An unexpected path to corrections: Joyce Seidel honoured with James A. Murphy CAC award
For most marriage commissioners, weddings take place in churches, gardens, on boats or along scenic waterfronts.
For Joyce Seidel, they often took place behind prison walls.
Over a decade as a British Columbia marriage commissioner, Joyce officiated roughly 50 weddings inside federal institutions, including Mountain, Mission and Kent Institutions. She would watch brides arrive in full wedding gowns, navigate complex security protocols, and celebrate one of life’s most important milestones in an environment where very little can be taken for granted.
“It was a little bit of normalcy that they could accomplish something we often take for granted,” Joyce recalls. “I treated them with respect, and they were always very respectful back to me.”
Those years gave Joyce a unique window into the correctional system and the people who live and work within it. What began as a professional role eventually evolved into a deep commitment to community service and corrections that has earned her the 2025 James A. Murphy Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) Award.
The award recognizes outstanding contributions by CAC members across Canada, and few exemplify that commitment more than Joyce.
Born and raised in Montreal, Joyce graduated from Sir George Williams University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing at a time when women were still a rarity in business programs.
Joyce Seidel alongside Acting Regional Deputy Commissioner for the Pacific Region, Brooke Kassen.
“I was among only a small number of women attending full-time,” she says.
Her career took her through the worlds of marketing, advertising, accounting and office management. After spending nearly 20 years in Ontario, she moved to British Columbia with her husband following his retirement. When he suddenly passed away soon after, Joyce sought new ways to stay active and connected to her community.
Becoming a marriage commissioner in 2005 proved to be a turning point. Ten years later, an acquaintance encouraged her to attend a CAC meeting at nearby Mountain Institution.
Within months, she found herself serving as Chair of Mountain Institution’s CAC, a role she has held since 2017.
Over the past eight years, Joyce has become one of the Pacific Region’s most respected and knowledgeable CAC members. She regularly visits Mountain Institution, meets with staff and offenders, attends program graduations and Indigenous ceremonies, participates in Parole Board hearings and actively supports the Inmate Wellness Committee.
“Joyce’s awareness of the daily operations at her local site surpasses that of most CAC members I have known,” says Pacific Regional CAC Chair Eddy Elmer.
Her dedication has also taken her beyond Mountain Institution. Joyce currently serves as the interim Pacific Regional Vice-Chairperson and has completed nearly 20 Outside Review Board assessments at Mountain, Kent and Matsqui Institutions—an often complex and time-consuming process that helps address offender concerns and improve communication between institutions and those in their care.
“Joyce often takes on tasks others avoid,” says Morgan Andreassen, Warden of Matsqui Institution.
“She is an inspiration to other volunteers and CAC members, and I cannot think of a more deserving candidate for this award.”
Whether reviewing offender grievances, participating on the BC Penitentiary Cemetery Task Force or temporarily chairing the Structured Intervention Unit Subcommittee, Joyce has consistently stepped forward wherever she is needed.
Her passion for learning has become one of her defining characteristics.
“I like to learn,” she says simply. “Any learning opportunity the CAC affords us, I will take.”
That curiosity has helped her build strong relationships with staff, offenders and fellow volunteers. It has also shaped her belief that positive change is possible.
One initiative that stands out involved offenders at Mountain Institution who built and then donated a handcrafted blanket box to a local community organization. The piece was later sold for $900, with proceeds benefiting the local food bank.
“The inmates donated the materials, their time and their skills,” Joyce says. “I thought that was fabulous. Many offenders want opportunities to contribute positively and prepare for their eventual return to society.”
When informed she had been selected for the James A. Murphy CAC Award, Joyce was stunned.
“Nobody told me,” she says with a laugh. “I just stood there thinking, ‘Who did what?’”
True to form, she is quick to share the credit.
“I have a wonderful CAC,” she says. “They are very involved, always willing to learn and participate. We have great support from management and a very collaborative relationship.”
CSC is grateful for Joyce’s years of dedicated volunteer service and unwavering commitment to building bridges between institutions and communities. She continues to embody the spirit of the award and the important role CAC members play in Canadian corrections.