The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC; french: Service correctionnel du Canada), also known as Correctional Service Canada or Corrections Canada, is the Canadian federal government agency responsible for the

incarceration Imprisonment is the restraint of a person's liberty, for any cause whatsoever, whether by authority of the government, or by a person acting without such authority. In the latter case it is " false imprisonment". Imprisonment does not necessar ...

and

rehabilitation Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...

of convicted

criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in C ...

offenders sentenced to two years or more. The

agency Agency may refer to: Organizations * Institution, governmental or others ** Advertising agency or marketing agency, a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients ** Employment agency, a business that ...

has its headquarters in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. The CSC officially came into being on April 10, 1979, when

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

signed authorization for the newly commissioned agency and presented it with its armorial bearings. The

Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

of the CSC is recommended for appointment by the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

and approved by an

Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...

. This appointed position reports directly to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and is accountable to the public via the

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

. The current Commissioner of the CSC is Anne Kelly, who served as the senior deputy commissioner prior to the retirement of Don Head in February 2018.

Insignia

In addition to using generic identifiers imposed by the

Federal Identity Program The Federal Identity Program (FIP) is the Government of Canada's corporate identity program. The purpose of the FIP is to provide to the public a consistent and unified image for federal government projects and activities. Other objectives of th ...

, CSC is one of several federal departments (primarily those involved with law enforcement, security, or having a regulatory function) that has been granted heraldic symbols. The badge (described below) was officially granted by the Canadian Heraldic Authority on October 15, 2009. The torch symbolizes learning, knowledge and hope, while the key represents the eventual unlocking of the door upon completion of a prison sentence. The motto means "to grasp the future". The CSC was granted a flag in 2009; it consists of the heraldic badge on a white field, with the Canadian flag in the canton. Senior officials have also been granted distinctive badges by the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

History and development

Early years

Following the development of the penitentiary by the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

in the 1780s, the concept of penitence—isolation, work and religious contemplation—influenced the design and operation of prisons, not only in North America, but also in Europe, South America and Asia. The " Auburn system" developed at the Auburn Penitentiary in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

adopted the penitentiary sentence of the Philadelphia model, but added prisoners' labour, in the belief that work and training would assist in reforming criminals. The

Kingston Penitentiary Kingston Penitentiary (known locally as KP and Kingston Pen) is a former maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, between King Street West and Lake Ontario. History Constructed from 1833 to 1834, and opened on June 1, 18 ...

, based on the Auburn System, was built in 1835.Correctional Service of Canada
Penitentiaries in Canada
. Retrieved on: 2011-09-08. Initially operated as a provincial jail, the penitentiary came under federal jurisdiction following the passage of the

British North America Act The British North America Acts 1867–1975 are a series of Acts of Parliament that were at the core of the constitution of Canada. Most were enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom and some by the Parliament of Canada. In Canada, some ...

in 1867.

In 1868, the first Penitentiary Act brought prisons in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of ...

and Halifax, along with Kingston, under federal jurisdiction. Over the next twelve years, the federal government built Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary in

Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Quebec Saint-Vincent-de-Paul is a district in the eastern part of Laval, Quebec, Canada. Saint-Vincent-de-Paul was a town before August 6, 1965. Saint-Vincent-de-Paul is named after Vincent de Paul. Geography It is surrounded by Duvernay at the we ...

(1873), Manitoba Penitentiary, in Stoney Mountain, Manitoba (1877), British Columbia Penitentiary, in New Westminster, British Columbia (1878) and

Dorchester Penitentiary The Dorchester Penitentiary ( French: Pénitencier de Dorchester) is a Canadian federal corrections facility located in the village of Dorchester, New Brunswick. It shares a property with Westmorland Institution and Shepody Healing Centre. ...

, in Dorchester, New Brunswick (1880). The regime of these prisons included productive labour during the day, solitary confinement during leisure hours and the rule of silence at all times. While there was no parole, prisoners with good conduct could have three days per month remitted from their sentence.

Reformation and rehabilitation

The Royal Commission to Investigate the Penal System of Canada (the Archambault Commission) was formed in response to a series of riots and strikes in the 1930s.Correctional Service of Canada
History of the Canadian Correctional System
. Retrieved on: 2011-09-09. The

Archambault report The Archambault Report was an influential study of the penitentiary system in Canada, published in 1938. It is widely recognized as Canada's preeminent document on prison reform in that it changed the focus in Canadian prisons from retributive j ...

