NCJ Number
185846
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 12 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2000 Pages: 3-5
Editor(s)
Larry Motiuk
Date Published
September 2000
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) approved the terms of reference of the Task Force on Long-term Offenders in 1997 and the task force submitted its report in 1998; in conjunction with the Life Line concept adopted by the task force, recommendations were made for focused research on managing long-term offenders in a variety of targeted areas.
Abstract
The Life Line concept was aimed at helping offenders make productive use of their time while in custody, with a view to increasing the likelihood of safe release to the community. Based on but not limited to ideas and experiences with the Life Line concept, the task force addressed management and program needs of offenders serving life or long-term sentences. The task force recommended a national strategy involving the CSC, the National Parole Board (NPD), and other partners as appropriate to ensure the highest level of public safety consistent with the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, missions of the CSC and the NPD, and basic elements of the Life Line concept. The task force established a profile of the institutional and community population of offenders serving life sentences and indeterminate sentences and those serving determinate sentences of 10 years or greater and recommended comprehensive profiles of these offenders be produced every 3 years. In examining the feasibility of expanding Life Line services, the task force identified issues to be resolved, including the status of Life Line, the target group, standards for in-reach workers involved with long-term offenders, and the special needs of Aboriginal and female offenders. The task force developed draft standards and guidelines describing the components of Life Line and how they should operate, looked at ways of improving sentence planning for long-term offenders, suggested areas of research on long-term offenders, and proposed a process for developing an overall public education strategy related to long-term offenders. 3 footnotes