Frequently asked questions - Correctional Service Canada

CSC does not make decisions on parole. The Parole Board of Canada is the organization of the criminal justice system that makes independent, conditional-release and pardon decisions, and clemency recommendations.

CSC is headed by the Correctional Service Commissioner Anne Kelly, who is supported by an executive committee of national and regional members. The Commissioner in turn reports to the Minister of Public Safety Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs Canada.

Provincial corrections is concerned with offenders who have been sentenced for two years less a day, or less, only. Federal corrections is concerned with offenders who have been sentenced for two years or more.

Once the sentence is imposed, a thorough intake assessment determines the offender’s risk level and needs, and ensures that the offender’s initial placement is at the appropriate security level. This assessment is used to identify the factors that drove the offender to commit the offence, the risk he or she poses and his or her needs in terms of correctional services. Based on the information collected in the intake assessment, CSC develops a correctional plan that sets out rehabilitation activities and programs for the offender.

The Correctional Plan is a document that outlines a risk management strategy for each offender before they leave institutions on conditional release.

On CSC’s website, you can find general information on Standards for Correctional Programs as well as Correctional Program Descriptions.

You can consult the list of CSC’s regions and facilities

Maximum security institutions are the most restrictive since they house individuals who pose the greatest risk of escape and hence the greatest danger to society. The buildings are surrounded by a barbed-wire fence, correctional officers are armed and posted in towers or other strategic surveillance locations. Also, the schedules that govern an inmate’s day-to-day routine are stricter.

In medium security insitutions, while the site is fenced as well, the rules are less restrictive. Officers are not armed, although weapons are available – under lock and key – in specific locations. Daily life is much like that in maximum security penitentiaries.

Finally, the minimum security institutions play a very important role in the process for returning offenders to the community. These penitentiaries are often like small communities where inmates live in living units (houses) in groups of seven or eight. There is no barbed wired fence and there are no armed officers, since inmates in these institutions have been deemed very low risk. The routine of minimum security inmates is less restrictive. They can organize their schedule according to the activities they are required to participate in, and often are responsible for their own meals. This creates a sense of responsibility and prepares them for life in the community.

Please contact CSC's national media line (613-992-7711), send us an email (media@csc-scc.gc.ca) or contact one of our regional communications offices.

All media requests to interview federal inmates are evaluated in accordance with Canadian legislation and CSC policies such as Commissioner’s Directive 022.

You may consult our important notices regarding stock photos.

To visit an inmate, there are some forms that you need to fill out and mail in. You may also wish to consult our Private family visiting content for more information.

The responsibility for corrections in Canada is shared by federal, provincial, and territorial governments. Correctional Services Canada (CSC) is the federal agency responsible for offenders sentenced to two years or more. Provincial and territorial governments are responsible for young offenders and for offenders sentenced to two years less one day or to probation.

To search in CSC's database, CSC requires the person's full name and date of birth. You can submit these by email or contact CSC General Inquiries.

Upon receipt of this information, CSC can confirm whether he/she is under federal custody. However, the specific location of inmates is considered personal information under Canada's Privacy Act, and cannot be disclosed without the inmate's prior consent.

If you wish to contact the person, see the next question.

You can write a letter to his/her attention and send it to any of our Regional Headquarters offices.

The letter will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities who will then ensure he/she receives it. At that point, it is up to the inmate to decide whether or not to respond to your request for communication.

You may also wish to consult our Writing to an inmate content for more information.

You can consult our Access to Information and Privacy section. Please note that subsection 12(1) of the Privacy Act stipulates that the requestor must be a permanent resident (as defined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act) or a Canadian citizen to access his/her personal information.

Section 4 of the Access to Information Act states that requests can be made by:

1. a Canadian citizen or
2. a permanent resident (as defined by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act).

Since you are currently residing outside Canada, in order to respond to your request, you will have to provide the name and address of a Canadian agent acting on your behalf.

If the information you are requesting is considered personal information belonging to another individual, the Privacy Act stipulates that institutions may only release personal information in specific cases:

• To the Executor of an estate for the purpose of administering the estate of deceased only;
• With the consent of the individual to whom the information relates; or
• If the individual has been deceased for more than 20 years.

If you want to send something to an inmate, please refer to our Commissioner's Directive on the Personal Property of Offenders for guidance on the type of item inmates are allowed to have. Specifically, you can consult:

• the national list of personal property for men inmates
• the national list of personal property for women inmates
• the technical requirements for inmate-owned computers and electronic games

If you wish to donate books or have any questions regarding book donations, please contact us by email.

The general criteria for accepted book donations are as follows. Books should:

• Not be markedly old (with the exception of classic literature)
• Be in good condition (e.g., no missing pages or covers, no mould, not falling apart, and not excessively covered in writing or highlights)
• Have no attached CD-ROMs
• Not be textbooks

The most popular books in our institutions are paperback fiction novels (i.e., the type of book you might find at an airport bookstore).

You can refer to our Standard Operating Practices for Food Services or consult Commissioner's Directive 880.

Because of the particular realities of a local institution, a good first step is to contact the institutional chaplain. A ceremony may take place in the institutional chapel, or another location in the institution may be used, depending on the safety and security of all persons involved and the operational needs of the institution.

Our Institutional Profiles have photos and detailed information about all of our institutions across Canada. For contact information, please consult our Facilities and Institutions page.