Commissioner’s Update Stakeholders – December 20, 2024

As this year comes to a close, I am thankful for all of your contributions throughout 2024 and am pleased to share some key updates since my last message.

Incident and Prompt Response by Staff and Stakeholders

We had a tragic incident unfold recently at one of our partner-run halfway houses in Ontario. While staff acted quickly and the community came together to manage the situation and aftermath, these types of incidents are never easy. I want to thank the John Howard Society for their interventions and management of the situation, and all the staff and community partners involved.  We are conducting a full review and running a Board of Investigation into this situation. This will help us examine the full circumstances of this incident and determine any remedial measures required, as appropriate. Sometimes staff and partners do everything they can to adequately manage and supervise an offender; however human behaviour is never entirely predictable. I hope everyone involved can continue to seek support, as needed, especially throughout this holiday season.

Mother-Child Program

As you may know, there has been recent public attention on the Mother-Child Program, including it being discussed in Parliament. The Mother-Child Program is an important and successful program for CSC. It helps to foster positive relationships between federally incarcerated mothers and their child, by keeping them together, where appropriate. 

The safety and security of children who participate in the Mother-Child Program is a top priority for CSC. Their best interest is always paramount. Since the program was implemented in 2001, there have been over 170 participants, and no child has ever been harmed.

There are rigorous eligibility criteria protocols in place for participation in this program, including child welfare screening completed by provincial and territorial child and family services, as well as ensuring that people residing in the Mother-Child Living Unit have not been convicted of an offence against a child. Children are supervised at all times and no child is ever left unattended.

I want to thank everyone who works to make this program safe and successful at our women sites, and to our stakeholders who play an active role in this program.

For those who may be interested, in May 2023, City TV released a documentary called “Prison​ Moms", which can be viewed here (in English only):

• Prison Moms​

The series features interviews with CSC staff as well as participants of CSC's Mother-Child Program from Grand Valley Institution and Edmonton Institution for Women. In the fall of 2024, the documentary won the “Enterprise Journalism" regional award from the Radio Television Digital News Association.

Structured Intervention Units - 5th Anniversary

November 30th marked the 5th anniversary of a fundamental change in federal corrections, namely the implementation of Structured Intervention Units (SIUs) in 2019. To date, SIUs have been implemented at 15 correctional institutions across the country. They provide inmates with the continued opportunity to engage in programs to support their safe return to a mainstream inmate population as soon as possible.

I want to thank staff for their great work, without whom we would not have seen the transformation we envisioned. Staff and management at the SIU sites work in complex and challenging circumstances. We are also grateful for the many trusted Elders, Chaplains, Spiritual Advisors, as well as community partners, advisory committee members and volunteers, who have contributed significantly to our efforts.

We will continue to work on improving SIUs by listening to the valuable feedback of staff and stakeholders. These perspectives help us continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of the model and our interventions.

Office of Correctional Investigator Annual Report

On October 29, 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 read the OCI’s report, our response, and my statement.

• CSC Responds to Correctional Investigator’s 2023-2024 Annual Report
• Response to the 51st Annual Report of the Correctional Investigator 2023 to 2024
• Office of the Correctional Investigator Annual Report 2023-24

Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy

Recently, CSC renewed the Memorandum of Understanding with the Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy (IFC). CSC has worked closely with these volunteer representatives from faith communities across Canada since 1968. The renewal of our agreement confirms the importance of the longstanding relationship and reaffirms the IFC as the primary interface between CSC and Canada’s faith communities.

Tsow-Tun Le Lum Grand Re-Opening

I am pleased to highlight the successful grand re-opening of the Tsow-Tun Le Lum Treatment Centre at its new facility in Duncan, B.C. CSC staff were on hand to help celebrate the reopening on September 13, 2024. It marks a significant step forward in our mission to provide holistic and culturally relevant support for individuals facing addiction and trauma. Tsow-Tun Le Lum, which means “Helping House” in the Hul’q’umi’num’ language, is a fully accredited, registered, non-profit treatment society offering supports for people, not only in addictions, but also for survivors of trauma.

The new facility has treatment beds for 32 clients at a time, including space for Elders that work there. It reflects our commitment to integrating traditional practices with modern therapeutic approaches. Our collaboration with the First Nations Health Council, the First Nations Health Authority, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada has made this vision a reality. A big thank you to everyone that made this project possible.

Recipients of the Emerson Douyon Multiculturalism Award

Each year, this award is presented to a CSC employee/group or community partner that has significantly contributed to the promotion of multiculturalism and diversity within CSC or the community. The most recent recipients are CSC’s Black Social History (BSH) Group in the Ontario Region.

