Branch. Their work was supported by several
studies, including the Ouantitative and Qualitative
Analysis of Workload. This 1979 study was
undertaken in the Vancouver Region and the
Branch-wide Corrections personnel
classification project. It involved a review of job
descriptions and development of a classification
system to enhance career mobility for all
Branch employees.

General standards were implemented in early
1978. The Standards and Accreditation of Medical
Care and Health Services in Jails, proposed by the
American Medical Association, was adopted as
a guideline in the British Columbia in 1981,
Late in 1982, the Corrections Branch Manual of
Standards was revised to include standards
relating to food services, classification of
inmates and physical components of adult
cotrectional centres. Dr. Patrick Merat, the new
Director of Medical Services, was also
appointed in 1982. With this appointment, a
policy review was initiated, which led to a
comprehensive health care policy for offenders
in B.C. correctional programs.

Attention to standards of practice, coupled with
changes in administrative practice at the local

level, required new procedures for auditing and
monitoring programs. Here are some examples:

a Late 1982—process was initiated to audit
probation officers, according to Branch
standards.

a January 1983—formal audit of community
service delivery units was begun.

» 1984—management training course was
developed to monitor and evaluate policies
and procedures for contracted resources.

= 1986—teview of health services was
completed. A multi-professional advisory
group was formed to provide advice on
health care and meet established standards.

By 1985, the Canadian Criminal Justice
Association developed and published standards
for corrections in Canada. The standards were
based on Canadian jurisprudence, and replaced
standards developed by the American
Correctional Association. Both federal and
provincial corrections systems had used the
American standards as guidelines. The initial
phase of correctional standards development in
B.C. and Canada, which started in the late
1970s, was overt.

Staff development and the Justice Institute

Given its focus on program standards and
personnel management, the Corrections Branch
was compelled to revitalize staff development.
The Justice Development Commission also
identified training and education as a priority
within the Corrections Branch, the Court
Services Branch and the law enforcement
community,

Following years of study and planning, the
Justice Institute of British Columbia was
established in 1978. The JI, as it became
known, was a training and education centre for
government programs involved in public safety
and the administration of justice. Corrections
staff training was a major component of the
new institute. John Laverock served as the JI’s
first Director of Corrections Training.

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Corrections in British Columbia