Ottawa, Ontario
The Government of Canada is committed to a correctional system that keeps communities safe while rehabilitating offenders and preparing them for reintegration into society. A central part of this work is ensuring a safe and secure environment for staff and inmates at federal correctional institutions.
The Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, today announced proposed regulations to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act that would limit the use of dry cells and improve the search and seizure of contraband in federal correctional institutions.
Most significantly, these proposed regulations would restrict the use of dry cells. A dry cell is a detention cell without conventional plumbing fixtures that allows for close monitoring of the individual while awaiting the expulsion of contraband. A new framework would specify when dry cells can be used, limit the duration of dry cell detention and improve the monitoring of the physical and mental health of those detained. It would also expand the collection of data on the use of dry cells, to better inform decisions going forward.
These regulations, including the cap on dry cell placement, are a direct response to recommendations from the Office of the Correctional Investigator. They have also been informed by the advocacy and policy proposals of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, John Howard Society and the Elizabeth Fry Society.
The proposed regulations also provide direction surrounding the use of body scanner searches in federal correctional institutions. The addition of body scanner technology to the Correctional Service of Canada's search and seizure tools is an efficient way for the agency to detect contraband that is located on, or inside, an offender's body. These new regulations would also be monitored, evaluated and improved as needed.
Today's announcement builds on a Ministerial Direction issued last year that strengthened oversight on the use of dry cells while the proposed regulations continued to be developed. The proposed regulations will be open for public consultation through the Canada Gazette, Part I beginning tomorrow, Saturday, May 6, 2023.
