Exam #1 Flashcards
Be familiar with the various stakeholders of the criminal justice system.
Income Assistance, Housing Alternatives, Probation, Mental Health and Addictions, Community Based Organizations, Businesses, Social Services.
Examples of Additional Shareholders - Social Workers, Family, Friends, Courts - Anyone aiding in the development for the betterment of offenders.
Understand the legislation that governs the work of a CSE performs.
The laws which are derived from the Constitution (supreme law in Canada) set out specific duties, authority, powers and limitations to the exercise of those powers to government and its agents. Provincial Policies, when being created, are given their legal authority by specific legislation, which must adhere to and is derived from, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Constitution. Local Provincial Directives which govern our day to day duties as CSE’s are meant to operationalize Provincial Policies within each individual institution.
Simplified: Magna Carta (Foundation of basic human rights in Canada) → Canadian Constitution → The Charter of Rights and Freedoms → Legislation (Correctional Services Act/Regulations, YCJA Youth Criminal Justice Act, YJAA Youth Justice Administration Act, RSC Prisons and Reformatories Act) → Provincial Policies → Local Provincial Directives
Understand the three (3) requirements that must be met when limiting or further restricting a charter right.
The Charter influences everything we do that involves a decision affecting offenders. For Charter rights to be limited, the limits must meet three requirements:
a) They must be reasonable in a free and democratic society
b) They must be prescribed by law - means that the limits must be written either in legislation or regulation.
c) They must be demonstrably justified - the burden of proof is on the government to prove that the limits it has imposed are reasonable.
Simplified: Reasonable, Prescribed by Law, Demonstrably Justified
Be familiar with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code.
The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code is the law used to protect and promote human rights and equality in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission is the government agency that ensures that human rights and equality are not infringed upon or limited outside the law in Saskatchewan. The Human Rights Code takes precedent over provincial laws as human rights are of the utmost importance to each and every person. Some of the basic human rights that a person may not be discriminated against because of are:
Religion
Creed
Sex
Sexual orientation
Disability
Age
Color
Ancestry
Nationality
Race or perceived race
Gender identity
We have a responsibility to understand the basics of the Human Rights Code, and to not forget that EVERY person within our Institutions has the right to be treated fairly and with respect.
Understand in detail, all components of the Engagement and Intervention Model. Be familiar with key terms and concepts.
The engagement and intervention model was developed from a person centred, risk-based approach, integrating a solid policy framework that reflects the complexities of the correctional environment and ensures both the health and safety of the offender. As a person centred model, the EIM requires CSE’s to determine what they know about an offender assess the level of actions in the moment of the current situation and to recognize as a CSE they are working with a human being.
When applying the EIM to any situation, the following five guideline principles should be considered: Leadership, Preservation of Life, Interdisciplinary Teamwork, CSRS Division Strategic Plans, and ensuring responses to any situation are Necessary and Proportionate.
Leadership can mean leading a team or an intervention as a responder, leading by example in your work, or taking the initiative to share information which otherwise might not be shared in an incident report. CSE’s must participate in actively encouraging and assisting offenders in their rehabilitation and reintegration. As CSE’s we should ensure we are actively engaging with offenders, are making ourselves familiar with the offenders we are working with, are communicating and sharing information with other departments (partners) on a routine basis, and are involved as a part of the greater team that are managing an offender during their sentence.
(ie: communication, swapping, roles, direction/instruction, encouraging, sharing information)
Interdisciplinary Team Work focuses on the collaboration and joint team efforts when responding to an incident. CSE’s it is important to recognize that we are a member of a larger team. Using an interdisciplinary team approach will create the best possible outcome for safer create safer facilities and communities and a more positive work environment. An interdisciplinary team must be comprised of people who are experts in different areas who then draw on each other to respond to needs in their area of specialization. Knowing who your team members are outside of your area of expertise will put you in a position of advantage when strategizing on the best way to manage a situation. CSE’s should get to know others who work in their facility and the roles each play.
[ie: collaboration and joint team efforts when responding to an incident create the best possible outcome, creates safer facilities & communities, and a more positive work environment. Staff presence, lead/follow, safety, clarity, switching roles, calling nurse, knowledge baseline (former knowledge of inmate, something is off), call for backup, leading/following, constant communication, clarity (of intent and action].
Necessary and Proportionate As discussed all intervention strategies should be necessary and proportionate to the situation and present level of risk. Using Core Correctional Practices, communication, verbal intervention, informal negotiation, de-escalation techniques and conflict management strategies throughout the management of a situation will help to ensure the problem is resolved at the lowest level.
