Custody Services
The top priority of Saskatchewan's custody services is to ensure the health and safety of offenders and staff in our province's corrections facilities. Corrections staff are working with public health authorities to ensure contact tracing and testing is done, and that all necessary precautions are being taken to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 within provincial correctional facilities.
Social visits have been suspended in all provincial correctional facilities to reduce the potential for COVID-19 transmission from outside the facility as much as possible. Offenders have access to outside exercise in their own unit exercise area where available, and showers and telephone access are available as they normally would be. In addition to the normal free 20-minute call offenders are provided with daily, Corrections is also providing them with an additional 10-minute free call to ensure they can stay in contact with family and friends.
Precautionary measures Custody Services has implemented in provincial correctional facilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- All new admissions to provincial correctional facilities are assessed for 14 days on assessment units prior to being moved to general population.
- All offenders who display symptoms are tested and required to isolate until the results come back.
- Staff at provincial correctional facilities have been masking continuously since the summer.
- All offenders are required to wear masks.
- Specific COVID-19 screening procedures by admittance staff for new offenders, including a medical screening by a nurse.
- Strict isolation and quarantine protocols for those who exhibit symptoms.
- Enhanced cleaning measures in all its facilities—in some cases, outside companies have been contacted to provide comprehensive cleaning of high-traffic areas.
- Increased communication with staff and offenders on preventative hygiene measures, including proper handwashing, cough etiquette, and practicing social distancing as much as possible.
- Providing offenders with controlled access to hand sanitizer and soap free of charge.
Community Corrections
The top priority of Saskatchewan's Community Corrections services is to ensure the health and safety of clients and employees.
Due to the rising number of positive cases of COVID-19, effective November 24, 2020, Community Corrections has made some adjustments to operations. The number of employees within Community Corrections offices will be reduced temporarily. This will occur by having approximately 50% of employees work in the office, while the other 50% work from home. Community Corrections employees will not be attending other communities or locations outside of the office to meet with clients. Client service and supervision is being maintained through a combination of in office interactions and reporting by telephone.
Signage has been placed on all public entrance doors of Community Corrections offices to advise of the requirement for mandatory masking to enter the office.
The Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety is responsible for:
The Custody, Supervision and Rehabilitation Services Division administers the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which deals with youth ages 12 to 17 who break federal laws, and The Correctional Services Act, which applies to all adult offenders that fall under provincial jurisdiction. The division provides for varying levels of offender care, control and supervision, and designs and provides programs aimed at reducing re-offending and improving the ability of offenders to reintegrate into their communities.
The Policing and Community Safety Division is mandated to help keep communities safe and maintain public order and safety in Saskatchewan by ensuring that effective policing and private security programs uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of individuals. The ministry also works closely with the RCMP to support law enforcement activity in rural Saskatchewan.
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