Overview

When an inmate is placed under the custody of an adult correctional facility, staff regularly evaluate and classify an inmate to make sure that they are placed in a setting that:

  • most appropriately meets their programming and custodial needs
  • give inmates opportunities for successful personal and social adjustment
  • to ensure the security and safety of correctional institutions

Inmate classification is a continuous process that starts at admission and ends when the inmate's sentence has been legally satisfied.

Most inmates receiving sentences of less than two years are classified. The assessment of inmates sentenced to 30 days or less is optional.

How inmates are classified

Ministry staff are involved in the classification process. They determine an inmate's classification using the following two processes.

Review documents

Ministry staff review all documentation relating to the inmate, such as:

  • the release summary from the last known institution (if this is not the first time the inmate has been incarcerated)
  • Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) information
  • Crown briefs
  • police synopses
  • Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Finger Print Services records
  • previous correctional records
  • pre-sentence/disposition reports
  • judicial reasons for the sentence
  • clinical reports
  • administrative summaries
  • critical information exchange reports
  • in the case of an Ontario parole revocation, the original classification document

Level of service inventory

We use a process called Level of Service Inventory (LSI-OR) to assess the inmate according to the following criteria:

Sentence information

  • circumstances and nature of offence(s)
  • length of service
  • court recommendations
  • victim impact statements

Criminal history

  • criminal record
  • co-accused
  • criminal association(s)
  • types of previous offences
  • outstanding charges
  • probation/parole history

Institutional history

  • behaviour/attitude
  • program/work participation
  • participation in disturbances/work stoppages
  • history of assault
  • unlawfully at large/escape incidents
  • possession/use of contraband
  • protective custody or other special needs

Personal history

  • place of residence
  • community ties
  • employment pattern
  • domestic stability
  • treatment/program participation
  • medical/psychiatric history

Security classification and admission criteria for ministry institutions and treatment facilities

  • inmate's level of security and programming requirements
  • specific correctional centre and treatment facility admission criteria
  • requirement for French language services

Other factors

  • sexually inappropriate or aggressive behaviour
  • immigration status
  • judicial recommendations
  • security needs, such as the safety of the community, other inmates and institutional staff
  • motivation and agreement to participate in a treatment program
  • past behaviour, such as a propensity toward aggressive behaviour, escape risk, protective custody needs
  • notoriety

Completing the classification process

After an inmate’s file has been reviewed by staff, they are assigned an appropriate classification and placed in a setting most appropriate for their needs, while safeguarding the safety and security of those within the correctional facility.