native Indians as they headed for the haying
meadows, They didn’t really know what it
was all about. Or... did they?

“There was the time I did a 600-mile round
trip to Bella Coola. A youth had been
placed on probation for some trouble he’d
got into at the Williams Lake Stampede
and, naturally, I had to do a “home visit,”
dirt road or no. Doug Davidson wasn’t at
all pleased to receive my gas and motel
expenses, however, and there were no more
trips to Bella Coola. Too bad because the

fishing was great.”2°

Bone was dismayed to find that, for every hour
of work for which he had been trained, he was
driving about three hours. After 15 months, he
accepted a transfer to Richmond.

In the mid or latter part of the rehabilitation
era, restructuring made it necessary to refine
and expand institutional alternatives. For
example, administration of the Chilltwack
Forestry camp program was more formally
organized between the Corrections Branch and
the Forest Service with the creation of the
interdepartmental co-ordinating committee in
January 1960. The committee was composed of
senior members of each branch (Le. the director
of correction and the assistant chief forester in
charge of the Planning Branch of the B.C.
Forest Service). It provided a format for policy
co-ordination and planning for the Chilliwack
forestry camps.

In 1960, staff training policy was changed to
permit training immediately upon recruitment.

Chilliwack Forestry Camps administration building at
Mount Thurston
Corrections Branch Archives

Within the guidelines of this policy change, the
institutional training program expanded. Basic
training was increased to 160 hours and, to
ensure a standardized training program, course
content was developed at headquarters.
Malcolm Matheson, following educational leave
from corrections to obtain his doctorate, was
appointed personnel and staff training officer
for the Corrections Branch.

Once again, the program was centred at
Oakalla, The following year, an advanced
training course was developed for the gaol
service and conducted at Haney Correctional
Institution.

With Haney in full operation, the Young
Offenders Unit closed down in 1960. To deal
with increasing numbers of physically and
mentally ill offenders, the unit was converted to

a hospital.

20 Interview with Peter Bone, 1989.

Era of Rebabilitation (1950-1969)

85