If use of force is the required option, it will be proportionate, reasonable and in accordance with provincial policy, local procedural directives and applicable legislation. All staff are required to articulate how their chosen interventions were the most appropriate to the totality of the circumstances. The amount of force used must be the minimally necessary force (proportionate) to safely manage the threat. If the threat can be safely managed without force, then force should not be used.
The concept of necessary and proportionate also applies to health interventions. Using Core Correctional Practices, communication, verbal intervention, informal negotiation, de-escalation techniques and conflict management strategies throughout the management of a situation will help to ensure the problem is resolved at the lowest level.
(ie: all intervention strategies should be necessary, proportionate to the situation and present level of risk using core correctional practices, communication verbal intervention in formal negotiation, de-escalation techniques, will ensure the problem is resolved at lowest level. put back in cell security, follow through de-escalation search, cuffs.)
CSRS Strategic Plans: Vision: Correctional Services that Improve lives.
Mission Statement: CSRS delivers needs based services including supervision, rehabilitation and reintegration for youth and adult clients to reduce reoffending.
Principles: We respect the dignity of individuals, the rights of all members of society, and the potential for human growth and development. We recognize that our clients have the potential to live as law-abiding citizens. We believe that our strength in achieving our objectives is our staff and that human relationships are the cornerstone of our endeavour. We believe that the sharing of ideas, knowledge, values, and experience, nationally and internationally, is essential to the achievement of our mission. We believe in managing correctional services with openness, integrity, and accountability.
We respect the dignity of individuals, the rights of all members of society and potential for human growth and development we believe in managing correctional services with openness integrity and accountability.
(Ie: least restrictive measures, person, centred, rehab, quality of life).
Preservation of Life means all interventions must protect and preserve lives. Measures are taken at all times to ensure safety of staff, the offenders and the public.If you are first aid and CPR trained, it is your responsibility to provide first aid and CPR when needed. If you are not, you have a responsibility to preserve life through accessing partners who have a specialization in this area (e.g, nurses, mental health professional, emergency medical services, etc.). For CSE’s, the preservation of life may also include isolating, containing and controlling a situation so that it does not spread and may include a use of force. For those involved in case management, this may include a risk assessment to determine the suitability of an offender’s release into the community alongside other considerations.
(ie: protect and preserve the lives/safety of staff, offenders, and the public. Isolating/containing the incident, controlling the situation through verbal skills or use of force. Close the cell, maintaining reactionary distance, put other offenders away, checking health, asking about medications, PPE, cuffs, keeping the inmate calm, recording the incident, calling for backup)
Key Components:
Assess Situation (and Re-assess)
CSE’s should ensure they respond to situations at all times necessary. It is the role of the CSE’s to be continuously assessing and reassessing the following: the offender and offender factors, situational factors, the intervention strategy, and the level of risk. Where time and circumstances permit, CSEs should consider withdrawing, reassessing and re-planning their interventions and responses during the course of the incident. CSE’s should consider whether there is any change in any of the factors discussed above.
Offender factors should be taken into consideration when assessing and reassessing a situation. This includes the offender’s level of compliance, appearance, speech and behaviour, current physical and mental health, ability to comprehend and comply with direction, potential for self-injurious or suicidal behaviour, past institutional behaviour, whether the offender is in an altered level of consciousness, and if they are exhibiting cues of distress.
The following situational factors should be taken into consideration when assessing and reassessing a situation: time, the level of containment, availability of staff to assist, the location of the incident, the number of other offenders in the vicinity, and the presence of any weapons and potential weapons.
Risk Evaluation and AIM Tool
The Ability, Intent, Means (AIM) tool assesses the level of risk relative to the threat and determine whether the risk level is low, moderate or high. Ability represents the offender’s physical and mental capacity to carry out a threat. The intent represents the offender’s intent to behave or act in a specific manner and can be verbal or non-verbal. Means represents the means the offender has to carry out the specific action or behaviour associated with the threat. These three factors should be considered with evaluating the risk level of any situation. As an CSE you should be asking yourself is there an immediate risk? Is there an immediate need for response? CSE’s should determine if the risk is on the health side, security side or both and whether risk is low, moderate or high.
All incidents are fluid, meaning the risk may change over the course of the incident and the assessment and reassessment process. As the level of risk increases, so should the level of expertise required to manage the situation. As such should be collaborating and information gathering with other partners such as health care professionals, elders, chaplains and program staff, and tools such as the Criminal Justice Information Management System (CJIMS).
