Chapter 4

Era of Reintegration (1970-1979)

Emerging corrections philosophy becomes
established whenever new programs—or
alternatives—take root and achieve primary
status. So it was with the perceived excesses
and focus on institutionalized treatment within
the rehabilitation era. The foundation was laid
for a reaction of opposing viewpoints.

The response to the problems of rehabilitation
in an institutional setting was to develop an

emphasis on reintegration in a community
setting. Reintegration programs started during
the rehabilitation era, just as rehabilitation
programs had been introduced during the
punishment era. It was not until the early 1970s,
however, that the philosophy of reintegration
dominated correctional work.

Ouimet Report

In the late 1960s, several initiatives contributed
to changes in correctional practice. One of the
most influential was the Ouimet Report, named
for its chairman, Mr. Justice Roger Ouimet. The
report, entitled Toward Unity: Criminal Justice and
Corrections, was published in 1969 by the
Canadian Committee on Corrections.

The Ouimet Committee was established four
yeats prior to its report. Its mandate was to
undertake a broad review of the corrections
field including each stage from the initial
investigation of an offence through
imprisonment to parole.

Years of work, public hearings and professional
briefings were involved in its development.

There is no doubt that the report itself, and the
work that went into it, contributed significantly
to reintegration philosophy and practice.

Coinciding with the publication of this report,
and as a result of all the preparatory work,
changes began to take place. Probation became
a more desirable sentencing option available to
the court following amendments passed to the
Criminal Code of Canada in 1969, This option was
accomplished in two ways:

1, Making failure to comply with a probation
otdet an offence, known as breach of
probation; and

2. Providing that a probation order could
follow a sentence of incarceration.

Era of Reintegration (1970-1979)

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