Commissioner's update for correctional employees: April 15, 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.
Tomorrow, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, will present Budget 2024 to Canadians.
In the coming weeks, we, along with other federal departments, will assess what Budget 2024 means for our day-to-day operations.
Anniversary of the Nova Scotia Mass Shooting
This week marks a very sad anniversary. Four years ago, two valued CSC employees, Alanna Jenkins and Sean McLeod, lost their lives in a mass shooting that happened in Nova Scotia over two days: April 18 and 19, 2020. They were among 22 in total who lost their lives in this tragic event.
Alanna and Sean were both Correctional Managers – Alanna at Nova Institution and Sean at Springhill Institution. They carried out their responsibilities with the highest level of integrity and professionalism. I speak for all staff in saying that our thoughts are with their colleagues, families, friends, and all those who continue to be impacted by this terrible tragedy.
I know this subject may be triggering for many, and there are resources available to you. If you wish to speak to someone, EAP referral agents (internal resource) are available to listen and help you find appropriate, helpful resources to support you. The Employee Assistance Program (internal resource) is available not only to all employees, but also to eligible family members 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Faces of CSC
Meet Joe Daniel is a CORCAN supervisor at Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge for Indigenous women. He helps residents learn trades such as carpentry and construction.
Watch how joe shares how rewarding it is to see individuals who are first too scared to touch a circular saw, being able to move past their own insecurities and leave a healing lodge with the knowledge and experience of building and construction.
Welcoming the Government of Norway
Last week, I and CSC staff welcomed representatives from the Norwegian Standing Committee on Justice who were here to learn more about the Canadian criminal justice system. This included learning more about CSC’s important work around rehabilitation and how our institutions work with federal inmates. They also had the chance to visit Millhaven and Bath Institutions in the Ontario Region.
We thank them for visiting us and we’re looking forward to building on this relationship with our Norwegian colleagues.
Norwegian Standing Committee on Justice
National Volunteer Week
This week marks National Volunteer Week, celebrated every April across Canada to recognize the importance of volunteers in our society. Volunteers play an important role at CSC. The diversity and skills that our volunteers bring help us to fulfill our mandate.
I am proud that CSC works with approximately 4,000 volunteers in institutions and in the community. This includes hundreds of Citizen Advisory Committee and Ethnocultural Advisory Committee members who have volunteered, contributed and collaborated with CSC for decades.
Our volunteers are key to building offenders’ support networks and they contribute to their successful rehabilitation and reintegration.
Again, this year, CSC has launched an online Volunteer Appreciation Art & Poetry Gallery. Offenders will be able to express their gratitude to volunteers through an art or poetry piece they create.
- Recognition - Canada.ca
- Volunteer Appreciation Art and Poetry Submissions: National Volunteer Week 2024 - Canada.ca
I invite you to express your thanks and appreciation to our wonderful and inspiring volunteers.
CAC Appreciation Day
On April 17, we are celebrating Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) Appreciation Day. Many sites across the country will be taking time to recognize their members. This committee has worked with CSC for many years as representatives from the community. In their role to observe, liaise and advise, they form a collaborative role with our staff and offenders. We appreciate the perspectives they bring to our efforts in meeting our mandate.
Major Planned Outage on Saturday, April 20
On Saturday, April 20, all applications and services provided by our main data centre will be unavailable, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT). This outage will allow Shared Services Canada to improve the performance of our network.
Please remember to take the time to make alternate plans if you need to continue to operate during this time.
Thank you for your dedication and hard work.
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.
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