Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and honourable committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Correctional Service of Canada's contributions and efforts in Haiti.
Every day across Canada, over 17,000 CSC employees work around the clock at 57 correctional institutions, 16 community correctional centres, and 84 parole offices, to help our citizens feel safe. On an average day, CSC is responsible for approximately 13,800 federally incarcerated inmates and 8,700 offenders in the community.
The correctional expertise of CSC staff members is well recognized internationally. As such, the service continues to participate in international humanitarian and capacity-building efforts to regions where there is a need for our employees' knowledge and skill set. As you well know, one of these areas is Haiti.
CSC has been active in the country since the mid-1990s, when CSC experts were deployed through the United Nations and Haitian correctional officers were trained in CSC facilities here in Canada. In 2004, we participated in a UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations assessment mission in Haiti. In 2007, the service entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade that facilitated the deployment of CSC officials to the United Nations stabilization mission in Haiti, or MINUSTAH.
Since 2007, CSC's contributions to MINUSTAH have involved improving local prison conditions by recommending and supervising infrastructure projects and promoting international human rights standards. CSC experts also mentor, train, and provide advice to prison staff at all levels, from front-line correctional officers to wardens and national authorities. They've also contributed to the development and delivery of a correctional training program for new Haitian recruits.
Sadly, as we are all well aware, in January 2010 the country suffered a devastating earthquake that inflicted major damage and resulted in innumerable casualties to local citizens, as well as our MINUSTAH colleagues. The seven CSC staff members who were in Haiti at the time were fortunate enough to escape serious harm. Of the 17 prisons in Haiti, eight were damaged directly as a consequence of the earthquake or by riots and fires post-quake. Of these eight, four were partially emptied, while the other four were totally vacated. About half of the total prison population escaped.
Following the earthquake, CSC staff in Haiti drew upon their expertise to assist in the development of an identification process of prisoners that could be utilized across the Haitian prison correctional system. This became very important following the earthquake to identify the recaptured prisoners. This process included collaboration with the UNPOL, the United Nations police, which also includes our colleagues from the RCMP.
Furthermore, during this period, CSC officials provided crucial front-line staffing relief to prison guards, as many of those Haitian staff did not report for work, primarily because they had lost their families, their homes, or both. Our staff also advocated for prisoners to have fresh air on a daily basis, and ensured that food and water were made available, which, as you can well imagine, was no small task considering that the need everywhere was great.
In February 2010, a post-disaster needs assessment was launched in Port-au-Prince, and the service was asked to participate and provide technical expertise. As a result, the CSC Ontario regional deputy commissioner was responsible for the corrections component of this assessment. Following this, CSC drafted a report that highlighted challenges and constraints both pre- and post-earthquake, and provided short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations.
Last April, CSC also sent a structural engineer to Haiti for two weeks to evaluate the structure of the prisons that were damaged in the earthquake and to help establish a priority list for infrastructure review and repair.
CSC staff in Haiti have also assisted local prison officials in dealing with prison riots, which Haitian authorities for the most part were not accustomed to. Specifically, two CSC staff members were able to use their expertise in crisis management to diffuse a riot at Cap-Haïtien prison before it escalated beyond control.
Following this, our locally deployed staff helped to develop a manual of contingency plans to establish directives on such crises as hostage-takings, escapes, riots, natural disasters, and external attacks. Furthermore, last month CSC also welcomed five Haitian correctional officials to our staff college here in Laval, Quebec, to participate in a week-long crisis management training course.
CSC currently has an expanded MOU with the Department of Foreign Affairs, which allows the service to deploy up to 25 employees to Haiti. At this time we have 16 correctional staff deployed as part of our contingent.
On this note, I'd like to inform the honourable committee members that when our commissioner sent out an internal message to all of our staff immediately following the earthquake, asking for assistance to increase the support being provided to Haiti's prison sector, more than 1,400 responses were submitted. This is a testament that speaks to the commitment and dedication of CSC employees across Canada and their desire to use their expertise to help others in need.
In Haiti and in Canada our staff continue to give personally and professionally to the Government of Canada's overall efforts to help rebuild the country, post-earthquake.
Mr. Chair, I'd like to restate how proud CSC is of the work that staff members have been undertaking in Haiti and their ability to rise to the many challenges of dealing with this devastating situation.
Thank you again for the opportunity to share with you the contributions CSC has made to the humanitarian and capacity-building efforts in Haiti. I'd be happy to welcome any questions you have.