Canadian prisoners have won more take-home pay, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “Basically, 30% is now waived and does not get deducted from their pay,” said Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) managers in a submission to the Senate Human Rights Committee. “Following consultation with offenders, the Correctional Service indefinitely waved these deductions in September 2023.”The CSC halted 30% deductions for telephone calls and other privileges. No reason was given. CSC said this provides offenders with more funds. There was no increase in prisoners’ pay schedules set in 1981 that range from a minimum $1 per day to $6.90 per day. A directive revealed higher rates are paid to inmates with clean disciplinary records and positive attitudes who agree to work as janitors and kitchen helpers. “Payment rates are based on factors such as offender accountability, adherence to the offender’s correctional plan and attendance associated with their participation in programs,” said the managers. “It was noted that before an offender had approximately $4 left after deductions for food and accommodation (22%) and administration of the inmate telephone system (8%).”The Canadian government introduced mandatory charges such as a 42 cent biweekly fee for telephone privileges in 2013. The deduction was intended to recover the $1.6 million annual cost of compiling inmates’ call lists and distributing phone cards.Telephone use is restricted in the prison system. Directives show all inmates must submit a call list of approved names, addresses and phone numbers of people who they want to contact and pre-pay a telephone card to make a call from a central location. The CSC views private cellphones as contraband.Records published in December show the CSC is requesting telecommunications companies block cellphone signals at federal penitentiaries.READ MORE: Correctional Service wants cell phones jammed at federal prisonsThousands of unauthorized mobile devices have been smuggled into prisons.“The Correctional Service is engaging with this group as part of its efforts to seek a regulatory exemption to deploy jamming technology,” it said.
