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Review
. 2021 May;18(2):42-46.
doi: 10.1192/bji.2020.56.

Psychiatry in the federal correctional system in Canada

Colin Cameron  1 , Najat Khalifa  2 , Andrew Bickle  3 , Hira Safdar  4 , Tariq Hassan  5
Affiliations
Review

Psychiatry in the federal correctional system in Canada

Colin Cameron et al. BJPsych Int. 2021 May.

Abstract

The unique challenges of the correctional healthcare environment are well-documented. Access to community-equivalent care, voluntary informed consent of offenders with mental disorder, violence risk, suicide risk, medication misuse, and clinical seclusion, confinement and segregation are just a few of the challenges faced by correctional psychiatric services. This paper shares experiences for dealing with the ongoing challenges for psychiatrists working in the field. It provides an overview of the current state of mental healthcare in the federal correctional system in Canada, the legislative framework and initiatives aimed at addressing the healthcare needs of federal inmates.

Keywords: Canada; Corrections; mental health; prison; psychiatry.

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Conflict of interest statement

C.C., N.K. and A.B. are employed by Correctional Service Canada. Supplementary materialFor supplementary material accompanying this paper visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bji.2020.56. click here to view supplementary material

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