Give inmates a better chance upon release

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SOLGPS ACOB Mail
Fri 2019-09-27 4:21 PM
tonycbear@hotmail.com
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The Honourable Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta, has received your email of September 11, 2019 regarding ways to improve inmate programming and to reduce inmate interpersonal violence. Premier Kenney has requested that I respond on his behalf in my role as the Executive Director of the Adult Centre Operations Branch.

Alberta’s adult correctional facilities provide incarcerated persons various quality and integrated academic, employment, and personal development programs to assist their successful reintegration into the community. These programs are developed and provided in accordance with the Provincial Framework for Adult Offender Education Programs and Alberta Advanced Education. The numerous professionals and stakeholder agencies currently providing these programs include centre caseworkers, Alberta Health Services, the Edmonton John Howard Society, the Elizabeth Fry Society, NorQuest College, Northern Lakes College, Bow Valley College, and the Northern and Southern Alberta Institutes of Technology.

The majority of Alberta’s adult correctional facilities already provide various violence prevention related programming. If inmates are unable to constructively mediate interpersonal conflicts without involving violence, they should immediately advise unit staff as the best alternative to resolving these types of conflicts.

During your recent short-term stays at the Calgary Remand Centre and the Medicine Hat Remand Centre, you had opportunities to access the centre’s and/or Alberta Health Services’ available programs. I have also been advised that upon your release to the community, your probation officer has been assisting you with accessing community mental health, and substance abuse counselling and treatment programming. I further encourage you to request your probation officer to assist you with attending violence prevention programming, which you were unable to attend while incarcerated.

Although you feel inmates should be provided cell televisions, inmates have access to communally-shared living-area televisions during out of cell exercise periods. During cell restriction periods, inmates may occupy their time with activities including socializing with cell mates; playing games; reading library/religious/education materials; listening to radio broadcasts; completing hobbies; writing letters/stories; and creating art.

Although you feel “food is scarce”, inmates are provided quality meals following a three-week rotational standardized provincial menu, which meets Canada Food Guide’s nutritional, caloric, and activity guidelines. Inmates also have the opportunity to supplement meals by ordering items from the centre’s canteen.

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to respond to your suggestions.

Sincerely,

J. Panasiuk

Joanne Panasiuk
Executive Director
Adult Centre Operations Branch
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.

TB

Tony Bear
Thu 2019-09-19 1:30 PM
Adjusting Behavior From Within The inmate population struggles with violence and misconduct. We need to find an understanding that the rejects of society are human beings as well as we are. Developmental skills through entertainment is a process that might
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AlbertaConnects@gov.ab.ca
Thu 2019-09-19 9:21 AM
tonycbear@hotmail.com
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**********please do not reply THIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS NOT MONITORED **********

Thank you for visiting the Alberta Government feedback web site. Following is the response to your question prepared by Justice and Solicitor General :

Thank you for your enquiry about Alberta correctional facilities. The well-being of Alberta’s inmates is a priority for the Justice and Solicitor General ministry. We have attempted below to address your concerns.

Food
Meals and portions at all eight provincial adult correctional centres are approved by a registered dietician and follow the Canada Food Guide to Healthy Eating with additional items that are required to satisfy the need for variety. The meal schedules are as follows:
• Meals three times per day on business days: breakfast, lunch and supper.
• Meals two times per day on days other than business days: brunch and supper.
• On both business and non-business days: snacks two times per day.
• As well, there are court meals for those scheduled to be transported to court before normal breakfast time.
• Meal substitutions are provided to inmates who require a diet that meets their religious or medical dietary restrictions.
Programs and Services for inmate population in Alberta
A range of programs and services are available at Alberta’s adult (and youth) correctional centres that are targeted to the educational, cultural and spiritual needs of the inmate population. Programming is offered in six general categories (as outlined below): education; work; life skills; treatment; Indigenous; and chaplaincy. Individual centres also develop “in house programs” that are delivered by correctional staff and augment programming offerings provided through our contractor and stakeholder partners.
• Education
o Academics (Grades 0-9)
o High School, GED or equivalency
o Education for employment
o Basic literacy
o Computer skills
• Work
o Institutional
o Employment-specific training
• Life skills
o Addictions
o Anger management
o Domestic violence/relationships
o Parenting
o Life skills
o Release planning
o Health/Wellness
o Behavior management unit
• Indigenous
o Traditions, crafts, ceremonies
• Chaplaincy
o Church, prayer and other services
o Faith based study
o connects inmates with a multitude of faiths in the community

Physical activity
Correctional and Remand Centres throughout the province provide recreational opportunities to inmates based on the physical infrastructure that is available at the specific centre. Some centres have access to central gymnasiums, outside sports fields, and exercise rooms where inmates can participate in a variety of sports or organized activities — personal or group physical activities are available for inmates.

