was launched in December 2001 after years of
planning. The second such court in Canada, the
DTCV was established through an innovative
partnership between the criminal justice and
health systems to reduce the human, social and
economic cost of illicit substance use. This joint
federal-provincial demonstration project includes
a special court and separate treatment centre.

Most DTCV participants are charged with drug
possession for the purpose of trafficking and
have an extensive criminal history to support a
drug addiction. Instead of resorting to a typical
court order of custody or probation, the DTCV
program closely supervises participants during
weekly sessions of the court. The treatment

centre also focuses on the root causes of
criminal behaviour and addiction of
participants. By helping participants eliminate
the need to commit additional drug-related
offences, the program encourages harm
reduction through self-control of the drug
addiction and other lifestyle factors, including
stable housing.

As the provincial authority involved in the
project, the Corrections Branch administers
funding contributions from levels of
government. It also oversees contractual
arrangements for DTCV services, such as the
treatment centre.

Adult Custody Division

Core programs and use of risk/needs
assessment

The advent of risk/needs assessment and core
programs transformed the role of correctional
centre staff, Traditionally known as gatekeepers
and guards, correctional officers were trained to
assess Offenders and help change offender
behaviour. Some staff took the opportunity to
become core program facilitators. For many of
these individuals, the experience as facilitators
shifted personal perspectives about a career in
corrections.

“Most staff who are facilitating the
programs are doing so because they want to.
I see some hard-line staff becoming more
effective because they’re not sitting at arm’s

length away from the problem, but working
at the solution with the individual.”

By fall 1999, most correctional centres had
implemented the first three core programs:
Breaking Barriers, Violence Prevention and
Substance Abuse Management. Within two
years, Respectful Relationships (on family
violence) was also introduced to two
correctional centres.

Recruitment and training

Recruitment of certain groups remained a
challenge. For one thing, it was difficult to
recruit women to work in prisons. Then, in
1998, there was a sudden influx of Chinese
migrants. This created a need for
Mandarin-speaking Chinese staff.

12 Fred Leard, T.A./ Parole Co-ordinator/ Case Management Officer, CorrTech Quarterly, Corrections Branch, Fall

1999, p. 16.

The Era of Directing Change (1997-2001)

245