monitor and control abuse of telephone
privileges, the Branch and a telecommunications
supplier developed the inmate call control
system (ICCS).

The system uses a smart card to charge inmates
for calls, and is capable of blocking inmate calls

to specific numbers. The smart card also
provides an “electronic wallet” for inmates to
purchase items from vending machines, rather
than through a canteen. First implemented in
North Fraser Pretrial Centre in 2001, ICCS was
incorporated by all districts by the next year.

Community Corrections Division

By 1998, a major shift in policy enabled the
Community Corrections Division to change the
way it managed its heavy probation caseload.
By decreasing workload associated with lower
risk offenders, probation officers directed
resources to offenders with greater needs and
higher risk levels. Despite these changes to
supervision standards, it was still challenging to
manage staff caseloads.

Divisional administration included an active
Community Management Committee that met
weekly by teleconference. Clarifying the role of
staff and work expectations was central to the
committee’s mission. As a result, community
policy and job descriptions were revised and
specialized training continued to evolve.
Commitment to organizational development
was also shown in October 2000 when
approximately 300 community staff gathered
together near Kamloops for a provincial
training workshop on managing risk and
offender change. This was the first such
community corrections event in more than 25
years.

Agents of change

Given the introduction of case management
principles in the 1970s, correctional
interventions were funnelled primarily through
contracted staff and existing community
programs. Instead of delivering rehabilitative
services, probation officers were responsible for
administering service delivery contracts.

By the late 1990s, however, the application of
risk-based offender management and core
programs dramatically shifted the job emphasis
of probation officers. Focused on managing
medium and high-risk clients, the role of
probation officers changed from
broker-of-service to agent-of-change. As agents
of change, they facilitated programs and
provided one-to-one support and intervention.
As supervisors, they directed offenders to enrol
in core programs and other treatment

programs.””

Many probation officers embraced their new
role with enthusiasm. Others had difficulty
viewing themselves as service providers.

By early 2000, there were 31 core community
pilot programs being implemented across the
province.” More than 100 offenders completed

27 Building a Safer Future-The Role of Corrections in the Community, Corrections Branch pamphlet, May 2000.
28 CorrTech Quarterly, Corrections Branch, Spring 2000, p. 14.

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