Indigenous programming
A range of programs and services are available at adult and youth correctional centres that are targeted to the needs of the Indigenous population. The programs offered include educational and Indigenous cultural/spiritual programs regarding topics such as substance use, domestic violence, traditional parenting, wellness programs and Indigenous art programs. The programs are coordinated and facilitated by Indigenous Program Coordinators and Elders and may also be delivered by community agencies.

TVs
It is typical for inmates to have television access in provincial facilities via a television in the common area of each unit. Centres may have different access to television stations based on locations, but as an example, the ERC provides numerous channels for viewing through the centre’s television subscription. Access to viewing the television will vary in accordance with the placement of the individual inmate within the centre.

Radios
All centres provide inmates with in cell radios that permit access to a variety of radio stations. The stations will typically include a variety that include music, sports and news that inmates can listen to.

Book and reading material access
Centres throughout the province run library programs within their respective centre and obtain books for the program through a variety of sources. Some centres partner with local library associations to enhance the book service provided through the centre’s library. Recreational officers (Correctional Peace Officers who coordinate activities) will often run the centre library, ensuring that all inmates have the opportunity to access a variety of books and reading materials. In addition, multiple copies of local newspapers and magazine subscriptions are provided to inmate units for inmates to read. Some centres also provide inmates access to board games and “stimulation packages”, which may include puzzles, coloring books/pages and other activities such as (Suduko) that inmates can utilize both inside and outside of their cells. Inmates also have access to a variety of legal resource books upon request, and for those individuals who are self-represented litigants, electronic access to a legal resource is available but strictly limited to one specific site.

Boot camp
A “military-style” boot camp at the Edmonton Remand Centre helps inmates turn their lives around. The camp has rules and targets inmates who want to make a change. Boot camp members work in ERC’s laundry centre and take part in frequents drills in the nearby courtyard. They have to abide by a strict dress code and other rules like high levels of personal and cell hygiene, no drug or gang talk and treat everyone they meet with respect. The program provides self-discipline and promotes a healthy and social lifestyle. Teamwork is encouraged at all times to help them develop self-esteem and self-control, while they must agree to work on any addictions they might have. While in the boot camp, they also take part in holistic educational and life skills programs that give them the opportunity to achieve success when they return to the community.

Resources and tools available to inmates getting out, helping them to reintegrate into society
An Inmate Handbook is available to inmates – a resource for inmates that includes contact and information for legal representation, community resources, John Howard Society and the Elizabeth Fry Society—to name a few. It also contains information regarding the centre operations, etc.

We hope you find this information helpful.

On 2019-09-18 09:25:00.0 you wrote:

DEAR ALBERTA GOVERNMENT:

