our most comprehensive programs is our substance abuse program that starts inside. Essentially, what we do is measure this at intake. We look for the levels of addictive properties that they've used. We look at their crime. We look at violence associated with drugs. We basically establish intensity levels. We have a high-intensity program for those requiring much more therapeutic interventions, much more time. We have a moderate-intensity program and a low intensity.

When I'm finished here, I'll turn it over to Mr. Wheeler, who can talk to you about the continuation of that into the community as well, in terms of substance abuse programming and what we do with offenders on parole.

Going back to some of the environmental questions that were asked before, it's why for the inmates who are motivated, who want to participate in the programs, we create an environment and give them that opportunity to move. As they progress through their different levels of substance abuse, of course you will find program reports are completed, progress is assessed relative to gains they have made or lack of gains they have made. So substance abuse is one of our more prolific programs.

Tied into that, of course, is the violence prevention. Violence properties are often associated with drug use, and I think you may have seen some testimony on that. Again, we have intensity levels based on the magnitude of the crime, the impacts. They're assessed at impact—high intensity, low intensity—and similarly, maintenance programs will take place in the community.

Most recently we're looking at a bit of a blend of those two programs in a pilot we're running on the inside that will basically create some levels of efficiencies and improve enrolments for us.

There's sex offender programming, and there are other programs, but maybe I'll let Brian speak quickly to the transmission of offenders as they leave the sites and what happens when they go into the community after they've taken some of these types of programs.

[Brian Wheeler, Area Director, London Area Parole Office, Correctional Service of Canada]

Good morning.

The individuals who come to the community largely have taken a substance abuse program in the institution that reflects the risk and the need that they represent. Correctional Service of Canada has developed what we call a community maintenance program. It's a generic maintenance program that addresses all of the issues that may have been dealt with inside the prison, so violence or family violence, and substance abuse, for certain.

It's a fairly lengthy program in the community. Essentially, it brings continuity to the issue for us to deal with the offender. He or she would participate in the program for approximately three to four months. It would be a daily program of perhaps two hours a day with a trained program officer in a group setting with about ten other offenders and they would be targeting the same sorts of issues.

While they're in the institution they're working on a self-management plan or a relapse prevention plan, a plan that identifies what the triggers might be, the attitudes, the beliefs that support the use of substances and consequently criminal behaviour, and targeting them thematically. Over that protracted period of time, in addition to the program itself, the individual is working with a whole case management team, a parole officer, and some community agencies.

In addition to that particular program, which we believe is very successful, we also use community contracting for substance abuse programming and others and we find they're quite helpful as well. Again, depending on the risk and needs of the individual, we will put them in an appropriate intervention.

[Sylvain Chicoine, NDP, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Thank you.

We've also met with a few inmates who told us they would not re-offend and would not go back to prison if they had the opportunity to access a decent job to support themselves and their families. Do you help inmates on parole find employment? Do you provide follow-up in this regard?