Canada : job training program for inmates stuck in the past, says prison watchdog

Teaching inmates to build office chairs and sew isn’t preparing those incarcerated in federal institutions for the modern job market, says Canada’s prison watchdog.

Ivan Zinger reviews prison policies and procedures as Canada’s correctional investigator. He said the job training programs inside Canadian prisons need to be updated.

Former offenders who find work after leaving prison are less likely to reoffend, said Zinger. The more employable skills they have when they get out, the better chance they have of finding work.

“They have to retool the entire CORCAN industry to reflect the 21st century and not factories of the 50s and 60s,” said Zinger.

CORCAN is an agency within the Correctional Service of Canada designed to help rehabilitate inmates and give them practical skills to find work once they’re released. It operates more than 110 shops in 29 correctional institutions across Canada. It also has three community-based operations.

Out-of-date training

CORCAN offers training in a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, textiles and construction. Inmates make products such as office furniture which is then sold, usually to other federal government departments.

Those industries aren’t thriving in Canada and the skills inmates learn while practising them are very basic and difficult to transfer into the labour market, said Zinger.

“The type of work being provided by CORCAN does not match well… the labour market demands. CORCAN does a poor job at ensuring that those who are benefiting from CORCAN can actually find meaningful work once released,” he said.

CORCAN disagrees.

In an emailed statement, the agency said it provides third-party certified vocational training. The agency said it reviews labour market trends on an ongoing basis to make sure its training meets the demands of the Canadian market.

Inmates receive on-the-job training in trades such as carpentry, mechanics, electronics, welding and auto repair. Offenders can also complete apprenticeship hours toward their professional qualifications in various trades in the construction field.

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