Commissioner's update for correctional employees: March 3, 2025
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.
As we wrap up this year’s Black History Month, I want to thank our Employee Equity and Diversity Committees across the country for their work in highlighting this important month and organizing some great learning activities.
I also want to thank CSC’s Ethnocultural Advisory Committees for their great work and contributions in helping us address, and take into consideration, the diverse needs of offenders. Advisory members dedicate their time, community perspectives and advice to help advance positive change. Please join me in thanking all of our advisory members.
Hard at Work on Culture
Building and sustaining a healthy, respectful, and inclusive organization that our employees trust is a key priority. In 2024, we released the results of our first-ever audit of our organizational culture and I wanted to provide an update on what we have been working on, in response to your feedback.
Evolving our culture will take time, commitment, and purposeful action. To guide our culture journey, we have created a new Culture team. The Culture team has stood up a Community of Practice, which regularly convenes culture change agents from across the country to reduce silos, coordinate efforts, and collaborate on key initiatives.
Our work is focused on the areas you have asked us to prioritize, including:
- engaging supervisors and managers in conversations about how we can better support these important roles
- enhancing onboarding practices for those on the frontlines to make sure everyone feels supported from the time they join our organization
- expanding on successful wellness initiatives that meet your needs, given the challenging roles you perform
- refocusing the way we respond to incidents and investigations to maximize learning opportunities
- focusing on ways to increase safety and improve culture in maximum-security institutions, including by enhancing inmate accountability
Faces of CSC
When Jennifer Walcott first joined the public service in 1996, she was often the only Black employee in the room. For 17 years, she has worked to take action and increase representation. Read more about Jennifer’s pivotal role in shaping the vision and mandate of CSC’s Black Employee Network.
Improvements you should see now
Immediately following the audit, we took action to improve our communications with employees, based on your comments. Here are a few examples of what we did:
- we heard that the number one thing you wanted to hear more about were policy changes. Now, when there is a change to a Commissioner’s Directive, we promote it, along with a plain-language summary, directly on your computer’s lock screen, so that you are aware of the changes as soon as they happen
- we heard you wanted to hear less about what Senior Management is up to and more about the real stories and experiences of your colleagues. That is why we launched CSC’s Podcast - Prisons Inside/Out, Lift Me Up videos, the “Faces of CSC”, promoting the stories of your jobs and impact, on multiple platforms. We are also highlighting seizures at institutions, in my weekly message, to underline the great work of our staff
- we heard that you want fewer emails, and better ways of receiving information. That’s why we merged the This Week at CSC and my Weekly Messages into a single email, and have focused on other tools like videos, posters, lock screens, TV displays in institutions, infographics and FAQs
- we implemented respectful writing and plain-language writing sessions
We will continue to hold ongoing engagements with staff at multiple levels of our organization as we look to roll out specific projects. We know that sustainable change will require demonstrating progress, bit by bit, and it must be a collective effort.
We look to each of you to help us be the change we want to see, as one team.
International Women’s Day
March 8 is International Women's Day. It’s a day to recognize and celebrate women’s and girl’s achievements and highlight the progress made in advancing women’s rights.
This year’s theme is Strength in every story. It’s important to amplify the voices of all women, especially those who continue to face barriers. Every woman’s story is valuable and is a testament to their resilience and determination.
Join me in celebrating the achievements of women and girls in our life, especially all of the incredible women who are in corrections.
You can find more information on the Women and Gender Equality Canada website:
I also encourage you to attend the International Women’s Day panel discussion on March 7. CSC’s Deputy Commissioner for Women and the Chair of the National Working Group for Women Employees as well as the Co-Chair will discuss the challenges, issues, perspectives, and prejudices affecting women in the workplace. You can find more information in the calendar invitation that was sent to you last week.
Pink Shirt Day
It was wonderful to see so many of you wearing pink last Wednesday. It is so important to take a stand against bullying and discrimination. I am proud of your camaraderie, respect and professionalism, and the strength you project every day in service to Canadians.
My thanks to each and every one of you for the important work you do every day.
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.
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