Commissioner Talal Dakalbab

Mr. Talal Dakalbab was appointed Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada effective March 23, 2026.

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Dakalbab served as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of the Crime Prevention Branch at Public Safety Canada, a position he held since November 2020. During this time, he also fulfilled the role of Departmental Champion for Diversity and Inclusion, leading department-wide efforts to strengthen diversity and inclusion, advance employment equity and official languages, and address harassment and discrimination. He represented the Government of Canada on several national and international bodies, including the North American Drug Dialogue, the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions, and the Progress Monitoring Committee, which oversees the implementation of recommendations arising from the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission.

From January 2018 to November 2020, Mr. Dakalbab served as Director General, International Policy and Partnerships at the Canada Border Services Agency. In this role, he provided strategic leadership on international policy and partnerships and played an integral role in coordinating the Agency’s response to the COVID 19 pandemic.

Mr. Dakalbab previously held the position of Executive Director General and Chief Operating Officer of the Parole Board of Canada. He joined the Board in 2011 as Director of the Board Member Secretariat and subsequently served as Director, Communications and Access to Information and Privacy, as well as Regional Director General for the Prairie Region. 

Earlier in his career, Mr. Dakalbab held a variety of management positions within the Correctional Service of Canada, spanning both operations and case management, after beginning his federal public service career as a parole officer.

Mr. Dakalbab holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Ottawa. In recognition of his service to Canadians, he was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025.