The complaint: While in custody at North Fraser Pretrial Centre, Jim tried to get a job at one of the centre’s workshops. When Jim was not selected for the job, he complained to the centre. He was told the workshop was closed over the summer and that there was a waitlist. Jim didn’t believe this was true, so he contacted our office.

What we did: We investigated how the centre had responded to Jim’s concerns about the workshop job.

Jim told us he had applied several times for jobs but was never hired. Through the course of our investigation, we found out that staff had safety concerns due to Jim’s behaviour. However, staff did not tell him why he was not approved for the jobs he applied for. We were also concerned that people in custody wouldn’t know how the centre decided if they were eligible for work in the correctional centre.

How we helped: The centre agreed to explain to Jim why he wasn’t eligible to work. It also agreed to update its information guide for people in custody to explain how the centre decides if someone is eligible for a work program.

Why it matters: Providing clear and understandable reasons for a decision is a key pillar of administrative fairness. Jim was entitled to adequate information about decisions that impacted him.