Study of the Legal Services Provided to Penitentiary Inmates by Legal Aid Plans and Clinics in Canada

Appendix C: Legal Aid Plan Coverage by Province (cont'd)

Table 1: Legal Aid Plan coverage (cont'd)
  British Columbia Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba
Method of service delivery to federal prison inmates All offices provide services ranging from summary advice to legal representation for family, immigration, and criminal matters to financially eligible prisoners.

Abbotsford: Prisoners' Legal Services deals exclusively with prison and parole-related legal issues for men and women incarcerated in prisons and penitentiaries from Vancouver to Aggasiz.

Program staff give legal information, summary advice, make written submissions, negotiate on behalf of clients, litigate where necessary.

 Primarily judicare services as per to the general public.

A staff lawyer in the Red Deer office provides prison law services at Bowden Institution as part of job responsibilities.

 No specialized services are provided to prisoners in federal institutions.

Staff offices provide coverage of issues available to the general public

Elizabeth Fry Society and John Howard Society may provide some services.

 Areas provided: Criminal/prison law; family law; general civil law.

Criminal and family matters dealt with as per the general population using legal aid.

Services are offered to prisoners because they are needed.

Generally, services are provided by a staff lawyer, with other lawyers doing cases where there is a conflict.

Organize prison law drop-ins once a week where summary advice is provided by an articling student or paralegal. Inmates place their name on a list for the service during the week prior to the clinic.

Each institution holds an institutional court once a week and legal aid provides representation but inmates do not have choice of counsel. Use articling students where possible and training a paralegal to provide service.

National Parole Board hearings: use lawyer for these hearings. Occasionally a certificate is issued for specific matters that occurred within the institution.

Previously authorized funding for the voting issue.