Self-Awareness and Perception
It is important to always remember to remain calm, professional and empathetic during all incidents and situations. CSE’s should always, when appropriate, make attempts to defuse offender’s emotions to re-establish effective dialogue with the offender(s). CSE’s should remain objective and rational and have awareness of their body language, proximity and tone of voice. Staff should be alert and examine the environmental factors of any situation to mitigate and control the risk. Maintaining the “reactionary gap” between the CSE’s and offender(s) ensures staff safety in the event the situation escalates.
Engagement and Intervention Strategies
As CSE’s it is our responsibility to engage in dynamic security including regular and consistent interactions with offenders to allow for active information gathering and documentation via observations. Dynamic security can be defined as actions that create, develop and maintain positive professional relationships between staff and offenders. This assists with early identification of issues and early intervention to prevent or minimize threats and conflicts. When incidents do occur, CSE’s should make attempts to isolate and contain incidents to the smallest area and minimize the opportunity for others to become involved.
When time and circumstances permit, CSEs should use an interdisciplinary team approach to determine the appropriate intervention and response. Staff presence alone can impact the outcome of a situation. CSE’s involved in the planning and/or application of the intervention strategies may include adult or youth custody facility directors, supervisors, front-line staff, health and mental health professionals, aboriginal elders and spiritual advisors, chaplains, program staff, crisis negotiators, emergency response teams or any person who has a good rapport with the offender.
Once the situation and level of risk has been assessed and the goal has been identified, CSEs can determine which intervention strategies(s) is appropriate and develop an intervention plan. An intervention plan should be developed in all cases unless the situation is urgent and or there is an immediate use of force response is required to resolve the situation
Responding to an Incident and Cues of Distress
When appropriate, CSEs should always first try to attempt to engage the offender using communication and conflict resolution skills to elicit offender cooperation in resolving the incident. An example of this is giving an offender verbal directions or attempting to defuse a situation by talking to an offender about the issue when appropriate. Use of force, should be the last option and used only when necessary and proportionate to the incident as discussed above. Although the list of responses and interdisciplinary staff to assist with varying situations is endless, responses could include getting assistance from other staff such as program staff, nursing staff or cultural advisers.
In instances where an offender appears to be under the influence of an intoxicant or if their mental state is such that the offender cannot understand staff direction, medical attention should be sought immediately.
If an offender is displaying cues of distress, responding CSEs should:
Treat the situation as a medical emergency and call for medical assistance
Stay calm and help the offender remain calm
Try to keep the offender conscious
Continually monitor and assess the situation
Stay with the offender until help arrives
Attend to the offender’s complaints or calls for help immediately, even if the signs and symptoms are not obvious
Re-assessment
It is important to recognize all situations are fluid, meaning they can change rapidly as does can they risk level of any given situation. Re-assessing interventions plays an important role in ensuring CSE’s are applying the best interventions and strategies to the current situation. It is important as an CSE to ensure you are always re-assessing offender and situational factors and whether or not the risk level of the current situation has changed.
Debrief, Report and Quality Improvement
The intent of the Assessment and Intervention Debrief is to provide a learning opportunity for all staff and management as to the effectiveness of the applied intervention(s). When operationally feasible any staff member who has directly engaged or intervened in an incident should be debriefed on the incident with their supervisor. Debriefings will be conducted based on responses to incidents or at the discretion of a supervisor. This allows for continued feedback and on how incidents are managed and deescalated prior to any need for the application of force. A debrief may also take place in relation to an incident which did not require the use of force.
The debrief process includes the Assessment, Intervention and Debrief also known as the AID. When completing this component, the “why now” component should be answered, as well as, were the intervention strategies used in the situation legal, moral, ethical. This will also consist of reviewing the necessary and proportionate principles.
All staff involved in responding to an incident are required to complete an incident report on the Criminal Justice Information Management System (CJIMS) as soon as practicable after the incident and prior to leaving the facility. Incident reports should chronological and provide only factual information on the staff’s action or what he or she witnessed during the incident.
Be able to articulate and explain “cues of distress” and the “person-centred approach”.
As a person-centred model, the EIM requires CSEs to determine what they know about an offender, assess the level of actions in the moment of the current situation and to recognize as a CSE they are working with a human being. When assessing a person’s needs, both the security and health components of the person and situation need to be considered and addressed equally.
