Reports on Canada’s Structured Intervention Units (2020-2021) (Canada’s “replacement” for Administrative Segregation and/or Solitary Confinement).
The library digitally hosts a set of reports (2020-2021) on Structured Intervention Units within the Canadian Correctional Services. The Structured Intervention Units were created by the Parliament of Canada (C-83, 42nd Parliament, 1st session) to replace solitary confinement, which was found to violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and were implemented by Correctional Service Canada in 2019. A panel (chaired by CrimSL Professor Emeritus, Anthony Doob) was established to monitor the implementation of the new regime during its first year. In collaboration with Jane Sprott (Toronto Metropolitan University), they produced the first three reports and were joined by Adelina Iftene (Dalhousie University) for the final report.
The four reports, linked below, using data provided by the Correctional Service Canada, found that the implementation and oversight of Structured Intervention Units was inconsistent and uneven and often resulted in people remaining in SIUs for long periods and without the necessary time away from their cells.
-
Understanding the Operation of Correctional Service Canada’s Structured Intervention Units: Some Preliminary Findings (Anthony N. Doob and Jane B. Sprott) 26 October 2020
-
Is there clear evidence that the problems that have been identified with the operation of Correctional Service Canada’s “Structured Intervention Units” were caused by the COVID-19 Outbreak? An examination of data from Correctional Service Canada (Jane B. Sprott and Anthony N. Doob) 15 November 2020
-
Solitary Confinement, Torture, and Canada's Structured Intervention Units (Jane B. Sprott and Anthony N. Doob), 23 February 2021
-
Do Independent External Decision Makers Ensure that “An Inmate’s Confinement in a Structured Intervention Unit Is to End as Soon as Possible”? (Jane B. Sprott, Anthony N. Doob, and Adelina Iftene) 10 May 2021
In 2021, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness renewed the Structured Intervention Unit Implementation Advisory Panel to continue to monitor, assess and report on issues related to the Structured Intervention Units. Their reports, annual reports and updates can be viewed here through the Government of Canada's website.