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2023 to 2024 Citizen Advisory Committees annual report

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List of acronyms
AGM

Annual General Meeting

CAC

Citizen Advisory Committees

CCRA

Corrections and Conditional Release Act

CCRR

Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations

CSC

Correctional Service Canada

OPS

Overdose Prevention Service

PNEP

Prison Needle Exchange Program

Overview

The Citizen Advisory Committees (CAC) are independent and impartial advisory committees that work in collaboration with, and contribute to, the mandate of Correctional Service Canada (CSC).

One of the principles articulated in the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) is that CSC involves the public in its operations. CACs help CSC to fulfill this legislated mandate as well as that of educating the public about the operations of the Service. CACs also contribute to CSC’s corporate priority of supporting productive relationships with diverse partners, stakeholders and others involved in support of public safety.

The mandate of the CACs is outlined in section 7 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations (CCRR), which gives members access to all parts of the institutions and parole offices, as well as staff and offenders. Committees are also obligated to make themselves available for discussions and consultations with the public, offenders, staff members, and CSC management.

Initiated in the early 1960s by citizens to be a bridge between prisons and the communities where they are located, CACs help CSC build stronger links between CSC and the public. They are the eyes and ears of the public in an environment otherwise closed off to most of society.

Members are citizens appointed to serve on committees in a voluntary capacity. They believe in public safety, the right of all citizens to be involved in the correctional process, and the ability of offenders to become law-abiding citizens.

Committees help provide greater transparency, openness and accountability with the public that CSC serves.

CACs have 3 main roles:

The opinions and content expressed in this report are those of the CACs and not those of CSC. The report is published on CSC’s website for information purposes.

Membership

CAC operates at the same 3 levels as CSC. There is a CAC at

The members of the regional committees are drawn from the local committees whereas the National Executive Committee is made up of the chairs of each region.

The local committees are the heart and soul of CACs. They are supported by dedicated CSC staff and officials, without whom the committees would not be able to meet their mandate. A big thank you to all members, along with CSC staff and officials.

At a national level, the committees were represented and supported by the following individuals in 2023 to 2024:

Thank you to Commissioner Anne Kelly for her continued dedication to CACs. In addition, we have been well supported by the Public Affairs, Culture, and Engagement sector at National Headquarters, including the Community and Stakeholder Relations Unit.

During the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024), committees reported 232 members in 65 committees.

Table 1: Summary of membership

Region

Number of members
2023 to 2024

Change in membership
2023 to 2024

Number of committees
2023 to 2024

Pacific

54

-4

14

Prairie

60

-7

16

Ontario

41

-12

15

Quebec

50

-6

14

Atlantic

28

-6

6

Total

232

-35

65

Highlights

Membership recruitment and retention continue to be a focus in all regions and is carefully monitored as CACs should ideally represent both the local community and the communities from which the offenders originate. CAC members and CSC aim to collaborate in recruiting members, especially those from underrepresented demographics, including:

In order to attract and accommodate members who have daytime commitments, virtual or hybrid meetings, as well as opportunities to meet outside of regular office hours, is a promising practice.

The overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous offenders in institutions, including the unique challenges these offenders face, continues to be a topic of concern. In addition, the health, wellbeing, and community reintegration of the aging offender population has been a focus, as members have observed a need for increased support and services for this population.

It was noted that CAC members participated in a variety of events and learning opportunities, such as shadowing parole officers on their routes, which provided valuable opportunities for learning and engagement.

Atlantic

In the Atlantic Region, membership increased. Priorities included aging offenders and continued recruitment and retention of CAC members.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) was successful in engaging members and increasing knowledge of CSC and CAC priorities and concerns. The priorities for the meeting included aging offenders, ensuring the operation of CACs at each facility, and recruitment of CAC members. Notably, the regional senior management team attended the AGM, which promoted discussions regarding the regional concerns voiced by the CACs and allowed them to move forward with CSC in developing a plan to address the areas of need. It also presented a great opportunity to highlight the CAC mandate to new senior managers in the region, including district directors and wardens.

