Commissioner's update for correctional employees: June 10, 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.
Today is the start of National Public Service Week! This week is an opportunity to take the time to recognize the tremendous work public servants at CSC and across government do every day to serve Canadians.
At CSC, each and every one of you are crucial to delivering on our mandate to protect Canadians and support our mission. Thank you for all you do for CSC and for Canadians.
Environmental Protection Award
The Environmental Protection Award is a formal award established to recognize employees or groups of CSC employees who contribute to conservation, energy issues and other environmental concerns. I am pleased to announce the recipients for 2023–2024.
- Paul Provost, Director, Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, National Headquarters
- Katja Graether, National Manager, Environmental Protection, National Headquarters
- Angela Guentert, Regional Environmental Advisor, Quebec Region
Congratulations to all of you for your exemplary contributions!
Faces of CSC
Chantille Papko is a dedicated Correctional educator at Stong Mountain Institution in the Prairie Region. Listen to how she approaches teaching in the SIU in this Lift Me Up video. Read about how she is helping her students experience the power of art as therapy in th latest edition of Let's Talk.
Pride Season
Last week I attended a Pride event in Ottawa. I was joined by Jason Bett, the Government of Canada Pride Champion, and Peter Linkletter, CSC’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Champion. It was wonderful to see so many people help kick-off our Pride Season celebrations.
This event was an opportunity to honor the progress made and to recommit to the work we still need to do to make the public service a place where everyone can be their true selves.
A reminder that Pride Season runs from June to September. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to learn more about Pride and join in the celebrations!
Sector Changes
Further to information I shared last week about executive changes at NHQ, I wanted to let you know that as of June 3, the Offender Management System Modernization (OMS-M) project team is now part of the Senior Deputy Commissioner (SDC) Sector, under France Gratton, Acting SDC.
The OMS-M team remains committed to their work to move this large-scale project forward. They will continue to engage with frontline staff in the coming months. I look forward to continued collaboration between sectors and regions to sustain our progress on this important change management project.
The Communications and Engagement sector is also seeing some changes, as part of the sector’s new responsibilities for enhancing culture at CSC. This sector has taken on new groups in recent years including Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, EEDC, Intergovernmental Relations, and now Culture. To better reflect what they do, the sector’s name will now be Public Affairs, Culture and Engagement (PACE). This not only reflects the expanded mandate, “PACE” is also a testament to the tremendously fast pace at which the staff work in communicating, managing issues, and engaging Canadians.
Honouring Theresa Halfkenny
A heartfelt ceremony held at Dorchester Penitentiary last month honoured the legacy of Theresa Halfkenny with the renaming of the multicultural room to the Theresa Halfkenny Room. The room was filled with love and laughter, a testament to the immense impact she had on the lives of many through her dedicated work.
Theresa was a dedicated volunteer in prisons for 32 years. She was also a long-time member of Citizen Advisory Committees and served as the Atlantic Regional Chair while also sitting on the National Executive Committee. Theresa sadly passed away January 12, 2023 at the age of 78 but her memory continues to live on at CSC.
The ceremony saw a diverse group of speakers, including the Atlantic Region RDC, Dorchester’s Warden, family members, REAC Chair, and offenders from BIFA (Black Inmates and Friends Association) who had personally experienced Theresa’s compassion and commitment. Each speaker shared touching anecdotes and expressed deep gratitude for the positive changes she inspired within our institutions.
Theresa Halfkenny's legacy lives on through the newly named room, a space that will continue to foster the multicultural understanding and community spirit she championed. The event was a reminder of the lasting influence one person can have, and the collective love and admiration for Theresa. Thank you to those who participated.
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.
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