I am writing you because there is a problem within the parallel of our justice system. Inmates are mistreated in most institutions and food is scarce, not to mention we are the less fortunate province when it comes to things such as programming and educationwithin our Remand Centre’s. Every province in Canada has an individual television in each cell except for us, the outlook on this is why give these inmates television and extra perks? They are considered the scum of society! The problems we are having in ourcorrections are such as follows: violence, un-education, altercation, overdose, sexual deviancy and much more. The solution to some of this is I believe that we should get with the program and inherit some traits from other provinces such as allowing televisionsinto our corrections. I believe it would minimize violence. I believe it would reduce the thought of bringing drugs into the institution, the television would fill the void of people thinking of drugs. There should also be a mediation between inmates and staff.Why not have someone into these corrections daily to introduce education and develop mental skills opposed to the inmate feeling resentment on society, a rehabilitation need would be more effective. Education is not here in Medicine Hat or even Calgary. Thereis a sort of education based program through the John Howard Society which I believe is not enough. There should be a structured program for every inmate to get into if they choose. Everybody has heard the term sending criminals to jail only develops bettercriminals which I believe is the truth. There is not a structured motivation for these people to actually have something to look forward to upon release. Innocent until proven guilty is what the terminology is in our society, if the criminal is innocent untilproven guilty why would we deny an innocent man a television or an educational book? I am going to keep sending this letter to every organization I can on the planet until we can figure out an equilibrium between these inmates needs and also the safety forboth employee and incarcerated innocent man. I believe that these perks that other provinces already have in there system would strongly reduce the aspect of violence in our system. If you look back in the news history you would see that people are physicallybeaten almost to death all because there is no in between or mediation upon these inmates mentality, there is the least amount of programming here in Alberta, why not have a violence prevention program? We certainly have the funding for it exactly why is theinmate welfare fund there for? , for programs such as these I expect. Rehabilitation opposed to examination and resentment would reduce a criminal mind 100%. We all want to reduce crime in this province but the focus has to be in every aspect and not juston one factor, throwing gasoline on a fire when we can water down the blaze with education and unity.

Tony Curtis Bear
September 11 2019

The Alberta feedback site is constantly updated to provide you with important information about Alberta programs and services. Please visit http://www.alberta.ca. (AC-557210)

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AlbertaConnects@gov.ab.ca
Wed 2019-09-18 11:54 AM
tonycbear@hotmail.com
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**********please do not reply THIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS NOT MONITORED **********

Thank you for visiting the Alberta Government feedback web site. Following is the response to your question prepared by Justice and Solicitor General :

Thank you for your enquiry about Alberta correctional facilities. The well-being of Alberta’s inmates is a priority for the Justice and Solicitor General ministry. We have attempted below to address your concerns.

Food
Meals and portions at all eight provincial adult correctional centres are approved by a registered dietician and follow the Canada Food Guide to Healthy Eating with additional items that are required to satisfy the need for variety. The meal schedules are as follows:
• Meals three times per day on business days: breakfast, lunch and supper.
• Meals two times per day on days other than business days: brunch and supper.
• On both business and non-business days: snacks two times per day.
• As well, there are court meals for those scheduled to be transported to court before normal breakfast time.
• Meal substitutions are provided to inmates who require a diet that meets their religious or medical dietary restrictions.
Programs and Services for inmate population in Alberta
A range of programs and services are available at Alberta’s adult (and youth) correctional centres that are targeted to the educational, cultural and spiritual needs of the inmate population. Programming is offered in six general categories (as outlined below): education; work; life skills; treatment; Indigenous; and chaplaincy. Individual centres also develop “in house programs” that are delivered by correctional staff and augment programming offerings provided through our contractor and stakeholder partners.
• Education
o Academics (Grades 0-9)
o High School, GED or equivalency
o Education for employment
o Basic literacy
o Computer skills
• Work
o Institutional
o Employment-specific training
• Life skills
o Addictions
o Anger management
o Domestic violence/relationships
o Parenting
o Life skills
o Release planning
o Health/Wellness
o Behavior management unit
• Indigenous
o Traditions, crafts, ceremonies
• Chaplaincy
o Church, prayer and other services
o Faith based study
o connects inmates with a multitude of faiths in the community

Physical activity
Correctional and Remand Centres throughout the province provide recreational opportunities to inmates based on the physical infrastructure that is available at the specific centre. Some centres have access to central gymnasiums, outside sports fields, and exercise rooms where inmates can participate in a variety of sports or organized activities — personal or group physical activities are available for inmates.

Indigenous programming
A range of programs and services are available at adult and youth correctional centres that are targeted to the needs of the Indigenous population. The programs offered include educational and Indigenous cultural/spiritual programs regarding topics such as substance use, domestic violence, traditional parenting, wellness programs and Indigenous art programs. The programs are coordinated and facilitated by Indigenous Program Coordinators and Elders and may also be delivered by community agencies.

TVs
It is typical for inmates to have television access in provincial facilities via a television in the common area of each unit. Centres may have different access to television stations based on locations, but as an example, the ERC provides numerous channels for viewing through the centre’s television subscription. Access to viewing the television will vary in accordance with the placement of the individual inmate within the centre.