, published in 1938, proposed sweeping changes for Canadian penitentiaries, with emphasis on crime prevention and the rehabilitation of prisoners. The Commission recommended a complete revision of penitentiary regulations to provide "strict but humane discipline and the reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners." While the commission's recommendations were not immediately implemented due to the advent of World War II, much of the report's philosophy remains influential. After the Second World War, prison populations dropped, causing undercrowding and prison disturbances. This led to the creation of the Fauteaux Committee in 1953. The Committee saw prisons not merely as fulfilling a custodial role, but also to provide programs that would promote "worthwhile and creative activity" and address the basic behaviour, attitudes and patterns of inmates. This meant prisons had to change to support such programs and provide opportunities for

vocational training Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an in ...

, pre-release and after-care programs. The Fauteux Report recommended hiring more, and better-trained, personnel, including those with professional qualifications in social work, psychology, psychiatry, criminology and law. An important legacy of the Committee was the creation of the

National Parole Board The Parole Board of Canada (french: Commission des libérations conditionnelles du Canada; formerly known as the National Parole Board) is the Canadian government agency that is responsible for reviewing and issuing parole and criminal pardons i ...

in 1959 and the development of a system of

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

to replace the former ticket of leave system.Roberts, J and D. Cole (1999). ''Making sense of sentencing''. 147. University of Toronto Press. While stating that parole was not to be a reduction, or undermining, of the sentence, the committee emphasized its strong support for parole:

Parole is a well-recognized procedure which is designed to be a logical step in the reformation and rehabilitation of a person who has been convicted of an offence and, as a result, is undergoing imprisonment... It is a transitional step between close confinement in an institution and absolute freedom in society (Fauteux 1956, 51).'"

The Penitentiary Act was amended in 1961 and a plan enacted to build ten new penitentiaries across Canada to implement the Fauteaux Committee's recommendations.

Commissioning of the CSC

In the 1970s, there was a movement to combine the then Penitentiary Service and the National Parole Service. This resulted in a Report to Parliament by the Sub-Committee on the Penitentiary System in Canada, chaired by

Mark MacGuigan Mark Rudolph MacGuigan, (February 17, 1931 – January 12, 1998) was a Canadian academic and politician. Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, the son of Mark Rudolph MacGuigan and Agnes Violet Trainor, he was educated at Saint ...

. The move toward consolidation was recognized by Commissioner Donald Yeomans, who referred to "...our efforts to come up with a title for our Service which will give us a proper identity and project the image of the merger of the Penitentiary Service and the National Parole Service." and announced that the name would be "The Correctional Service of Canada." (Yeomans, April 5, 1979). The Correctional Service of Canada was established in 1979, following the merger of the Canadian Penitentiary Service and the National Parole Service, in 1976. Carl Lochnan, an expert in the field of Heraldry, who developed the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

, was contracted to develop the new Coat of Arms for the Commissioning of the Correctional Service of Canada. Lochnan filed a research document that stated in part the background philosophy on the given development: On December 21, 1978, Commissioner Donald R. Yeomans approved the chosen design. In early 1979, the Coat-of-Arms was forwarded by Solicitor General

Jean-Jacques Blais Jean-Jacques Blais, (born June 27, 1940) is a former Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Nipissing in the House of Commons of Canada from 1972 to 1984. He was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. Born in Sturgeon Falls, Onta ...

to the

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...

requesting the Queen's approval (Blais, March 29, 1979). On April 10,

gave Royal Assent and authorization of the new Coat-of-Arms (Joly de Lotbiniere, April 20, 1979).

List of commissioners

* Don Yeomans (1977–1985) * Rhéal J. Leblanc (1985–1988) * Ole Ingstrup (1988–1992) * John Edwards (1993–1996) * Ole Ingstrup (1996–2000) * Lucie McClung (2000–2005) * Keith Coulter (2005–2008) * Don Head (2008–2018) * Anne Kelly (2018–present)

Legislative jurisdiction

The operation of the CSC is governed by federal statute under the ''Corrections and Conditional Release Act'' and ''Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations''. In addition, the statute provides for discretion under the directive of the Commissioner. However, all Commissioner's Directives must remain within the parameters of the

Charter of Rights and Freedoms The ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' (french: Charte canadienne des droits et libertés), often simply referred to as the ''Charter'' in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part o ...

and the ''Corrections and Conditional Release Act''. Correctional Service Canada only has jurisdiction over offenders in Canada for court-imposed sentences 24 months (two years) or greater.