It’s important to know an offenders baseline if possible, in order to determine if they may be in ALOC (altered level of consciousness). If an offender is displaying cues of distress (Appearance: Disheveled, dazed look, red face complexion. Speech: Slurred speech, unusually fast/slow/delayed response to questions. Behaviour: Swaying, staggering, unable to sit straight, crying, disoriented, excessive perspiration), responding CSEs should:
Treat the situation as a medical emergency and call for medical assistance
Stay calm and help the offender remain calm
Try to keep the offender conscious
Continually monitor and assess the situation
Stay with the offender until help arrives
Attend to the offender’s complaints or calls for help immediately, even if the signs and symptoms are not obvious.
Understand rapport and risk, as it relates to communication skills.
Rapport - Frequent and effective communications with offenders assists in building rapport and establishing a level of trust. Rapport facilitates communication which may assist the CSE in being aware of group dynamics or changes in an individual’s behaviour or potential problems between specific offenders on the unit. The CSE learns about issues and problems before they become major issues or problems, and the overall risk of the situation increases. Having good rapport with an offender can also reduce risk to a CO by establishing a good working relationship. Risk - Often, CSE’s will acquire information through their senses that result in a preliminary situational assessment of “abnormal or suspicious.” Effective communication skills allow a CSE’s to acquire further information to make a more accurate assessment.
Be able to identify the three general communication skills and their intended uses, when engaging with offenders.
Verbal and Non-Verbal Skills Verbal - Words/Phrases, Pace/Cadence, Tone/Pitch/Clarity Non-Verbal - Body Language, Proxemics Active Listening and Defusing Skills Attending (Physical and Verbal), Mirroring (Parroting), Paraphrasing (Restating), Emotion Labeling (Reflecting), Silence (Effective Pauses), Summarizing Leading Skills Probing (Open and Close Ended Questions), Explaining, Suggesting (Advising), Confronting, Re-framing (New Perspective), Limit Setting, Negotiation, Warning
Understand the case management model and what takes place at each phase of it.
A structured approach to providing comprehensive and coordinated services to clients/inmates.
Promote successful reintegration into society, reduce recidivism, and enhance public safety.
Person-centred and collaborative approach, where the client actively participates in decision-making and goal setting.
Phase:
Assessment Phase:
Collect, analyze, and synthesize relevant information to understand individual, environmental, and situational characteristics which contribute to current status, and which may be important to the future state.
Structuring meaningful sessions/contacts | include interviews, surveys, and data collection. —– gather information about the individual’s needs, strengths, challenges, and goals.
1. Check-in
2. Review
2. Intervention
3. Homework/Check-out
Interaction Practices:
- Effective Reinforcement
- Effective Disapproval
- Effective Use of Authority
- Effective Limit SettingStrategies for Dealing with Resistance:
- Reflective Listening
- Shifting Focus
- AgreementMotivational Interviewing:
O - Open-Ended Questions
A - Affirming Statements
R - Reflective Listening
S - Summarizing
Eliciting Change Talk:
- Look Back
- Look Forward
- Query Extremes
- Use Change Rulers
- Explore Goals & Values
- Come AlongsideCriminal Risk Assessment: likelihood a client will commit new offence
Recognize what type of intervention to use in a variety of situations.
A : Intervention Skills:
Relapse Prevention Planning: Working with clients in order to target high risk factors. After identifying needs we build new ways of thinking and behaving that reduce recidivism. Using communication skills to outline high risk behaviours (people, situations, thoughts, feeling) that lead to re-offence, then helping offenders understand these factors, and how to change in order to avoid re-offence.
Core Correctional Practices: Involves an evidence-based framework of skills including interaction skills (building rapport, collecting information, influencing behaviour) and intervention skills (cognitive-behavioural techniques designed to enhance client self-management, skill building and to shift their thinking/behaviour). These include; Effective Reinforcement, Effective Disapproval, Effective Use of Authority, and Dealing with Resistance.
Motivational Interviewing: Using proper communication to increase the likelihood of change.
Open Ended Questions: Questions used to elicit a deeper response than yes or no.
Affirming statements: Acknowledge or highlight good behaviours and accomplishments.
Reflective Listening: Away of restating important thoughts or ideas. Used to reflect on key topics.
Summaries: A type of reflection used to review entire topics or discussions.
Page 45 of ITP Case Management #1
Understand the differences in offender behaviour (manipulative, isolating, etc).
Leaders: The strongest in terms of influence or power on a unit. Can also be carried in from the street.
Physical Offenders: An offender who is a physical presence on a unit. Can be a challenge to both staff and other offenders
Average Group: The largest group, “middle class”. These offenders typically don’t draw any undue attention to themselves, they will typically follow rules and expectations that are set for them but have the potential to be swayed in either direction given the right circumstances.
Outcasts: Serving time for “unacceptable” crimes, can also frequently reside in protective custody.