Guest speakers included:

The Atlantic Region was represented by seven members on the Regional Council Committee, represented by all of the institutions in the Atlantic Region (Dorchester Penitentiary Complex, Springhill Institution, Nova Institution for Women, Atlantic Institution as well as the Nova Scotia Area Office and the Jamieson Community Correctional Centre). The Atlantic Region is in the process of scheduling regular monthly meetings for the Regional Council Committee, which would be supplemented if needed.

CSC also hosted a learning event for the CAC members in the Atlantic Region on the following topics of interest identified by the members:

There were also a number of guest speakers across local sites which included presentations on various social programs and the institutional response to the Office of the Correctional Investigator Report “Aging and Dying in Prison”. Guest speakers included:

Activities of note included:

Best practices and general observations included:

Issues and policies discussed included:

Outcomes of discussions included:

The region hopes to continue recruiting CAC members, especially at community sites and maximum-security facilities.

Quebec

Quebec has seen a decrease of four members. A merger of the Maisonneuve and Ville-Marie CACs took place, and the CAC is now called “Montreal CAC”.

At the annual regional meeting, the Regional Deputy Commissioner was invited to answer questions. She was joined by the Warden of Archambault Institution and the Regional Administrator of Indigenous Initiatives to discuss the Indigenous Intervention Centre. The Regional Coordinator of Environmental Programs and a Regional Environmental Advisor also presented on CSC's environmental programs.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held on the first Saturday of November each year to coincide with the memorial service for employees who have died in the line of duty, allowing CAC members to attend both, as they are held across the street from each other.

Priorities discussed at the AGM included addressing and improving the support available to offenders serving long sentences. Some offenders reported feeling unsupported, particularly Indigenous offenders who do not have access to Pathways. Indigenous offenders face unique challenges related to incarceration and community reintegration.

The Regional CAC Executive Committee had five members and one alternate member. In addition to the Regional Chair, two members represent institutional CACs and two represent community CACs. However, all CAC members in the Quebec region are invited to attend meetings.

Throughout 2023 to 2024, a variety of guest speakers spoke and addressed a multitude of topics including inmate committees, the Overdose Prevention Service, and assessment for offender security risk level.

At Drummond Institution, the CAC's questions and concerns about the Overdose Prevention Service contributed greatly to the development of the communication plan.

Some regional areas of concern included:

Best practices and general observations included:

Issues and policies discussed included:

Outcomes of discussions included:

Ontario

In the Ontario region, membership was stable. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held in Kingston in June. Kevin Snedden, the Regional Deputy Commissioner, opened the meeting and hosted a Questions and Answers session for CAC members, which members found enlightening and engaging. The main presenter at the AGM was Howard Sapers, who spoke about Structured Intervention Units (SIU) and the findings of the SIU Implementation Advisory Panel.

In 2023 to 2024, the committees worked to increase public trust in CSC, enhance awareness and outreach of CACs, and change community attitudes to support reintegration. Their outreach efforts aimed to improve quality of life and skills needed for community reintegration.

Members participated in online professional development opportunities at the regional and national levels. For example, at the Keele Community Correctional Centre, members have attended district management meetings, staff meetings, security meetings and searches at the residence. These opportunities allowed them to better understand the overall operations of CSC and the Community Correctional Centre.

Some activities of note included:

Some regional areas of concern included:

Best practices and general observations included:

Issues and policies discussed included:

Outcomes of discussions included:

The Regional CAC continued to expand its activity in the areas of awareness, education, and communication to greatly increase the dialogue between members, CSC departments, and outside agencies. Members were encouraged to attend and participate in meetings with CSC, as the flow of information is one of the keys to success.  

Prairies

Membership in the Prairie Region remained stable. The in-person regional CAC Council meeting occurred in October 2023 and was held on the Tsuu T’ina Nation in Calgary, Alberta. Guest speakers included:

The meeting also included a visit to the Bedford House Community-based Residential Facility which was hosted by Karen Crowther (Team Leader, Bedford House), Calgary John Howard Society and Lacey Leibel (Director of Housing, Calgary John Howard Society).

