The three-hour workshop was delivered at no
cost to participants. Parents were informed
about effective ways to communicate and
problem solve. These tools helped them and
their children work through parental separation.

In 1997, parent education programs were
expanded to 50 communities across the
province.

Staff training and recruitment

Employment readiness training

In 1990, the Branch faced a prolonged period
of fiscal restraint, rising costs and increased
demands for training. The curriculum needed
updating, new courses were required, and
technological changes had to be incorporated
into the training process. Given the limited
budget committed to training, and growing
demands to train and maintain staff to high
professional standards, it became difficult to
meet requirements.

The Branch asked the Corrections Academy of
the Justice Institute of B.C. to undertake a
training review. The intention was to explore
options to maximize outcomes within the
training budget. The review initially identified
the custody division for change, because most
of the training budget supported these
programs. Based on the review, the Branch
decided to test an employment readiness

program (ERP).

Under the old system of training, new
personnel were hired and then trained. The
Branch paid for the training as well as full
salaries and benefits of the new personnel
before they were posted to a position. The
Branch also paid travel and living expenses for
staff who came for training from the Lower
Mainland.

The ERP training model was used in other
professions such as nursing and teaching, It was
gaining popularity in North America for
training correctional personnel. Under this
model, candidates underwent a screening
process prior to acceptance into the training
program, paid tuition fees and financially
supported themselves while attending the
course. Graduates received a certificate of
achievement. An individual who completed the
required training was not guaranteed
employment, but met basic prerequisites to
apply for the Branch’s hiring and selection
process.

A shift in the recruitment process

The ERP model for correctional officers’
training brought a major shift. Institutional
directors no longer involved themselves in
advertising, recruiting and selecting candidates.
Previously, they determined who would work in
their institutions and then obtained training at
the Justice Institute. This was no longer
possible due to the Employment Standards Act. It
stipulated that if an individual was recruited for
a job subject to completion of training, the
person must be paid for the training. In
addition, a salary had to be provided to the
recruit during training.

Such a scenario would undo any cost-benefit of
ERP. Consequently, the Justice Institute

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Corrections in British Columbia