Commissioner's update for correctional employees: September 5, 2023

Recently, I mentioned that over the last several months, our Communications team has been working hard to explore different and innovative ways to tell Canadians about the important work we do such as CSC’s new podcast series this fall. I am excited to share that another one of these ways is our new digital campaign that Communications has put together called, “Lift Me Up.”

The goal of this campaign is to highlight the great and challenging work you do in support of our mandate. The campaign features our employees in different roles to showcase and raise awareness of the work you do. Through videos, written articles and social media, we’ll be amplifying these voices in their own words to show our human touch through inspiring stories. It also broadens awareness of CSC's mission: Changing Lives. Protecting Canadians and helps to publicly recognize the great work you do! 

I encourage you to take time to look at these stories that highlight the inspiring work we do across different jobs:

• Lift Me Up web page

I also encourage you to share your feedback with the Communications team on this campaign. As well, if you have story ideas for future Lift Me Up videos or articles, or would be interested in being featured in a video or an article, let them know.

Changes to offender money allowances and limits

Since the beginning of the pandemic, CSC has waived inmate deductions for food, accommodation, and the Inmate Telephone System. These deductions will be waived indefinitely on September 11, 2023. Other changes include increasing the canteen limit from $90 to $120 per pay period, including taxes and increasing the annual transfer limit from offenders’ savings accounts to their current accounts from $750 to $850.

In conjunction with these changes, CSC will now increase the minimum balance required in offenders’ savings accounts from $80 to $200. This is being done in order to encourage offenders to save for their release and ensure they have a minimum amount of funds when they are released. CSC will implement the increase gradually over three years with the required minimum balance being as follows:

• March 31, 2024: $100
• March 31, 2025: $150
• March 31, 2026: $200

Cedarhedge celebrates 150 years

Canada’s Penitentiary Museum in Kingston, Ontario, houses some amazing corrections artifacts. But the museum itself is located in a historic building, called Cedarhedge. The stately limestone, three-story building was built by inmates for the warden’s residence. The warden and his family moved in in August 1873, which means Cedarhedge just turned 150. The museum will be celebrating the 150th birthday all year long.

I encourage you to read more about the history of Cedarhedge in the Let’s Talk linked below. If you get a chance, visit the museum. You will learn much about how corrections have changed and improved over the last century and a half.