Court-imposed sentencing

There are two types of court-imposed sentences: # a determinate sentence; # an indeterminate sentence. A determinate sentence is a sentence with a completion date (example five years, seven months), called a "Warrant Expiry". This date is court imposed, at which time Correctional Service Canada no longer has jurisdiction over the offender. An indeterminate sentence is a sentence that is commonly referred to as a "

life sentence Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes ...

". Correctional Service Canada has jurisdiction over the offender until the offender passes away. Although the court does impose a minimum number of years before the offender can apply to the Parole Board of Canada for conditional release. Thus, a court-imposed sentence of life with no parole for twenty-five years would indicate that the offender would be incarcerated for a minimum of twenty five years prior to consideration for a potential conditional release to the community, under the supervision of a community parole officer. As of 2006 the incarceration rate in Canada was 107 per 100,000 people; one seventh that of the United States'.

Security classification of offenders

There are three levels of security within Correctional Service Canada. They include maximum, medium, and minimum. Case management is completed by institutional parole officers (POs) within institutions, and by community parole officers in the community. The Parole Board of Canada has the complete responsibility in making liberty decisions at the point in the court-imposed sentence where an offender is allowed to live in the community on conditional release. Once an offender is sentenced by a court to a sentence of two (2) years or more the offender comes under the jurisdiction of Correctional Service Canada. An institutional parole officer completes a comprehensive assessment of the offender's criminality and formulates an "offender security classification report" and a "correctional plan". It is this correctional plan that the offender will be assessed against for the entire court-imposed sentence. Preparing offenders for their return to the community is an important focus for the Correctional Services of Canada. This preparation has become more difficult in recent years due to over crowding prisons and cutbacks in rehabilitative services of offenders. Parole officers who monitor these offenders are now stretched thin making these officers do more with less to work with. With this being such a big issue, the Correctional services of Canada developed the Integrated Police-Parole Initiative (IPPI). Also known as the Community Correctional Liaison Officer (CCLO) program. The IPPI received funding to begin operations in 16 locations across Canada in 2006-2007. This program places police officers in Correctional Services of Canada offices, where they support the activities of the parole staff. The officers specifically work with high-risk offenders in their transition to the community to try an increase public safety. High-risk, ex-prisoners face numerous challenges in re-entering their community, both personal and bureaucratic or legal. Many return to the neighborhood where they committed the crime, and deal with temptations of gang-life, criminal associates and substance abuse. With this, there should be no surprise that studies have shown that over two-thirds of offenders are rearrested within three years of release. These stats are what pushed the IPPI program to pay special attention to parolees with the highest level of risk; in the first months following release; and returning to locations with the highest levels of criminality. IPPI realized that there needed to be a different approach and make the parole officers more involved on a face-to-face basis which resulted in a more successful transition to the real world for ex-prisoners.

Employees

Most personnel are plain clothed including, Parole Officers, Program Facilitators, Psychologists, Staff Training Officers, Assessment and Intervention Managers, Security Intelligence Officers, Assistant/Deputy Wardens, and the Institutional Head, called the "

Warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically identic ...

". Each Region of Canada has a "Regional Deputy Commissioner" who reports directly to the Commissioner of Correctional Service Canada, who is based in the

National Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...

(

). Employees working at federal penitentiaries are designated as federal

Peace Officer A law enforcement officer (LEO), or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include campaign disclosure specialists, local police officers, prose ...

s under Section 10 of the ''Corrections and Conditional Release Act

Uniformed Correctional Officers

Correctional Officer A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...

