Correcting your personal information
Both Subsection 12(2) of the Privacy Act and Subsection 11(1) of the act's Regulations give individuals the right to request that a correction be made to their personal information if they believe an error or omission has been made.
Requests for correction are usually made in regards to standard information (date of birth, address, telephone number, etc.) or other factual information. Personal opinions/views of others about an individual cannot be corrected.
How do I make the request to correct my personal information
To make a formal request to correct your personal information under subsection 12(1) of the Privacy Act, either complete the Record Correction Request Form or provide us with a letter clearly stating what personal information you want corrected.
If you are seeking to correct personal information held corporately by CSC, send the form directly to:
Access to Information and Privacy Division
Policy Sector
Correctional Service Canada
340 Laurier Ave W
Ottawa ON K1A 0P9
If you are seeking to correct personal information held by a specific correctional institution, send the form directly to that institution.
How will my correction request be treated
There are two ways that your request to correct personal information can be treated: formally or informally.
1. Formally
If the original request for personal information was made under subsection 12(2) of the Privacy Act, CSC must
- reply to the request for correction in writing within 30 days of receipt of the request and state whether the correction request has been granted or refused
- notify any person or body to whom the personal information has been disclosed to (within the two years immediately preceding the date that the request for correction is received) of any corrections made
- notify any other government institutions to which the personal information has been disclosed to (within the two years immediately preceding the request for correction) of any correction made and that they must also make the correction on every copy of the personal information under their control
- notify the requester of their right to complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner under the Privacy Act
2. Informally
If the original request for personal information was made informally (for example, under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act), the provisions of the Privacy Act do not apply, and we cannot be held accountable for responding to all of the requirements stated above.
For additional information, please refer to Treasury Board Secretariat's Directive on Privacy Requests and Correction of Personal Information.
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