Follow-up Audit on Corrections in Nunavut—Department of Justice Opening Statement to News Conference

James McKenzie, Principal, Office of the Auditor General of Canada—9 September 2021

Good afternoon. I and directors Sami Hannoush and Liliane Cotnoir are pleased to join you today to discuss our follow-up audit report on corrections in Nunavut, which we provided to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly this morning.

In this audit, we examined whether the Department of Justice had made satisfactory progress on selected recommendations and observations related to managing inmate rehabilitation and operating correctional facilities that were made in our 2015 audit report on corrections in Nunavut. We also examined issues related to human resources management, including mental health supports for staff. For this follow-up, we examined all 7 correctional facilities in Nunavut.

This audit is important because providing programs and supports to inmates in a safe and secure environment helps promote their healing and reintegration into their communities. In addition, adequately managing human resources is important for recruitment and retention of staff.

Overall, we found that the Department of Justice did not address shortcomings in managing inmate rehabilitation and operating correctional facilities.

Similar to our 2015 audit, there continued to be gaps in case management services provided to adult inmates. For example, we found that inmate needs assessments, case management plans, and release plans were not completed for most of the inmate files we examined. In addition, the department struggled to provide inmates with access to the range of programs and services needed across facilities to support inmates’ rehabilitation and eventual reintegration into the community. This includes access to mental health services.

We found that with the construction of 2 new correctional facilities in Iqaluit, the department made progress in addressing overcrowding and poor living conditions for male inmates at the Baffin Correctional Centre. However, the capacity of the Nunavut Women’s Correctional Centre was inadequate for its needs, and the centre lacked space to provide rehabilitation programs.

The department adopted a new approach to segregation that is designed to keep inmates in segregation for the shortest time possible. However, the department did not have formal guidelines, procedures, or training for placing inmates in segregation under this new approach. Spending time in segregation can jeopardize an inmate’s mental and physical health.

In our previous audit, we noted that several inmates were placed in segregation for 10 days or more. In our current audit, we found that the majority of segregation placements were for less than 2 days.

In our 2015 audit, we found deficiencies in cell searches, fire drills and inspections, and evacuation drills at the Baffin Correctional Centre and the Rankin Inlet Healing Facility. In this follow‑up audit, we found that, throughout our audit period, 3 out of 7 facilities—the Baffin Correctional Centre along with the Makigiarvik and Uttaqivik facilities—held fire drills as required. In addition, we found that the Department of Justice was not complying with its directives for conducting regular cell searches and evacuations.

The department faced consistently high vacancy rates in critical staff positions that affected its ability to manage correctional facilities and ensure the safety of inmates and staff. For example, at the end of March 2020, the overall staff vacancy rate for the department was 28%. The Corrections Division did not have a human resources plan to address challenges in recruitment and retention.

The department has committed to take action to address the issues raised in the audit. For example, efforts were underway to standardize the department’s approach to case management, while a new information system was being introduced to help the department better manage and document the services it is providing to inmates. A new information system is also being developed to help the department better schedule corrections staff and manage overtime.

The Department of Justice has agreed with all our recommendations. The successful implementation of these recommendations will be important for the department to be able to achieve a corrections system that promotes the healing and successful reintegration of inmates into society and that ensures the safety and security of staff and inmates.

This concludes my opening statement. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.