Correctional Service of Canada responds to Correctional Investigator’s Annual Report

News Release

OTTAWA, October 31, 2017 – Today, Don Head, the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, made the following statement on the release of the 2016-2017 Annual Report of the Correctional Investigator.

“I welcome the findings and recommendations made by the Correctional Investigator of Canada and his staff as part of their Annual Report.

As with every report from the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI), the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has completed a comprehensive review of its recommendations. We have given these recommendations our full consideration, and our response details the changes we are making in areas where improvements are needed. This response has been included in the OCI’s report.  

The OCI’s Annual Report identifies issues of mutual concern in the federal correctional system, which helps us fulfill our mandate to support offender rehabilitation and maintain public safety. In some cases, there are mechanisms already in place to address the issues raised by the OCI. For example, we have revised our policies on use of administrative segregation and addressing the needs of inmates with serious mental illnesses. We are also strengthening our approach to Indigenous corrections by reviewing how we engage the services of Elders, and by developing tools to support them as key members of an offender’s case management team.

I would also like to take this opportunity to emphasize that we are committed to addressing the mental health needs of women offenders through a patient-centred approach at all security levels. All women’s mainstream institutions will receive additional funding to support mental health interventions for women in secure units. We will also engage an independent external mental health professional to conduct a review of our current capacity for women offenders at all levels of mental health care by the end of Fiscal Year 2017-18.

We agree that the issues identified by the OCI in its report are critically important. Though our approaches may differ in some areas, given that we must also manage the operational, financial and staffing realities that come with making any changes, we believe we are making progress towards our shared goals and desired outcomes. We always look for opportunities to improve the federal correctional system, and we look forward to continuing our work with the OCI to address these issues and to keep Canadians safe by helping offenders become law-abiding citizens.”

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Information:

Media Relations
Correctional Service Canada
(613) 992-7711
media@csc-scc.gc.ca   

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