Areas of focus in the region included:

Activities of note included:

Best practices included:

Discussions and recommendations included:

Pacific

Membership in the Pacific Region was stable. Priorities over the fiscal year included:

Activities of note included:

Best practices included:

Discussions and recommendations included:

National highlights

From April 2023 to March 2024, the National Executive Committee of the Citizen Advisory Committees (NEC-CAC) held five national meetings focusing on a number of priorities such as policies, recruitment, and collaboration.

At the March 2024 NEC-CAC meeting, guest speakers attended from the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers to discuss the Prison Needle Exchange Program and the Overdose Prevention Service, the concerns held by correctional officers, and the overarching goal of harm reduction.

Guest speakers from the Union of Safety and Justice Employees also attended a NEC-CAC meeting in January 2024 to give a presentation on the mental health of CSC workers which can be affected by their work environment, and how USJE supports employees and provides assistance.

Several other national initiatives took place, outlined in further detail below.

Citizen Advisory Committee resource materials

The CAC Toolkit continued to be a useful resource which contains helpful materials for CAC use, including:

In addition, the Key Information for CACs and the CAC Communication Guide supply additional information for CAC members. These resources remained available for access on the CSC Stakeholder Collaboration Hub. CAC members were encouraged to create an account to access resources and to connect with each other.

A CAC Bulletin on Ethnocultural Offenders was distributed by CSC as an informative resource to enhance CAC members’ understanding of the complex and diverse work of CSC in identifying and meeting the needs of ethnocultural offenders. The CAC National Executive Committee was given the opportunity to review and provide feedback on this document as it was being prepared.

Nationally, a CAC Chair Handbook was drafted in collaboration with the National Executive Committee members, for eventual distribution to assist new Chairs in understanding their role.

Citizen Advisory Committee engagement in Structured Intervention Units

A CAC subcommittee on Structured Intervention Units (SIUs) aimed to obtain a more complete picture of what is occurring in SIUs. Membership was open to all CAC members, particularly representatives from institutions with an SIU.

In 2023, SIUs were asked to hold an open house, virtually or in-person, to engage community stakeholders and increase community supports. CACs were invited by CSC to participate in the SIU open houses, which included a tour, and proved to be a valuable learning opportunity for CAC members that participated.

In addition, Ingrid Schmidt, National CAC Chair, accompanied by Tanya Miller of the Ottawa Community CAC, gave a presentation to the Structured Intervention Unit Implementation Advisory Panel (SIU-IAP) chaired by former Correctional Investigator, Howard Sapers. The Panel was interested to hear that the CAC had formed an SIU subcommittee, and Ingrid Schmidt presented the activities to date. Howard Sapers also gave a presentation on SIUs and the overrepresentation of Indigenous offenders in SIUs at the Annual General Meeting in Ontario.

Citizen Advisory Committee committee on women’s corrections

The CAC Committee on Women’s Corrections is made up of interested CAC members from all sites and regions. The committee focuses on systemic concerns as well as best practices in women’s institutions and the community. In early 2024, discussions took place within the committee on the long-term goals of the committee, which included recruitment, increasing diversity, discussions on the Mother-Child Program, and enhancing community supports.

Thematic issues

The following three items were raised locally/regionally, resulting in continuous discussion at the national level throughout 2023 to 2024.

