OTTAWA - January 27, 2025 - The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety, today issued the following statement:
Through Bill C-83, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and another Act, the federal correctional system underwent a rapid transformation involving the abolition of administrative segregation and the introduction of the Structured Intervention Unit (SIU) model. This required significant adaptation and collaboration to efficiently operationalize SIUs.
As part of that work, in July 2021, Public Safety Canada (PS) announced the re-establishment of the SIU Implementation Advisory Panel (the Panel) with a mandate to provide non-binding recommendations and advice to the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and to report to the Minister of Public Safety on its views on whether SIUs are being implemented as intended by the legislation.
The Panel's final report provides insight into the implementation of SIUs in Canada's federal correctional institutions.
With the Panel's mandate having concluded on December 31, 2024, I would like to emphasize the importance of their contribution in guiding the early stages of implementation of SIUs.
The reports that the Panel has developed since being reestablished in 2021 have proven to be valuable sources of information and insight. Their work and findings will continue to support the Public Safety portfolio's ongoing efforts to strengthen policy, processes, and the overall operations of the SIU model.
As SIUs have been in place more than five years, they are now in the operational phase. The Government of Canada, through PS and CSC, remains committed to enhancing SIU operations, and will continue to consult with key stakeholders as part of their continued work to move away from administrative segregation.
Independent oversight and investigation of SIU operations will continue through the Independent External Decision Makers and the Office of the Correctional Investigator.
Public Safety Canada and CSC will continue to work towards concrete solutions to support a sustainable and effective federal correctional system that is safe, humane and supportive of rehabilitation and reintegration.
I would like to thank the chair, Mr. Howard Sapers and the nine members of the SIU implementation advisory panel, for their tireless work and due diligence in addressing systemic issues and ensuring humane conditions within our correctional system.
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"I want to thank the Implementation Advisory Panel for their work over the past five years. Their input and contributions have been important in helping us fully implement and refine the Structured Intervention Unit model across the country. Providing safe environments is crucial for those who work and live in our institutions and this continues to guide everything we do. Moving forward, we will continue to work openly and collaboratively with existing oversight bodies and our staff to implement ongoing and sustained improvements to how we operate SIUs."
- Anne Kelly, Commissioner, Correctional Service of Canada
