COVID-19 update for correctional employees: March 10, 2023

Tomorrow marks three years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. We have managed through a challenging piece of our history on both a personal and an organizational level. Much has changed since 2020 in the way we live and work. One thing that is clear is how resilient we are. We rose to the challenges and succeeded on so many levels in making things work.

Vulnerable Behind Bars Event 

On March 3, the Consulate General of Canada in New York organized the ‘Vulnerable Behind Bars’ event, to raise awareness of the experiences of transgender and 2SLGBTQ+ people in detention. Approximately 110 consular officials, correctional officials, and advocacy groups from 12 countries attended, in person and virtually, including:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Finland
• France Germany
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• Peru
• Poland
• Philippines
• USA, and
• United Kingdom

Luc Bisson, Director General, Strategic Policy and Planning and Gender Considerations Secretariat, attended as CSC’s representative.

CSC was cited as a trailblazer and a progressive correctional organization for its practices, such as:

• placing inmates in an institution that corresponds to their gender
• recognizing and using preferred pronouns and names, and
• allowing access to gender affirming surgery

CSC was commended for engaging:

• advocacy groups
• stakeholders, and
• academics

in developing its policies and increasing our knowledge about the needs and challenges of managing gender diverse incarcerated individuals.

Participants recognized the importance, noted by CSC, of integrating gender diversity and inclusivity awareness in frontline staff training. They also saw the value of increasing awareness and understanding among the incarcerated population to ensure a:

• respectful
• inclusive, and
• safe

environment for all incarcerated individuals.

Fraud Prevention Month

March is Fraud Prevention Month. At CSC, we want you to protect yourself from cybercrime and fraud, which can happen while you are using the Internet on your:

• computer
• tablet, or
• mobile phone

These devices are often used by criminals to commit fraud or other crimes.

• Data breaches
• phishing, and
• online swindles

are ways that you could be exploited using digital technology. Anyone can fall victim to cybercrime and fraud. CSC is working hard to ensure our systems remain safe, but all employees have a role to play. Protect yourself and your devices.

See the Hub for valuable cyber tips. (Internal resource only)

National Engineering Month

March is Engineering Month. Professional engineers play an important role in society. They are responsible for the:

• design
• creation, and
• management

of useful products and services that help us in the way we:

• work
• travel
• communicate
• keep healthy, and
• stay safe

This includes:

• roads
• bridges
• buildings
• water treatment
• security systems
• medical equipment, and
• electronics

Over 30 engineers work at CSC. These:

• civil
• electrical
• mechanical, and
• environmental engineers

ensure that our facilities and equipment are designed, built, maintained and operated for the safety and security of:

• staff
• offenders
• visitors, and
• contractors

Thank you for all that you do. 

Agriculture Safety Week

This year, Agriculture Safety Week is March 13 to 17, and the focus is on a “promise to be safe.”

CORCAN’s Agriculture team, which includes staff and offenders, works hard every day to follow farming safety practices. Staff members teach participants about potential hazards and safety skills. Over the past year, offenders in the CORCAN Agriculture program have earned 56 agriculture safety certificates, recognized by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. Also, 340 offenders have taken agriculture safety awareness courses at other sites in Ontario. 

As spring planting season approaches, CORCAN is getting farm equipment ready, and preparing for another successful year. We encourage everyone to be patient and give participants the time and space needed to operate machinery safely. 

Highlighting women at CSC

March 8 was International Women’s Day. To commemorate the day, we published two articles in Let’s Talk Express. Doris Fortin was highlighted for her inspiring work with women offenders. When Doris started at CSC in the 1980s, programs for women were the same as the men’s programs. Doris worked hard to change that and develop programs that met the specific needs of women offenders. 

You can read more about her story in Let’s Talk Express:

• Doris Fortin’s legacy of innovative women offenders programs

I also personally had the opportunity the sit down with the team at Let’s Talk Express. I talked about my career path from parole officer to Commissioner and shared the passion for corrections work that I still have after 39 years with CSC.

I invite you to read about my perspective on the great work we do:

• From a Commissioner’s Perspective: A Discussion with Commissioner Anne Kelly

I cannot say enough about how proud and impressed I am with you, our CSC staff. I have seen firsthand, and many visitors to our facilities have commented on, your professionalism and dedication. I know that what makes CSC operate so successfully is the incredible staff who work in all aspects of our organization.