  1. Recruitment
    Recruitment and retention of CAC members remains a focus. The Community Volunteer Coordinators have been instrumental in increasing awareness and attracting CAC members and applicants. Best practices also include posting promotional posters in key community locations to attract possible members. The promotional poster for member recruitment is available on the CSC Stakeholder Collaboration Hub. CAC members and CSC are committed to developing a concrete engagement plan to address this need in further detail.
  2. Aging offenders
    How to best support the needs of the aging offender population, both in institutions and in the community, has been an area of focus. During community supervision visits, it was noted that elderly offenders remain vulnerable and require constant contact from Parole Officers, who are often the only significant person to them. In addition, CAC members have advised that the adaptation of institutions, community residential facilities, and health services for this population should be a goal. In the Quebec Region, a collaborative project between CSC and the provincial Integrated Health and Social Services Centres to optimize services for aging offenders with mental health problems and/or loss of autonomy is underway. The Quebec Region also plans to collect feedback from aging offenders and offenders serving long-term sentences to find out their specific needs and how to best address them. In the Atlantic Region, guest speakers on educational programs and health programs for aging offenders provided members an opportunity to discuss and learn about this topic.
  3. Prison Needle Exchange Program and Overdose Prevention Service
    The Prison Needle Exchange Program (PNEP) and the Overdose Prevention Service (OPS) have been discussed at local, regional, and national levels. The implementation of both these programs raised a great deal of interest and questions among CAC members, which has been positive. It was also observed that there have been concerns among some inmates, who want to be better informed on the program. In the Quebec Region, the Manager of Health Care and Rehabilitation Programs and Services explained the context and issues of the project at a CAC meeting. This also allowed for a fruitful discussion, and the CAC's questions and concerns about the OPS contributed greatly to the development of the communication plan. In the upcoming fiscal year, national CAC info-sessions will take place to allow for learning and discussion on these programs and the goal of harm reduction.

National information sessions

In 2023 to 2024, NHQ organized and hosted information sessions open to CAC members. These sessions were aimed to enhance the knowledge and understanding of members on some of CSC's key priorities and initiatives. In 2023 to 2024, subjects included:

2023 James A. Murphy award

The winner of the 2023 James A. Murphy Award, Peggy (Margaret) Joiner, was announced in April 2024 during National Volunteer Week. Information was shared on CSC's website and through various communications.

Candidates were nominated from 4 regions as follows:

Atlantic region

Peggy Joiner (James A. Murphy Award recipient) a longstanding CAC member, former Atlantic Regional CAC Chair and former National CAC Chair. (winner)

Quebec region

Gabrielle Bacon, Chair of Longueuil/Montreal Metropolitain District CAC, who has shown admirable dedication and leadership.

Prairie region

JoAnn Cunningham, a longstanding CAC member who has demonstrated commitment and initiative in her role.

Pacific region

Joyce Seidel, Chair of Mountain Institution CAC, an exemplary member of the CAC who has shown insight and reflection in her role.

James A. Murphy award selection committee

The James A. Murphy selection committee consisted of the following people representing Canada dedicated to the CAC mandate:

The selection committee was also assisted by Donat Bilomba and Corinne Potvin-Jacques from NHQ who provided secretariat support.

Citizen Advisory Committees in the Public Domain

CACs were mentioned in the media in 2023 to 2024:

Eddy Elmer and the Metro Vancouver West CAC hosted their fourth annual webinar on the subject of Digital Literacy: Empowering Transition from Incarceration to Community. It was a successful and popular event with over 350 registrants.

CACs were mentioned on CSC's social media channels in 2023 to 2024:

CACs were mentioned in CSC's Let’s Talk in 2023 to 2024:

Conclusion

In the spirit of ongoing collaboration with CSC, our members concentrated their efforts in 2023 to 2024 on engaging and recruiting new members and ensuring ongoing meetings and involvement in various activities. Addressing the challenges faced by aging offenders, inmates in Structure Intervention Units, and substance abuse prevention initiatives continued to be a priority for members. As well, interest in the operation of Community Residential Facilities and Inmate Committees were topics of discussion for the focus forward.

Ingrid Schmidt served as the CAC National Chair from April 2022 to March 2024. Her leadership contributed to the advancement and support of several initiatives outlined in this report, including collaboration with staff, offenders and the public. We extend our gratitude to Ingrid for her invaluable contributions as a CAC member.

CAC members and CSC staff work closely together to fulfill the CAC mandate.  The CACs deeply appreciate the support at national, regional, and especially local levels. This support enables members to fulfill their important role and contribute to public safety.

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2025-10-14