Commissioner's update for correctional employees: September 23, 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.
Our core values: Respect, fairness, professionalism, inclusiveness, and accountability.
This week is Right to Know Week, an opportunity to reflect on the critical role that access to information plays in the functioning of our democracy. The right to access government information not only ensures transparency, but also strengthens public trust, accountability, and responsible governance.
In our organization, the management of information is a collective responsibility that requires close collaboration across all teams. By maintaining accurate records, documenting decisions, and sharing information proactively, we contribute to a culture of openness and accountability. Working hand-in-hand with our Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) teams is key to ensuring we meet our legal obligations under the Access to Information Act, which is foundational to our democracy.
Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day
Next weekend, CSC staff from coast to coast to coast will come together for Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day.
We will remember those who have fallen in the line of duty and honour the ongoing contributions, service and sacrifices that police and peace officers make to protect Canadians every day.
I will be participating in the 47th National Memorial Service on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa. I encourage you to join us, and remember the fallen, by watching the service on September 29. The webcast will start at 9 a.m. with the reading of the names of the fallen, followed by the memorial service at 11 a.m.
Our Communications team will share photos and videos from the event on our social media accounts in the coming weeks. I am looking forward to meeting those of you that attend Ottawa and I thank you all for your hard work, commitment and dedication everyday to keeping Canadians safe.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
September 30 marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This important day serves as a solemn remembrance, dedicated to honoring the children who never returned home, the Survivors of residential schools, their families and their communities.
Earlier today, Kathy Neil, our Deputy Commissioner for Indigenous Corrections, sent an important email to you about the series of virtual events planned for the week. You can also watch her video message here:
We also asked our senior leaders what Truth and Reconciliation means to them. You can watch that video and hear from them, in their own words, below:
I encourage you to participate in this week’s events. I ask that supervisors support their employees in attending them.
They are excellent opportunities to learn from the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples and to understand the role of art and storytelling in healing from intergenerational trauma.
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Internal Link)
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.
Gender Equality Week
This week marks Gender Equality Week. This is a good time to reflect on the ongoing work that remains to eliminate gender disparities and to promote equal rights, opportunities, and representation for people of all genders.
Across the country, communities, organizations, and individuals will come together to engage in discussions and initiatives that address the different dimensions of gender inequality.
As public servants, we use Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus, an analytical process for assessing how diverse groups of people experience government policies, programs, and initiatives. GBA Plus goes beyond sex and gender differences to consider many intersecting factors (like race, income, or geography), to ensure we capture important differences in how identity shapes experience.
GBA Plus allows you to understand who is impacted by your work; how you could tailor your work to meet diverse needs; and mitigate any barriers to benefitting from your initiative. The goal is to achieve substantive equity.
CSC’s First National Education Symposium
On September 18, I had the honour of attending CSC's inaugural National Education Symposium. Jay Pyke, Assistant Commissioner, Correctional Operations and Programs, and I kicked off the event by expressing our deep appreciation to our remarkable teachers and librarians for their remarkable dedication and steadfast commitment to advancing offenders' educational journeys.
The Symposium convened teachers and librarians from across the country for a dynamic learning event. This enriching experience provided a platform to share and explore best practices, innovative initiatives, and creative solutions in education programs and library services. Thank you to all the presenters, participants, and organizers for your engagement and making this event possible.
I would also like to wish you an early World Teachers’ Day, approaching on October 5. It’s a day to celebrate the dedicated educators, like ours here at CSC, whose contributions make a difference in many lives.
My heartfelt thank you goes out to all of you.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Month
The month of September marks Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Month. FASD is a life-long condition that affects the brain and body of people who were exposed to alcohol in the womb. Many offenders in our institutions and communities are living with FASD.
This year’s theme is “Everyone Plays a Part.” Every day, our Health Services clinical teams are committed to advancing education and training for staff so that everyone can better understand and support offenders living with FASD.
I would like to recognize and thank not only CSC’s clinical teams for their ongoing work, but all CSC staff who show compassion, patience, and support to offenders living with FASD.
Accessible Formatting Cheat Sheets
Have you ever wondered whether you should write “three” or “3,” or whether you should use underline, bold, or italics to emphasize a word in a report?
The Canada.ca Content Style guide lays out how things should be written, according to the latest accessibility standards. The rules are based on writing principles and techniques that help make web content clear and adapted to the needs of all people. The rules are mandatory for public documents, but also represent best practices for any writing you do at work.
One part of our commitment to improving accessibility includes text format. Remembering all formatting rules can be challenging, which is why the Communications team has developed a series of accessibility “cheat sheets,” with quick reminders on some common formatting mistakes.
The full Canada.ca Content Style Guide is available in an accessible format here:
I want to thank you for the work you do each and every day in support of our mandate.
“Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.”