It’s important to understand that within this hierarchy there will be different offender typologies. These offenders can exist in different places within the hierarchy but still exhibit traits which may make them stand out from others.
Isolating offender: This type of offender usually operates on the fringe and seldomly wants to contribute to the group as a whole.
Manipulative Offender: These offenders may be looking to gain certain advantages within a unit, whether from other offenders or from the staff working.
Immature/Cognitively Delayed Offender: An offender who’s lack of maturity or understanding can sometimes be a source of contention within a group setting as they can draw undue attention that is not desired.
Scapegoats: These offenders can often be a problem within a group since staff may regularly have to regularly deal with the issues that seem to surround them constantly.
A large amount of information about relationships that exist between offenders can be collected by being observant. Be aware of these important observations.
Group Dynamics: Inmates watching the office closely, acting out of character, leaving the shower reddened/bruised/breathing heavy, not getting out of bed, unusual noise levels, crowding, locking themselves up, occupying unusual space, distance between inmates, eye contact, body language, tone of voice, areas frequented regularly by a unit.
List and describe several “Procedural Words and Phrases” related to proper radio usage, etiquette, and professionalism.
Acknowledge: Let me know that you’ve received and understood this message. Affirmative: Yes or permission granted. Clear: Indicates to the other parties that a station has completed it’s transmission and has no further need of a channel at this time. Cleared: Authorized to proceed under the conditions specified. Confirm: My understanding is… is that correct? Correction: An error that has been made in this transmission (message indicated). Disregard: Consider this transmission as not sent. E.T.A.: Estimated Time of Arrival Know the phonetic alphabet as well Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-Ray, Yankee, Zulu
Identify yourself, who you are speaking to, and what you need. Use professional language, avoid unnecessary private information, speak clearly, mind the volume of your voice.
Fight = Code Yellow
Medical = Code Blue
Escape = Code Green
Emergency Situation = Code Red
Understand the use of logbooks in daily performance of your duties, and the corrective action needed if an error occurs.
Log books are a written way of communicating with other unit staff and a legal and professional way to document unit details for future reference. It tracks day to day unit activities including offender counts, meals, exercise times and movement of offenders on and off and in and out of facilities. If you make an error in a log book, simply put a single line through the information, initial and reference the error with the correct information. The logbook is used for general information regarding the unit. Signing in at the start of your shift, indicating you received your key, signing out at the end of your shift, etc. Logging offenders who are leaving and returning to the unit. Some units will have schedules that are also logged (ie: logging when the youth offenders start school for the day).
Be able to articulate the importance of conducting proper counts, as well as the different types of counts conducted in correctional facilities.
Counts ensure the personal safety and whereabouts of each offender in correctional facilities using direct observation of a live person. Facility counts can mitigate the likelihood of serious incidents such as escapes or self harm attempts and deaths in custody from occurring as well as ensure a timely response should these incidents occur.
Types of Counts
Master Count - The official total count of offenders for each facility is maintained balanced and documented by a central area at different times throughout the day.
Formal Count - A documented count of all offenders using direct observation of a live person, conducted at specific times to confirm the presence and well-being of each offender in the correctional facility.
Informal Count or Unit Checks - A count outside of formal count times which requires the direct observation of a live person.
Stand to Count - A count where offenders are required to stand at their bed or cell door until count is complete.
Paper/Board Count - A count where staff match offenders to the names on CJIMS unit list.
Emergency Count - This is an official count conducted during emergencies. It is a formal count therefore reported to the appropriate supervisor.
Understand the importance of the term “direct observation of a live person”. Be able to describe situations you may be required to respond to while conducting counts.
It is the CSE’s responsibility to ensure they physically walk the unit or area and look into every cell, room and or bunk long enough to ensure that they can see a live person showing no signs of medical distress during counts. CSE’s must also be able to see flesh. It is the role and responsibility of the CSE to ensure all counts, unit and room checks including observational requirements of using direct observation of a live person are properly completed and documented as required by local divisional directives and provincial policies.
Counts ensure the personal safety and whereabouts of each offender in correctional facilities using direct observation of a live person. This is when the observer must, at a minimum, witness flesh rather than simply a piece of clothing, hair or a body-like shape and ensure that there are no obvious signs of medical distress.
Situations you may encounter would be suicide, escape, trying to switch cells.
Be able to describe and define the purpose of interaction and intervention skills as they relate to core correctional practices.
ITP Booklet, Page 5 and 40
Understand the different techniques used within motivational interviewing.
ITP Booklet, Page 22 Onward
