Appointment of Ivan Zinger as Correctional Investigator of Canada

Statements

OTTAWA, January 2, 2018 – The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, issued the following statement:

“I am pleased that Mr. Ivan Zinger has been appointed to the position of Correctional Investigator of Canada. Having served as acting Correctional Investigator for the past year and having previously served as Executive Director and General Counsel for the Office of the Correctional Investigator, Mr. Zinger brings years of experience and has shown great dedication to the many challenges, demands and expectations of this role. I look forward to continuing to work with him and the Office in fulfilling the Government’s commitment to ensure Canada’s federal correctional system remains safe, fair, humane and effective.”

The duration of this appointment is for a term of 5 years and is effective as of January 1, 2018. The Government is committed to open, transparent, and merit-based processes for selecting Governor in Council (GIC) appointees, to encourage continued trust in Canada's democracy and ensure the integrity of its public institutions.

For more information on the Office of the Correctional Investigator of Canada, please visit: http://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx.

Information:

Scott Bardsley
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
613-998-5681
scott.bardsley@canada.ca

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
media@ps-sp.gc.ca

Biography of Dr. Ivan Zinger

Dr. Ivan Zinger received his degree in Common Law from the University of Ottawa in 1992, and completed his articles of clerkship at the Federal Court of Canada. In 1999, he obtained his Ph.D. at Carleton University (Ottawa) in Psychology of Criminal Conduct. He is an Adjunct Professor with the Law Department at Carleton University.

Dr. Zinger joined the Public Service of Canada in 1996.  He held a variety of senior managerial, policy and research positions in public safety-related federal departments and agencies. In 2004, he joined his current employer, the Office of the Correctional Investigator (Federal Prison Ombudsman), and in 2009 he became the Executive Director and General Counsel. As of January 1, 2017, Dr. Zinger was appointed as Correctional Investigator of Canada pursuant to section 161 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.

Over the years, Dr. Zinger has developed expertise in domestic and international human rights law in prison settings. His academic publications are significant and include articles on a variety of subjects, including prison oversight, ethics, dangerous offenders, correctional treatment, the diagnosis of psychopathy, conditional release, penal segregation and the impact of tough on crime measures on corrections.

Dr. Zinger is the recipient of the 2014 APEX Partnership Award for “making communities safer by building strong and effective partnerships across the country and abroad, contributing to the development of more effective correctional practices in Canada.”  This prestigious award is one of six presented annually by the Association of Professional Executives in the Public Service of Canada (APEX).

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