Additional Information

Additional information is available on our access to information and privacy (ATIP) page. It includes information on:

The Government of Canada encourages the release of information through informal requests. You may wish to consult Correctional Service Canada's (CSC's):

summaries of completed Access to Information requests.

Note on consistent uses of personal information banks

Personal information may be disclosed without the consent of the individual in accordance with section 8(2) of the Privacy Act. Personal information will be used most often in compliance with subsection 8(2)(a) which states that:

personal information under the control of a government institution may be disclosed for the purpose for which the information was obtained or compiled by the institution or for a use consistent with that purpose

CSC may also disclose personal information under other subsections of section 8(2) such as:

to an investigative body during the course of lawful investigations, and
for research or statistical purposes

General information on personal information sharing

The mandate of Correctional Service Canada requires that it routinely shares personal information with other areas of the criminal justice community, to ensure that:

offenders are appropriately managed in a safe, secure and humane environment, and
to ensure the safety of the offender, other offenders, staff and the community at large

In order for CSC to carry out its mandate and to administer its' legislation and directives, it needs to obtain a variety of information provided by other agencies and therefore information sharing is conducted.

Sharing of personal information with law enforcement agencies

(municipal, provincial, international, federal police forces or another law enforcement body)

Following an offender's sentence to a federal institution, CSC requests the criminal record (history information) from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).This information is used to:

assess the impact of the offender's criminal behaviour, and
alert staff who will deal with the offender

CSC also requests a police report from the arresting and/or investigating law enforcement body to have a full understanding of the events surrounding the offence.

Following a sentence to a federal institution in the case of foreign nationals, CSC must also request from the Inland Service (Immigration) that they provide information that is relevant to the administration of the offender's sentence and to the case management process.

When an offender is released to the community, there is a requirement to notify the RCMP and/or the local/provincial police force, and, when necessary, the Inland Service (Immigration), of the offender's address and the terms and conditions of the release. If an offender violates conditions of release, or is considered to be a risk, CSC will issue a warrant for the apprehension of the offender. The warrant is transmitted to the local police and the data is entered into the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) system. The police are requested to locate and apprehend the offender.

Sharing of personal information with the Parole Board of Canada

CSC data is shared with the Parole Board of Canada (PBC). With the current renewal of the Offender Management System (OMS) by both CSC and PBC, seamless data/information sharing continues to occur and be a priority for both organizations since both organizations play a key role in managing offenders.

While it is CSC's responsibility to manage the offenders for the duration of their sentence, it is the PBC's responsibility to assess:

the offenders' progress during incarceration
their risk to society, and
their potential for successful reintegration into the community as law-abiding citizens

CSC information is shared with PBC pertaining to all aspects related to an offender prior to and during incarceration. Once PBC has assessed the information, and through a hearing process, makes their decision, CSC is notified. If the PBC makes a decision to conditionally release an offender, it is CSC staff that are responsible for the supervision and control of the offender in the community and keeping PBC informed of the offender's progress.

Sharing of personal information with provincial authorities

An offender, who is sentenced to a period of incarceration of two years or more, will serve this sentence under the jurisdiction of CSC. Offenders sentenced to less than two years will serve their sentence under a provincial jurisdiction. However, CSC is doing the case preparation and supervision for some provinces that do not have a provincial parole board.

Often an offender will have a history of provincial incarceration, further, prior to sentencing the offender could be held in a provincial institution or a remand centre. Information collected during any period of incarceration is deemed significant and sometimes crucial to the successful management of that offender. It is for these reasons that information is routinely shared between CSC and provincial authorities, which also include the boards of education and hospitals.

Information is also requested from the sentencing judge and could also be requested from:

the crown attorney
from provincial parole, and
probation services

CSC uses this information in the management of the offender and decision-making process.

Method of personal information sharing

Every effort is taken to ensure that the personal information shared concerns the appropriate individual. In order to validate that the different agencies are dealing with the same individual, a number of personal identifiers are matched. These include:

name
sex
date of birth
finger print series (FPS) number, and
physical features (in some cases)

CSC may conduct or assist others in conducting ad hoc personal information sharing for the purpose of the administration or the enforcement of any law (i.e. Criminal Code).

Contact us

For additional information about the programs and activities of Correctional Service Canada, please contact us.

Requests for information under the Access to Information and Privacy Acts must be sent to the following address. You may also learn more about the Access to Information and Privacy processes at CSC.

Correctional Service Canada
Stéphane Brisson
Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator
340 Laurier Ave W
Ottawa ON K1A 0P9

You may also contact National Headquarters or any of the Regional Headquarters listed below or search for the contact information of CSC's other facilities and institutions:

National Headquarters
340 Laurier Ave W
Ottawa ON K1A 0P9
Phone: 613-992-5891
Fax: 613-943-1630

Atlantic Regional Headquarters
Terminal Plaza Building
1045 Main St
Second Floor
Moncton NB E1C 1H1

Ontario Regional Headquarters
443 Union St
PO Box 1174
Kingston ON K7L 4Y8

Pacific Regional Headquarters
100-33991 Gladys Ave
PO Box 4500
Abbotsford BC V2S 2E8

Prairies Regional Headquarters
3427 Faithfull Ave
PO Box 9223
Saskatoon SK S7K 3X5

Quebec Regional Headquarters
400-4 Laval Pl
Laval QC H7N 5Y3

Reading room

In accordance with the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, the applicant may wish to review material on site. The address is:

360 Albert St
13th Floor
Ottawa ON

Reading rooms are also available at each of the regional headquarters on this page.

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Date modified:: 2017-06-16

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