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Abstract: 

Legislative changes in recent years, such as the passing of Bill C-10 in September 2011, have influenced and continue to affect the operations of the Canadian correctional system. Such legislation has determined many of the justice system processes leading to incarceration as well as the lived realities of those imprisoned within the provincial and, most fundamentally, the federal systems. This paper seeks to describe the current conditions of confinement for federal prisoners in Canada and draws attention to the processes that propelled the nation to arrive at the current correctional situation. It reviews the role of the Correctional Service of Canada in public safety and highlights some of the ways legislative change is increasing penal overcrowding as well as affecting the resources and programming for incarcerated men and women, particularly in light of cutbacks in prison funding and the effect such cutbacks have for successful reintegration post-release.

Keywords: Corrections policy, prison living, prisoner reintegration, parolees, legislative changes

Affiliations:  1: Memorial University; 2: Memorial University.