is an employee of the Public Service of Canada. All CSC Correctional Officers are uniformed and are designated as federal

s under Section 10 of the ''Corrections and Conditional Release Act

The rank structure in CSC begins at entry as a Correctional Officer 1 (CX-01), also known as COI. These officers are responsible for security functions at the institution including patrols, security posts, first response, and escorts. A Correctional Officer 2 (CX-02), or COII, is typically assigned to positions requiring a more experienced officer that works various posts including living units, communications, or visits. Correctional Officers who are specifically designated for Federally Sentenced Women (FSW) are called Primary Workers and have an entry Police rank, rank of COII. A COII is not in any way a supervisory role to a COI, but are used to coordinate officers within their sector. Once officers move into a supervisory role, which starts at Staff Training Officer (CX-03, formerly Correctional Supervisor), the uniform shirt colour is changed from navy blue to light blue. The Correctional Manager (CX-04), or CM, is the Institutional Supervisor, and historically had been referred to as the "Keeper of the Keys", or in short the "Keeper". All rank insignia is worn as shoulder

epaulets Epaulette (; also spelled epaulet) is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. Flexible metal epaulettes (usually made from brass) are referred to as ''shoulder scales'' ...

attached to the shoulder straps of the uniform as either the word "RECRUIT" for officer recruits currently in training, or as 1, 2, 3, or 4 gold bars. Within CSC, dress uniforms are available to staff member outside of the correctional officer ranks. Senior rank (worn as epaulets and typically only present on dress uniforms) are as follows: *''Commissioner'': Crown, above a crossed key and torch, with four towers displayed below. *''Senior Deputy Commissioner'': Crown, above a crossed key and torch, with three towers displayed below. *''Assistant Commissioner'': Same as above, but with two towers. *''Regional Deputy Commissioner'': Same as above, with one tower. Uniformed Correctional Officers in the ranks of Correctional Officer 1, Correctional Officer 2, and Staff Training Officer are unionized and as such are members of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO). Dress uniforms echo the same rank as displayed above. Each institution has a Ceremonial Unit that represent the Service at formal events across Canada and internationally. Examples of such events include local and ceremonial parades, funerals, recruit graduations, and national and international commemoration services. The Ceremonial Unit consists of a Guard of Honour, the CSC Community Pipes and Drums Band and a Ceremonial Guard. Through their activities, the Unit is a proud public face for the Service's Correctional Officers, Parole Officers, and other staff, who play an important role in keeping communities safe for Canadians. Ceremonial rank structure is as follows, typically worn as epaulets on the dress uniform shirt and tunic. *''National Ceremonial Commander'': Three stars (pips) centered with crossed key and torch. *''National Command Sergeant-Major'': Rank positioned on the right sleeve depicting the Royal Crown above a crossed key and torch, and encircled by a laurel wreath. A crimson shoulder sash to be worn under the right shoulder strap of the tunic and across to the left hip. *''Regional Ceremonial Commander'': Three pips. *''Regional Sergeant-Major'': Rank positioned on the right sleeve depicting the Tudor Crown, a crossed key and torch, encircled by a laurel wreath. Crimson sash worn over the right shoulder and positioned under the right epaulet and right tunic lapel. *''Institutional Squad Leader'': Two pips. *''Institutional Squad (2 i/c)'': One pip.

CSC institutions

;

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...

Bowden Institution Bowden Institution is a medium security prison operated by Correctional Services Canada. It was built on an ''"open campus"'' model. In an adjoining minimum security annex prisoners live in ordinary houses. The facility is located on Alberta's ...

Drumheller Institution The Drumheller Institution is a medium-security prison operated in Drumheller, Alberta by the Correctional Service of Canada The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC; french: Service correctionnel du Canada), also known as Correctional Service C ...

Edmonton Institution The Edmonton Institution (french: Établissement d'Edmonton) is a maximum security federal institution located in the northeastern part of Edmonton, Alberta. It has rule books which prevent inmates from calls to the media without prior author ...

* Edmonton Institution for Women *

Grande Cache Institution Grande Cache Institution is a medium security prison located in Grande Cache, Alberta. History The facility was opened in 1985 and operated by the province of Alberta (Correctional Services of the Ministry of Solicitor General and Public Secur ...

Grierson Centre The Grierson Centre, also known as Grierson Institution, is a minimum security prison and historic site in Downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The institution is operated by the Correctional Service of Canada. The Grierson Centre originally se ...

* Pê Sâkâstêw ;

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

* Fraser Valley Institution for Women *

Ferndale Institution Ferndale Institution is the former name of the minimum-security federal correctional annex of Mission Institution, now referred as Mission Minimum Institution. Is located in Mission, British Columbia, in the central Fraser Valley, about 80 kilometr ...

* Kent Institution * Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Lodge *

Matsqui Institution Matsqui Institution is a federal medium-security prison facility in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, about 70 kilometres east of Vancouver. The Institution is operated by the Correctional Service of Canada and was opened in 1966. Accommodati ...