Their efforts and initiatives include the development of social history factors specific to Black offenders and the BSH pilot project; providing in-reach and training to staff; facilitating ethnocultural training sessions for Parole Officer Continuous Development that focused on increasing understanding and engagement with the BSH; and providing support to Black offenders.

Information on current and past recipients can be found here:

• Recipients of the Emerson Douyon Multiculturalism Award

Citizen Advisory Committees Events

This fall, the Peterborough Parole Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), in partnership with Trent University’s Criminology program, hosted a one-day symposium titled "Beyond the Charge: Reintegration and Success Over Stigma". The symposium featured speakers Richard Sauvé, Emily O’Brien and Dr. Else Knudsen. They highlighted the challenges and stigmas individuals face upon reintegration into society after a period of incarceration.

Separately, in November, the Metro Vancouver West CAC hosted their fifth annual webinar with a theme of traumatic brain injuries. The webinar included a number of international speakers and participation was open to staff, advisory members and stakeholders.

Both events provided valuable platforms for engagement and learning about how to overcome and dismantle stigmas and barriers faced by so many in our care and custody.

Thank you to the CAC members, staff and any others involved in the success of these events. By offering their community perspectives and representing the public as we care for those in our custody and under our supervision, CACs remain an important part of our work.

Friends of the Penitentiary Museum 60th anniversary celebration

The 60th anniversary of Canada’s Penitentiary Museum in Kingston was recently celebrated. Dave St.Onge, the museum curator, the Friends of the Museum and volunteers were honoured for their unwavering dedication and support.

Over the past six decades, the Museum has transformed into an essential educational resource as it continues to highlight the important role of federal corrections in Canadian society. The Museum welcomed more than 25,000 people this year.

Information on the museum can be found here: Canada's Penitentiary Museum

Policy Updates

Following the coming into force of amendments to the Corrections and Conditional​ Release Regulations, Commissioner’s Directive 566-7 – Searching of Offenders has been amended to provide direction on the use of both body scanners and dry cells within CSC institutions.

• Policy Bulletin 719
• Commissioner's Directive 566-7: Searching of Offenders

Commissioner’s Directive 022 – Media Relations was reviewed as part of the cyclical national policy review process, as well as to follow up on a Board of Investigation recommendation to provide clarification as to the timing of communicating information to Canadians when an inmate escapes, and recommendations made by the OCI concerning inmates' access to media interviews.

• Policy Bulletin 718
• Commissioner's Directive 022: Media Relations

The full list of our policies, including those updated and archived, can be found here: Commissioner's Directives.

Commemorative Dates Events

With each message, comes a number of celebrations and recognition dates and events. Since my last message, there has been National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day, Gender Equality Week, International Ombuds Day, Women’s History Month, Latin America Heritage Month, Occupational Therapy Month, International Inuit Day, Diwali, National Addictions Awareness Week, Transgender Awareness Week and Transgender Day of Remembrance, Restorative Justice Week, National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, International Volunteer Day, Human Rights Day, World Aids Day, and much more.

These events and dates contribute to upholding values, protect rights and advance equality and fairness.

This year, during CSC’s National Diversity Week, I participated in a panel with all of CSC’s champions for equity, diversity and inclusion. It was a meaningful opportunity for everyone to share their perspectives on these important priorities for the organization.

December 5th was International Volunteer Day, which CSC acknowledged with the launch of a survey for CSC’s volunteers that work directly with offenders in our institutions and the community.

December 10th was International Human Rights Day. The occasion was marked by a panel open to all staff including Terry Hackett, Head of the Persons Deprived of Liberty Division for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Janik Sunstrum, A/Director, Mediation Services, Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC). Mr. Hackett, a former CSC employee, presented 5 key principles for humane corrections, based on the work of the ICRC in places of detention around the world, and Ms. Sunstrum provided an overview of the federal human rights complaints system, including mediation and conciliation options.

You can also read my weekly messages to employees and inmates for more on CSC’s participation and acknowledgement in key events and dates: Commissioner Anne Kelly.

New Episodes of “Prisons Inside/Out”

In Episode 10, we share Angie’s story, in her own words. After her brother was murdered, Angie began her healing journey with the support of a Restorative Opportunities program mediator.

• Episode 10: Restorative Justice

In Episode 9, we explore how Indigenous inmates can discover or reconnect with their cultural roots while incarcerated.

• Episode 9: Cultural reconnection in Indigenous corrections

You can listen to all previous episodes of the “Prisons Inside/Out” podcast on our website here:

• Prisons Inside/Out podcast

Thank you all for your continued efforts and commitment towards CSC’s mandate to contribute to public safety. I look forward to another year of productive collaboration with you all!

 

“Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.”