Radios
All centres provide inmates with in cell radios that permit access to a variety of radio stations. The stations will typically include a variety that include music, sports and news that inmates can listen to.

Book and reading material access
Centres throughout the province run library programs within their respective centre and obtain books for the program through a variety of sources. Some centres partner with local library associations to enhance the book service provided through the centre’s library. Recreational officers (Correctional Peace Officers who coordinate activities) will often run the centre library, ensuring that all inmates have the opportunity to access a variety of books and reading materials. In addition, multiple copies of local newspapers and magazine subscriptions are provided to inmate units for inmates to read. Some centres also provide inmates access to board games and “stimulation packages”, which may include puzzles, coloring books/pages and other activities such as (Suduko) that inmates can utilize both inside and outside of their cells. Inmates also have access to a variety of legal resource books upon request, and for those individuals who are self-represented litigants, electronic access to a legal resource is available but strictly limited to one specific site.

Boot camp
A “military-style” boot camp at the Edmonton Remand Centre helps inmates turn their lives around. The camp has rules and targets inmates who want to make a change. Boot camp members work in ERC’s laundry centre and take part in frequents drills in the nearby courtyard. They have to abide by a strict dress code and other rules like high levels of personal and cell hygiene, no drug or gang talk and treat everyone they meet with respect. The program provides self-discipline and promotes a healthy and social lifestyle. Teamwork is encouraged at all times to help them develop self-esteem and self-control, while they must agree to work on any addictions they might have. While in the boot camp, they also take part in holistic educational and life skills programs that give them the opportunity to achieve success when they return to the community.

Resources and tools available to inmates getting out, helping them to reintegrate into society
An Inmate Handbook is available to inmates – a resource for inmates that includes contact and information for legal representation, community resources, John Howard Society and the Elizabeth Fry Society—to name a few. It also contains information regarding the centre operations, etc.

We hope you find this information helpful.

On 2019-09-17 13:30:00.0 you wrote:

DEAR ALBERTA GOVERNMENT:

I am writing you because there is a problem within the parallel of our justice system. Inmates are mistreated in most institutions and food is scarce, not to mention we are the less fortunate province when it comes to things such as programming and education within our Remand Centre’s. Every province in Canada has an individual television in each cell except for us, the outlook on this is why give these inmates television and extra perks? They are considered the scum of society! The problems we are having in our corrections are such as follows: violence, un-education, altercation, overdose, sexual deviancy and much more. The solution to some of this is I believe that we should get with the program and inherit some traits from other provinces such as allowing televisions into our corrections. I believe it would minimize violence. I believe it would reduce the thought of bringing drugs into the institution, the television would fill the void of people thinking of drugs. There should also be a mediation between inmates and staff. Why not have someone into these corrections daily to introduce education and develop mental skills opposed to the inmate feeling resentment on society, a rehabilitation need would be more effective. Education is not here in Medicine Hat or even Calgary. There is a sort of education based program through the John Howard Society which I believe is not enough. There should be a structured program for every inmate to get into if they choose. Everybody has heard the term sending criminals to jail only develops better criminals which I believe is the truth. There is not a structured motivation for these people to actually have something to look forward to upon release. Innocent until proven guilty is what the terminology is in our society, if the criminal is innocent until proven guilty why would we deny an innocent man a television or an educational book? I am going to keep sending this letter to every organization I can on the planet until we can figure out an equilibrium between these inmates needs and also the safety for both employee and incarcerated innocent man. I believe that these perks that other provinces already have in there system would strongly reduce the aspect of violence in our system. If you look back in the news history you would see that people are physically beaten almost to death all because there is no in between or mediation upon these inmates mentality, there is the least amount of programming here in Alberta, why not have a violence prevention program? We certainly have the funding for it exactly why is the inmate welfare fund there for? , for programs such as these I expect. Rehabilitation opposed to examination and resentment would reduce a criminal mind 100%. We all want to reduce crime in this province but the focus has to be in every aspect and not just on one factor, throwing gasoline on a fire when we can water down the blaze with education and unity.
Tony Curtis Bear

The Alberta feedback site is constantly updated to provide you with important information about Alberta programs and services. Please visit http://www.alberta.ca. (AC-557117)