Mission Institution Mission Institution is a minimum and medium security federal institution within the Correctional Service of Canada and is located in Mission, British Columbia. It has a capacity of 540 inmates: 324 in medium security and 216 in minimum security. ...

* Mountain Institution * Pacific Institution/Regional Treatment Center/Regional Reception and Assessment Center (RRAC) *

William Head Institution William Head Institution is a Canadian minimum-security federal correctional institution for men located in Metchosin, British Columbia, about southwest of Victoria on the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island. The Institution opened in 1959 and ...

;

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

Stony Mountain Manitoba - Federal Penitentiary

Rockwood Institution Rockwood Institution is a federal minimum-security facility located in the community of Stony Mountain, Rural Municipality of Rockwood, Manitoba, about 11 mi (18 km) from Winnipeg. It opened in 1962 and can accommodate up to 167 inmat ...

* Stony Mountain Institution ;

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

Atlantic Institution Atlantic Institution (french: Établissement de l'AtlantiqueÉtablissement de l'Atlantique

Westmorland Institution The Westmorland Institution is a Canadian federal corrections facility located in the village of Dorchester, New Brunswick. It shares a property with Dorchester Penitentiary and Shepody Healing Centre. History It was opened in 1962 as a min ...

;

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

Nova Institution for Women Nova Institution for Women (french: Établissement Nova pour femmes) is a Canadian federal prison for women in Truro, Nova Scotia. The facility, which handles different levels of offenders, can accommodate up to 70 inmates. Nova Institution open ...

Springhill Institution The Springhill Institution (french: Établissement de Springhill) is a Canadian federal corrections facility located in the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia. History It was opened on 15 October 1967 on the southwestern edge of the former coal min ...

;

* Bath Institution *

Beaver Creek Institution Beaver Creek Institution is a minimum and medium security federal prison operated by the Correctional Service of Canada in Gravenhurst, Ontario.

Fenbrook Institution Fenbrook Institution is a Canadian medium security prison located in Gravenhurst, Ontario.Collins Bay Institution Collins Bay Institution (french: Établissement de Collins Bay) is a multilevel correctional facility in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and falls under the supervision of Correctional Services of Canada. The facility was opened in 1930, and is now ...

* Frontenac Institution (situated behind Collins Bay Institution, in Kingston) * Joyceville Institution, in Kingston * Pittsburgh Institution, in Kingston *

Grand Valley Institution for Women Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI; french: Établissement pour femmes Grand Valley) is a women's prison in Kitchener, Ontario, operated by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). In Canada, all offenders sentenced to prison terms of g ...

(closed 2013) * Millhaven Institution * Regional Treatment Centre (closed 2013) *

Warkworth Institution The Warkworth Institution is a medium-security prison facility located in the municipality of Trent Hills, Ontario, between the communities of Meyersburg and Warkworth. The prison is the largest federal correctional institution The Federal ...

;

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

Archambault Institution Archambault Institution (french: Établissement Archambault) is a prison of the Correctional Service Canada in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec. Its minimum security unit opened in 1968 and its medium security unit opened in 1969; the capacities r ...

Cowansville Cowansville is a town in south-central Quebec, Canada, located on Lac Davignon north of the U.S. border. It is the seat of Brome-Missisquoi, a regional county municipality. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 15,234. In recent years ...

Institution *

Donnacona Chief Donnacona (died 1539 in France) was the chief of the St. Lawrence Iroquois village of Stadacona, located at the present site of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. French explorer Jacques Cartier, concluding his second voyage to what is now Can ...

Institution * Drummond Institution * Federal Training Centre and Montée St.-François Institution in Laval * La Macaza Institution *

Joliette Institution for Women Joliette Institution for Women (french: Établissement Joliette pour femmes) is a prison for women in Joliette, Quebec, northeast of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Port-Cartier Institution *

Regional Reception Centre The Regional Reception Centre (french: link=no, Centre régional de réception) is a Canadian federal prison for men located with Archambault Institution at the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) complex at Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec, a ...

* Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines Institution ;

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

* Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge *

Regional Psychiatric Centre The Regional Psychiatric Centre is classified as a custodial forensic psychiatry facility (Federal Forensic Hospital) with multiple security levels with a staff of 345, it is located on a parcel of land owned by the University of Saskatchewan ...

