Commissioner's update for correctional employees: July 14, 2023

Many of us continue to be affected by extreme weather events across the country, including:

• forest fires
• tornadoes, and
• heat waves

Please continue to take care of yourselves and your families, and stay prepared.

National Ethnocultural Advisory Committee meeting

On July 6, I met with the National Ethnocultural Advisory Committee to present an initial draft of the Black Offender Strategy that the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) committed to developing in 2022. I also shared highlights of the ongoing:

• diversity
• equity, and 
• inclusion initiatives

These consultations with members of the community are important given the lived and professional experience of each member. We are grateful that these individuals continue to volunteer their time and make themselves available to advance practices and services for Black and other racialized offenders.

The Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Directorate

I am pleased to note the ongoing work of the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Directorate-established in 2022-which strives to be the focal point for CSC on anti-racism initiatives. In the last year, ARDI has provided:

• expertise
• awareness, and 
• knowledge on:
  • systemic racism
  • diversity, and 
  • inclusion 

across the organization. They have also supported the Employment Equity and Diversity Committees.

Addressing:

• anti-racism
• diversity, and 
• inclusion 

is important to me and a high priority for CSC. We are proud of the efforts we are making.

Over the coming months, we will continue consultations with:

• offenders
• employees, and 
• stakeholders

to identify issues and opportunities for change. We also plan to launch an ‘anti-racism lens’ for our:

• processes
• policies
• guidelines, and 
• programs

I encourage everyone to:

• stay informed
• be active, and 
• learn how you can make a difference

For more information:

• visit Employment equity and diversity committees (internal resource only), or 
• email GEN-NAT-EEDC-CEED@csc-scc.gc.ca

National Elders Working Group meets with Deputy Commissioner

CSC’s National Elders Working Group met with Kathy Neil, Deputy Commissioner for Indigenous Corrections, for the first time on July 5 and 6 in Ottawa. The working group will help provide the Deputy Commissioner and CSC with a deeper understanding of First Nation, Inuit, and Métis:

• knowledge
• cultural beliefs, and 
• traditional practices

They will also support a fuller understanding of the needs of Indigenous offenders. More details about this meeting to come in This Week at CSC.

Non-Binary People's Day

We celebrate Non-Binary People’s Day on July 14. Let’s take this opportunity to recognize the:

• resilience 
• diversity, and 
• courage

of non-binary individuals within CSC and our community.

At CSC, we stand firm in our commitment to creating a:

• safe
• respectful, and 
• inclusive environment that acknowledges diversity

To learn more about ways to support our diverse communities, check out the:

• Gender diverse offenders page on the Hub.

You can also learn more about the 2SLGBTQI+ community by consulting:

• 2SLGBTQI+ terminology – Glossary and common acronyms

Structured Intervention Unit (SIU) visits

Since April, we have had open houses at all 15 Structured Intervention Units (SIU) in institutions across the country. The events have attracted dozens of visitors from the community. They have been excellent opportunities to demonstrate the great work being done at the SIUs and to dispel any misconceptions about them.

I anticipate that these connections with the community will result in the sites expanding and strengthening their external partnerships. We know that volunteers and community-based organizations are keen to get involved. These support networks are key to providing offenders with the opportunity to interact with others and encourage their participation in activities and programs.

My sincere congratulations to everyone involved in the successful SIU open houses. I know the tremendous effort that went into:

• planning
• coordinating, and 
• hosting them

Thank you staff and volunteers for your hard work and contributing to the success of these events!

Engaging inmates in the Kent SIU

The latest Let’s Talk Express article further highlighted the Kent SIU staff’s innovative ideas that encourage offenders to participate and interact. I encourage you to read this interesting story about the staff’s dedication.

• Finding successful ways to engage inmates in the Kent SIU

Collins Bay celebrates graduates

Recently, Collins Bay Institution celebrated the graduation of over 100 inmates with their high school diploma. This was the first ceremony since the start of COVID-19, so graduates from:

• 2020
• 2021
• 2022, and 
• 2023

received their diplomas in person.

The event was well attended, with many staff and peers supporting the achievement. The ceremony included:

• comments by the valedictorian
• a slideshow of the grads
• an address by the warden, and
• an entertaining rap performed by staff

It was a momentous day for the men who displayed their ability to achieve and embrace possibility. Thank you to all the staff who helped make this happen.

Share your idea for a potential new CSC podcast series title

I’m happy to share that our communications team has been working hard to develop new ways to share CSC stories and news with the public. They are now looking at launching CSC’s very own podcast in the fall. The show would dive deep into important subjects like the work we’re doing towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, security classification, and demystifying views in general around the federal correctional system. Pre-production on the podcast is underway but the series currently does not have a title. If you have an idea for a potential CSC podcast series title, I invite you to let us know via the email below. We’ll share the title in the coming weeks once confirmed.

• GEN-NHQ-Communication

I hope you are enjoying the summer and taking some time away from work to rest and spend time with friends and family.