Commissioner's update for correctional employees: May 6, 2024
This content is a message to Correctional Service Canada (CSC) staff from CSC's Commissioner.
Our Mission: The Correctional Service of Canada, as part of the criminal justice system and respecting the rule of law, contributes to public safety by actively encouraging and assisting offenders to become law-abiding citizens, while exercising reasonable, safe, secure and humane control.
In July 2023, the review Committee that was put in place following the transfer of a high-profile offender from maximum to medium security recommended that I establish a multi-disciplinary committee related to our services to victims. I accepted this recommendation and launched the committee in November 2023.
The Committee was comprised of victims and survivors of crime, including some who are members of the CSC/PBC Regional Victims Advisory Committees, criminologists and individuals with corrections expertise. The Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime served as a special advisor to the committee. CSC chaired the Committee, which included senior officials from Correctional Operations and Programs and Communications and Engagement sectors, as well as the PBC and Public Safety Canada, with special guests from Justice Canada.
The committee met weekly for three months, discussing ways to minimize or eliminate barriers for victims to access their rights under the Canadian Victim Bill of Rights. This included practical suggestions to federal departments to improve the user experience of victims across all services.
The committee’s report summarizes the discussions and feedback received, as well as the Committee’s recommendations for CSC, PBC and Public Safety. I encourage you to consult it:
A multi-year work plan is being developed, and CSC will continue to report back to the Committee on progress.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to making this committee a great success and for the work of everyone in CSC’s Victim Services units who help ensure victims have an effective voice in the federal correctional system.
Mental Health Week
For the past 73 years, Canadians in communities, schools, and workplaces have rallied in support of Mental Health Week, organized by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). Steadfast in our commitment to the mental health and wellness of CSC employees, this represents an important opportunity for us to raise awareness and reduce stigma surrounding mental health. This year, the theme of Mental Health Week is #CompassionConnects which highlights the power of compassion, kindness, and humanity as well as the impact it has on those around us.
I invite each of you to take a moment to browse the Employee Health and Wellness Calendar (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) as well as the Mental Health Week 2024 Hub page (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) for more information on Mental Health Week activities as well as resources and tools to help support your well-being.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to bettering the mental health of CSC.
Faces of CSC
Anissa Kherrati is Chair of the Regional Ethnocultural Advisory Committee for the Quebec Region. She has volunteered with CSC for almost 14 years. She believes in reintegration and in second changes. Watch her Lift Me Up video to find out why volunteering is so important to her and the difference she sees it makes to offenders.
Moose Hide Campaign
The Moose Hide Campaign, coming up on May 16, is an Indigenous-led grassroots movement aimed at engaging men and boys in ending violence towards women and children. Over the past decade, it has evolved into a nationwide movement uniting Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. The campaign, grounded in Indigenous ceremony and tradition, symbolizes a commitment to honor, respect, and protect women and children. It also serves as a poignant reminder of the impacts of Residential Schools.
Some work sites may be coordinating local activities, and I encourage you to get involved. For details on specific events and participation opportunities for the Moose Hide Campaign, watch for announcements in your communities:
Asian Heritage Month
May is Asian Heritage Month, a time to recognize the history and celebrate the contributions of Asian communities, past and present. This year’s theme is ‘Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future: Amplifying Asian Canadian Legacy.' This celebrates the voices, stories, and achievements of people of Asian origin in Canada while also looking forward to the future with optimism and hope. Canada’s vibrant and diverse Asian heritage has long influenced our country in many areas, from the arts and sports to medicine and science, business, government, and social justice.
I am proud that there are over 1000 CSC employees who self-identified as Asian. We have people whose heritage is Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian/East Indian, and Southeast Asian. This month, I encourage you to talk with your Asian colleagues and learn more about their rich and diverse heritage cultures.
This month also serves as a reminder that we must stand together against anti-Asian racism. Racism, in any form, is unacceptable. We all must commit to confronting anti-Asian racism in our country.
Learn more about the importance of Asian Heritage Month on the Employee Equity and Diversity Committee Hub page. You will find information here on upcoming events, videos, courses, and other resource links.
- Asian Heritage Month (accessible only on the Government of Canada network)
National Nursing Week and International Nurses Day
As National Nursing Week begins, this year’s theme is Changing Lives. Shaping Tomorrow. This theme recognizes the contributions and the tremendous impact that nurses have on individuals, communities, and the future of health care. Nurses change lives, directly impacting patients through care, compassion, and expertise. Nurses also advocate for their patients and can bring about transformative change in people’s lives.
CSC’s Health Services are accredited by Accreditation Canada, the same organization that accredits hospitals and other health services across the country. The nurse’s role within CSC is vital to delivering exceptional health care and making a difference in the lives of patients. It is their work on the front lines each day in federal institutions and Community Correctional Centres across this country that contributes to prevention, care, treatment, and support of acute and chronic physical and mental health conditions of persons under our care and custody. As integral members of interdisciplinary health care teams, nurses provide a wide range of health services that parallel those in a community setting, while also specializing in services that are culturally safe and responsive, trauma informed, person centred and that reflect the needs of the clients within their care.
To all our nursing staff members, thank you for changing lives and shaping tomorrow.
If you know of a nurse that is looking for interesting work with opportunities for ongoing education, career growth and rewarding work, invite them to join our team that is changing lives.
GBA Plus Awareness Week 2024
May 6 to 10, 2024 marks Canada’s 12th Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) Awareness Week, which provides public servants and people from across the country with an opportunity to learn more about GBA Plus and its significant role in shaping inclusive and accessible programs, policies, services, and initiatives.
As part of this year’s celebrations a Signature Event will be held under the theme Intersectionality in Action: Moving Forward on an Enhanced Intersectional Approach to GBA Plus. This year’s theme reinforces the importance of considering intersectionality to better understand how each person experiences issues and government actions differently. Consideration of intersectionality also allows us to examine how a person’s identities, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation, among others, affect access to opportunities providing powerful insights to inform action.
Museum Month
Lastly, I'm pleased to announce the reopening of the Canada’s Penitentiary Museum starting today in Kingston, Ontario. This year's season is exceptional as it marks the 60th anniversary of the Penitentiary Museum. We are pleased to join the museum team in making this event unique and memorable.
Over the past 60 years, the museum has provided insights into the evolution of federal corrections, highlighting significant changes and developments.
I invite you to visit the museum this season to explore our history through an engaging and educational experience.
To plan your visit:
I would like to thank each one of our volunteers for their hard work in making this season and the celebrations a success.
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