Thank you, Mr. Chair.
This deals with a situation that I think everyone is painfully aware of, the transfer of prisoners. This is prisoner transfer we're talking about here in PV-8, at line 24 on page 3. We're talking about authorizing the transfer of a prisoner.
We know that in the case of Ashley Smith, the inquiry found that she had been transferred 17 times within the year that led up to her death. Transfers were primarily for administrative and capacity issues. They weren't part of any treatment plan.
The language of this amendment is taken directly from recommendations 59 to 62 of the coroner's inquest, to make sure that a transfer authorized under this section is subject to the following conditions:
(a) in the case of an inmate with health issues, to ensure continuity of care, his or her medical file must also be transferred;
(b) in the case of a female inmate with mental issues or disorders or self-harming behaviour, the transfer should only occur when it is safe to do so for health reasons;
(c) in the case of a female inmate transferred to a medical institution or treatment facility, the transfer should only occur when it has been approved by a registered health care professional and once a written plan is in place to re-integrate the inmate into her penitentiary following treatment; and
(d) in the case of a female inmate transferred to a penitentiary located away from her home, the transfer may be accompanied by the following measures:
(i) the inmate is allowed longer visits with the family members or support persons of their choice;
(ii) the inmate's means of access to family or support persons is increased; and
(iii) the inmate's family or support persons are provided with appropriate means of access when they are unable to visit the inmate due to financial reasons.
Again, this amendment comes directly from the recommendations of the jury in the inquiry into the death of Ashley Smith. I hope that the committee will consider accepting these recommendations and this amendment.