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Federal prison service ‘ill-equipped’ for long-term mental health care: watchdog

Ivan Zinger said the Correctional Service of Canada is fundamentally ill-equipped to provide long-term mental-health care for those in acute psychiatric distress and suicidal thoughts.
The report draws on national investigations and extensive consultations, compiling conclusions from interviews, site visits, and meetings with Indigenous organizations and provincial correctional authorities.
The report notes the five Regional Treatment Centres function mainly as intermediate or geriatric-care units, and Zinger recommends transfers under section 29 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to specialized external facilities for acute cases.
The Correctional Service of Canada rejects the ombudsman's recommendations, saying its health services are accredited by Accreditation Canada, conducting a comprehensive Regional Treatment Centres review, and maintaining partnerships with provincial psychiatric hospitals and the lnstitut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal.
Rather than investing in another in-house facility, the report urges partnering with provincial health systems and warns that housing people with acute psychiatric needs in CSC centres violates human rights, noting the Dorchester, N.B. planned facility.

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Federal prison service ‘ill-equipped’ for long-term mental health care: watchdog

The federal prison ombudsman says weak policies, insufficient training and a lack of specialized treatment are hindering the Correctional Service of Canada’s efforts to deliver mental health care.

12 hours ago·Canada

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