Commissioner's update for correctional employees: November 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.
Tomorrow, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue will deliver the 2025 Federal Budget in the House of Commons. We will review the Budget closely and assess what it means for CSC. More information will be shared with employees in the coming days.
New CSC memorial
Last Wednesday, I had the honour of attending the unveiling ceremony of the Correctional Service of Canada Memorial, which honours staff who have fallen in the line of duty. The ceremony was held at CSC’s Ontario and Nunavut Regional Headquarters and drew hundreds of attendees; CSC staff, members of the Executive Committee, community members, and the friends and families of those being honoured.
The memorial was placed in Kingston, which is the birthplace of corrections in Canada and the place our story began. It features plaques etched with the faces of the 35 fallen CSC staff members and stands on the grounds of CSC’s National Training Academy and Regional Headquarters. The site faces Kingston Penitentiary, a site that holds deep historical significance for corrections in Canada.
The plaques representing our Eastern fallen colleagues were placed on the East wing while those from Western Canada were placed on the West wing. Stones from each region have been thoughtfully incorporated to reflect the national scope of this memorial.
At the heart of the monument is a restored bell, originally from Stony Mountain Institution, CSC’s oldest operating facility. The bell rang 35 times last Wednesday, once for each staff member who lost their life in the line of duty. Let their sacrifices never be forgotten. They were our colleagues and our friends, and now anyone can go and pay tribute to them at the memorial.
It was a great privilege to be there with their family members, new recruits, colleagues and members of the community to honour them. Congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this moment to life with such grace and meaning.
I invite you to read the latest Let’s Talk article to learn more about the memorial:
Veterans’ Week, Indigenous Veterans Day and Remembrance Day
This week marks Veterans’ Week from November 5 to 11, under the theme Canadian Armed Forces in the Americas. We commemorate Indigenous Veterans Day on November 8 and Remembrance Day on November 11.
- Remembrance Day and Veterans' Week | Veterans Affairs Canada
- Indigenous Veterans | Veterans Affairs Canada
I want to thank our CSC employees who have served in the armed forces over the years. We take pride in working alongside veterans who continue to serve within our organization. It is truly inspiring to see their unwavering dedication and commitment. We remember and honour your service and sacrifice.
As public servants, we have a unique opportunity to act as ambassadors of remembrance. Let’s encourage our families, friends and communities to reflect on the service of those in uniform. Thanks to their dedication, we enjoy the peace and freedoms we have today.
Office of Correctional Investigator Annual Report
On October 30, the Office of the Correctional Investigator’s (OCI) annual report was tabled in Parliament. This report provides an opportunity for us as an organization to reflect on how we are responding to the needs of the offenders in our care and custody.
I encourage you to review the OCI’s report, our response, and my statement.
- Correctional Service of Canada Responds to Correctional Investigator’s 2024-2025 Annual Report - Canada.ca
- Public Safety Canada's Response to Recommendations made in the Office of the Correctional Investigator's 2024 to 2025 Annual Report
- Office of the Correctional Investigator Annual Report 2024 to 2025 | OCI
Happy International Volunteer Managers’ Day
Each year on November 5, we celebrate International Volunteer Managers’ Day. I want to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supports our thousands of volunteers. Your work is vital to community involvement and to the services those support networks provide to offenders.
Join me in recognizing the contributions of our Social Program Officers, Community Volunteer Coordinators, Chaplains, Regional Project Officers for Citizen Engagement and Ethnocultural Services, and so many more.
Their work in making connections, processing applicants, scheduling activities and contributing to community support services are a reason to celebrate.
Take Your Kid to Work Day
Wednesday, November 5 is “Take Your Kid to Work Day.” While this is not possible for most CSC employees, I wanted to highlight that there are a number of engaging and interesting resources you can share to help your teens understand and appreciate the difficult and important work you do every day in service to your communities and your country. Maybe you will even inspire them to consider a career in public safety!
- listen to Prisons Inside Out
- follow us on social media, including our new Instagram @correctionalservicecanada
- check out our new webpage “The Service, for Canada”
All of these resources feature just some of the many inspiring CSC employees who believe so strongly in what they do.
We are committed to telling your stories and raising awareness of the critical role you play in public safety in Canada. If you are a front-line employee and would like to share your experience, please reach out to our communications team.
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.