Commissioner's update for correctional employees: November 18, 2024

This year, during Restorative Justice Week, we are celebrating an important milestone, the 20th anniversary of CSC’s Restorative Opportunities (RO) program.

RO is a unique program based on the values and principles of restorative justice. It offers people impacted by crime a chance to communicate with the offender responsible and focuses on addressing the harms caused by the crime.

Participating in RO is an opportunity for offenders to take meaningful accountability, to fully understand the impacts of their actions, to develop greater empathy towards those affected, and to respond to questions left unanswered directly with those that were harmed. This approach to justice plays an important role in public safety, creating safer communities, and preventing future crime.

To mark two decades of facilitating dialogue and truth-telling between victims and offenders, we are launching a new commemorative web page featuring a collection of personal stories from those who took part in this program, including victims, offenders, and mediators.

I encourage you to visit this page and explore their stories, in their own words, about how the RO program made an impact in their lives and helped them find their own unique healing.

• 20 Years of Restorative Opportunities - Canada.ca

I extend my thanks to all the community-based mediators who are at the very heart of this program and to those who shared their stories.

Annual APEX Ceremony of Recognition of Entry to the Executive Ranks 2024

On November 13, the annual APEX (Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada) 2024 Ceremony of Recognition of Entry to the Executive Ranks was held. The A/Senior Deputy Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner of Human Resource Management were there in-person to welcome and congratulate many of our new executives.

I am proud of them and all our executives who are role models to others and play an important leadership role in helping us with our mission of changing lives and protecting Canadians.

Annual Volunteer Appreciation event

Last week, we celebrated the Penitentiary Museum volunteers at the annual Volunteer Appreciation event held at The River Mill Restaurant in Kingston.

This annual event was especially memorable as the museum this year, celebrated its 60^th season.

Our volunteers span a broad range of ages and come from many diverse walks of life. They provide many services to the museum, including:

• greeting visitors and sharing their knowledge of correctional history,
• serving on the Board of Directors of the Friends organization,
• doing genealogical research for the Curator,
• managing the gift shop,
• monitoring and updating Friends' social media accounts, and
• working on ad hocprojects.

Their dedication has been vital to making this year’s museum season a success, as we welcomed over 31,000 visitors.

I want to thank Dave St. Onge, the Museum’s curator, the Friends of the Penitentiary Museum, and all of the volunteers for their hard work in making the Museum the success it is today.

CSC Respect Day

November 20 is CSC Respect Day. Let us take the opportunity to reflect on the important role we each play in fostering a respectful workplace and affecting positive change. Respect and inclusion are core values of CSC. Our CSC values guide our actions and decisions and represent who we are.

We succeed when we fulfill our CSC mission with integrity, and when we show respect for everyone around us. We all deserve to work in a respectful, positive, healthy workplace. Our work at CSC is complex and rewarding. By continuously demonstrating respect to those around us, we create an inclusive, positive, healthy workplace that we all desire and deserve, free of harassment, racism, discrimination, intimidation, and violence.

CSC Respect Day is also an opportunity for all of us to take pride in being part of a diverse organization made up of exceptional people. Since the launch of the Respectful Workplace Campaign, in 2018, we have taken many steps towards creating a more inclusive and diverse environment. Most recently, we released our Audit of Organizational Culture, opened important discussions on values and ethics and created a new Culture team under the Public Affairs, Culture and Engagement Sector.

We must remain collectively committed to building a culture where there is no place for inappropriate behaviours and where we work together to instill respect, inclusion, diversity and equity within our organization.

I am continuously dedicated to creating a culture of respect and inclusiveness where we value and celebrate our differences, show empathy and collaborate to resolve issues, promote dialogue and actively listen to one another. I ask each and every one of you to consider that your words and actions matter. Always treat others the way you want to be treated. Kindness goes a long way.

Thank you for your ongoing support, commitment and dedication.