* Riverbend Institution *

Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary Saskatchewan Penitentiary is a Medium Security Facility with Maximum Security areas. It is located on a walled 20-acre (81,000 m²) parcel of land in the Rural Municipality of Prince Albert No. 461, one kilometre west of Prince Albert, Saskatch ...

Among the institutions are "

healing lodge A healing lodge is a Canadian correctional institution designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) inmates. Healing lodges were created to address the concern that traditional prisons do not work on aboriginal offend ...

s" for Aboriginal offenders.

Citizens' Advisory Committees

Under section 7 of the ''Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations'' and further by Commissioner's Directives CD 023, each institution and parole office must establish a Citizens' Advisory Committee (CAC) who are mandated to "contribute to the public safety by actively interacting with staff of the Correctional Service of Canada, the public and offenders, providing impartial advice and recommendations, thereby contributing to the quality of the correctional process." Each institution and parole office forms the 'local committee' for which the CSC consult with on matters regarding correctional operations, programs, policies, and plans. They in turn participate in the regional committee (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairies and Pacific) to coordinate initiatives for the region. Finally, the National Executive Committee is made up of the five CAC Regional Chairpersons as well as by the National Chairperson, who are responsible for liaison between the committees and the CSC HQ, monitor and review all policies or actions of the CSC at the local, regional and national levels and adopt cohesive strategy for all committees. All CAC members have, by law, the authority to have reasonable access to every part of the institution or parole office they are attached to, talk with all the staff and offenders or parolee within the organization and access to hearings (if the offender consents). These authorities are given to members once they have their applications approved and security clearances approved by CSC National Headquarters.

Criticism and controversy

In 2003, the CSC was criticized for its policies for reportedly releasing certain prisoners on a quota system. Scott Newark, a former prosecutor and executive director of the

Canadian Police Association The Canadian Police Association (CPA) is an advocacy and fundraising organization that is also a registered lobbyist with the Canadian government. The CPA represents Canadian police officers. It is divided into 27 regional chapters at municipal, ...

, who is now special counsel to the Ontario Attorney General's Office for Victims of Crime, stated that the Correctional Service of Canada is out of control and that "I think Canadians have good reason to be outraged.""Easy Out: Catching those on the lam"
CTV News, April 22, 2003.(retrieved on August 15, 2008) Newark stated that there is a big push in Correctional Services to get more offenders out of penitentiaries and onto the street in what is called "The Reintegration Project". Although this policy is cheaper than keeping convicts imprisoned, Newark's office contends convicts are being shoved out the door to meet a release quota. Newark stated that he had obtained documents to prove this, including memos, minutes, and confidential Corrections correspondence, and an internal memorandum talk about setting a "goal of a 50/50 split of offenders between institutions and the community".

Lawrence MacAulay Lawrence A. MacAulay (born September 9, 1946) is a Canadian politician, who has represented the riding of Cardigan, Prince Edward Island in the House of Commons since 1988. On June 11, 1997, he joined the cabinet of Prime Minister Jean Chrét ...

, who was the Solicitor General in charge of the CSC when the documents were written, denied that there were any quotas, stating that: "There are no quotas. There never was ... If anybody has the idea of a quota, they forgot to check with the minister." However, shortly after this interview, MacAulay resigned and

Wayne Easter Wayne Easter (born June 22, 1949) is a former Canadian politician who represented the riding of Malpeque, Prince Edward Island from 1993 to 2021. Before politics Born in North Wiltshire, Prince Edward Island, the son of A. Leith Easter and H ...

took over as solicitor general. An internal Corrections audit reported that parole officers are overwhelmed. A senior union official said some parole officers, especially in cities, have caseloads of 40 or more instead of the recommended 18, and as a result, they are unable to do all of the crucial collateral checks in the community, such as talking to employers, landlords, neighbours and other family members. Police officers have also complained that when parole violators are apprehended, they are often immediately re-released back on parole. Officer Greg Sullivan, who is part of a team that tracks down parole violators, criticized the CSC, stating that "It gets really frustrating especially when you see violent offenders who are out several times over and we've gone after them two and three times in an eight-month period."

References

External links

* {{authority control Federal departments and agencies of Canada Government agencies established in 1978 Public Safety Canada

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

Uniformed services of Canada Federal law enforcement agencies of Canada