Manitoba needs to do more to prepare inmates for release: Auditor General
WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s Correctional Services Division needs to do more to prepare incarcerated individuals for release from custody, says Auditor General Tyson Shtykalo, who today released his audit report, Preparing Incarcerated Individuals for Transition from Custody.
“The number of people held in Manitoba’s jails is increasing, and Indigenous people continue to be over-represented,” the Auditor General said. “The factors that lead to incarceration are complex and need addressing to reduce recidivism and improve public safety.”
The Correctional Services Division has a dual mandate. It is responsible for the safety and security of adults in custody. It is also responsible for preparing incarcerated individuals to transition back to the community upon release.
The audit found interventions for inmates—including group programming, education, and work opportunities—were limited and often not tied to the assessed needs of these individuals. This means that people in custody may not get they help they need addressing the issues that brought them into conflict with the law, Shtykalo noted
In addition, the audit found little evidence of inmates being connected to outside resources while in custody. Outside resources are important to support inmates when they leave custody—for example, to find housing or access addiction treatment. “Having connections in place before inmates are released increases the chances that they will successfully transition back to the community,” Shtykalo said.
The report includes 10 recommendations to help the Correctional Services Division better prepare incarcerated individuals to transition into the community.
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