Commissioner's update for correctional employees:
February 19 , 2024
This content is a message to Correctional Service Canada (CSC) staff from CSC's Commissioner.
Our Mission: The Correctional Service of Canada, as part of the criminal justice system and respecting the rule of law, contributes to public safety by actively encouraging and assisting offenders to become law-abiding citizens, while exercising reasonable, safe, secure and humane control.
I wanted to start off my message by thanking you for everything you do. This time of year can be especially hard and I know just how difficult these winter months can be in institutions and how that can impact all of us, including inmates, both physically and mentally.
I know there have been a few assaults on staff, which are always unacceptable. Rest assured, these incidents will be reviewed and addressed appropriately. The work our Officers and staff do is incredibly important. It is challenging work and your efforts do not go unnoticed. I always try to contact those who are subject to an assault and what is most remarkable is their continued professionalism and resilience, despite the challenges they face.
These events are troubling and can be triggering for many. There are resources available to help you. If you wish to speak to someone, EAP referral agents are available to listen and help you find appropriate, helpful resources to support you. The Employee Assistance Program is available not only to all employees, but also to eligible family members 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- EAP referral agents (internal resource)
- Employee Assistance Program (internal resource)
The Critical incident stress management is also a program that can help you cope with psychological trauma.
- Critical Incident Stress Management Program (internal resource)
Tax Season
As you know, tax season is fast approaching. You should be able to access tax slips online through Compensation Web Applications, MyGCPay, or Phoenix Employee Self Service as of Wednesday, February 21. Your Human Resources Team has put together a pay bulletin with helpful tips for this year’s tax season. You can access it here:
- Pay bulletin from CSC’s Compensation Services (internal resource)
Tax time is also a reminder of what we do for a living. Do not forget that your work is essential to our society and what you do is very important.
I want to thank you for all you do to help rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders into our communities. Whether you are on the frontlines or in an administrative position, your role has an impact on many people’s lives.
Podcast Callout:
International Women’s Day Podcast
This year, International Women’s Day is on Friday, March 8. To kick off the celebration, the next episode of our podcast series Prisons Inside/Out will recognize the success and achievements from the women of CSC.
For this episode, I will be participating in a Q & A session and wanted to ask for your input. Do you have any questions you would like to ask on the topic of women in corrections? What is something you have always wanted to know but never had the chance to ask?
Submit your questions to the email below:
I look forward to reading and responding to them.
Faces of CSC
Ramon (Snowy) Noble is the liaison officer between Black offenders and the community/institutions in the Alberta/NWT Parole District.
Read more about how Snowy is helping to advance positive change around him and, more broadly, positive culture change at CSC.
Improving Our Communications With Lock Screens
Thank you to those who completed the internal communications survey. It gives us a great sense of how you prefer to receive news, updates, and events from CSC. Recently, CSC’s Communications and Information Management Services (IMS) staff teamed up to put in place a new way to communicate with you. You may have noticed that your computer’s lock screen is now displaying vibrant artwork highlighting Black History Month.
We are excited about the opportunities this new communications tool presents. Look for important messages highlighted on your lock screen over the coming weeks.
Lastly, some provinces are celebrating Family Day today. To those who took the day off, please enjoy the day with your loved ones. To those who are working today to maintain our operations, thank you for your hard work and dedication in keeping Canadians safe.
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.
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