Tyler Mann, Brad Edwards, Brittney Hay-Dorman

Provincial Institutions
Overview

Provincial Institutions are facilities that are specifically designated to deal with offenders who have been sentenced 2 years less a day. There are 9 provincial institutions in British Columbia. Their main functions and responsibilities include detaining offenders who are currently serving a provincial sentence as well as citizens awaiting trial. In relation to other parts of the criminal justice system, provincial institutions provide a type of penalty for those who break the laws that are being enforced. They also allow for offenders to recover in a controlled environment through programs developed specifically for their needs. For example, some institutions provide substance abuse management, respectful relationships, and violence management programs.

Employment

Provincial institutions provide many job opportunities for qualified individuals. Employees must be a Canadian citizen over the age of 19 with a high school diploma, class 5 drivers license, first aid certification, and completed COPAT (physical abilities test). The Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre employs approximately 200 workers. Of those workers, 180 of them are correctional uniformed officers, who jobs include: Control center officers that manage security and watch cameras and gates; Case management officers who deal with the inmates outside life; and Core program officers who help inmates with programs and their rehabilitation. Possible jobs for employees without uniforms include Record staff whose organize inmates paper work and court documents.

Tyler Mann, Brad Edwards, Brittney Hay-Dorman

It is necessary for employees to have strong interpersonal skills that allow them to diffuse potentially dangerous situations while leaving the use of force as a last resort. Several challenges derive from controversy with the inmates. For example some of these include: language barriers; respecting inmates fundamental freedoms that were set out in the charter; maintaining security and inmate accountability including task such as preventing disturbances, assaults and escapes making this the highest rate of non-fatal on the job injuries. Officers also come across many frustrations such as dealing with negatives individuals, seeing the same people continuing to cycle through the system and obeying public service policy and procedure in the criminal justice systems bureaucracy.

Employees within provincial institutions are given the chance to help people in need. The positive outcomes for employees that stem from this work can be very rewarding. Workers get the opportunity to help people get back on the right path who have made inappropriate decisions in their life. They get to create programs which give offenders the chance to make a change in their lives. The feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment in this line of work is enough to outweigh the negative outcomes as well as the risks involved to benefit the order of society.

Issues and Changes

The current Harper led, Conservative government will be forced to make additions and changes to the provincial institutions in British Columbia. The strong back bone of the government has begun to produce strain on the current institutions. Chair of the BCGEU's correctional and sheriffs component, Dean Purdy states that overcrowding in our jails continues to be an ongoing problem. Numbers of criminals flowing into the correctional facilities is only expected to rise due to the Conservatives tough on crime policies. The fact of

Tyler Mann, Brad Edwards, Brittney Hay-Dorman

the matter is, there is simply not enough room. Overcrowding is documented at almost all of the BC institutions, and increases the risk of danger to all employees working at the institutions. For example the Wilkinson road jail was designed to hold 206 inmates, and in reality holds 350 to 400 inmates. The Conservative government is planning to increase the amount of cells for prisoners in the province. An example of this expansion is the Surrey facility that will be constructed in 2013. This is an issue that also exists at the federal level, and the government will need correct it soon in order to follow through with the projected crime policies.

Tyler Mann, Brad Edwards, Brittney Hay-Dorman

References Cited
British Columbia Public Service: Corrections (2011, Nov 20). Retrieved from http://www.employment.gov.bc.ca/corrections

Correctional Officer C.J. Conroy (2011) Personal Communication. Nov. 17, 2011.Victoria, B.C.

Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General: Corrections (2007, May 9). Retrieved from http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/corrections/in-bc/index.htm