NCJ Number
201142
Journal
Let's Talk Volume: 27 Issue: 3 Dated: 2002 Pages: 7-11
Date Published
2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the planning and implementation of the transfer of 12 Canadian prisoners from the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Ray Brook in the Adirondacks of New York State to correctional facilities in Canada on June 18, 2002.
Abstract
International transfers such as the one profiled in this article are the result of agreements between sovereign nations. Their purpose is to allow the return of offenders from the country in which they were convicted to their home countries. These transfers are now an internationally accepted feature of modern corrections. Such transfers require detailed preparation by many people to ensure their legality. The 12 offenders arrived at FCI Ray Brook from State and Federal institutions across the United States. They came to the hearing room in beige jumpsuits, and each was sworn in before a judge, who assessed their competency and ensured that they had the opportunity to consult with the public defender. The judge explained to each offender the conditions for transfer. The 12 men then agreed to the transfer under the requirement that the transfer be voluntary and informed. When the hearing ended, an escort team of correctional officers from the Correctional Service of Canada was waiting to take physical custody of the 12 offenders and return them to Canada. Inmates were strip-searched, and their hands and feet were shackled for the 4-hour bus trip into Canada. Emergency passports were prepared by the Canadian Missions for the inmates specifically for the transfer. These were presented to an immigration officer. The Canadian offenders were taken to the Regional Reception Centre in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec. From there the offenders were sent to correctional institutions across Canada to serve the remainder of their sentences.