Today, Anne Kelly, the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, issued the following statement:
"I welcome the Office of the Correctional Investigator's (OCI) 2023-2024 Annual Report and thank them for their work and recommendations. Our work in delivering effective corrections is something we take to heart and our response to the report outlines the ways we are addressing the recommendations put forward.
First and foremost, I want to thank the Correctional Investigator for acknowledging and recognizing the professionalism and dedication of CSC employees across our institutions. An organization is nothing without its people and our employees work hard every day to keep Canadians safe.
We continue to take action on ways to innovate within the correctional system. One of our major initiatives is the development of a new Offender Management System (OMS) that is more user-friendly, efficient, effective, and will improve how we work. This is a significant step forward in CSC's goal of fulfilling its mandate by adopting more modern technology and practices.
In order to increase the safety and security of our facilities, all of our institutions are now equipped with various drone detection systems, which are producing positive results. From January 1 to June 30, 2024, out of 290 drone incidents, 98% of drones were detected. CSC has also deployed detector dogs in all regions - dogs specifically trained to also detect electronic storage devices, including cell phones. In addition, we continue to work with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) on innovative solutions to further reduce the entry of contraband within our correctional institutions.
CSC's mandate is to contribute to public safety by assisting and supporting offenders in their rehabilitation and eventual return to our communities as law-abiding citizens. A key part of this is providing them with education, programming, interventions, and services that contribute to this end goal. Since 2021-2022, the percentage of offenders who:
- upgraded their education prior to first release has increased by more than 15%;
- completed a required correctional program prior to first release has increased by almost 10%; and,
- received a vocational certificate has increased by 38%.
In addition, CSC has made significant efforts to increase access to culturally relevant interventions and programs for Indigenous offenders. In 2022-2023, there was a 144% increase from the previous year and, in 2023-2024, CSC saw a further 45% increase in the total number of Indigenous offenders transferred to Section 81 and CSC Healing Lodge facilities over the previous fiscal year.
Overall, during the past decade, there has been a steady and substantial improvement in the percentage of federal offenders not returning to federal custody within 5 years of sentence expiration:
- from 83.3% in 2014-2015 to 89.9% in 2023-2024 for all offenders
- 89.4% for men in 2023-2024
- 96.2% for women in 2023-2024
- from 74.8% in 2014-15 to 83.8% in 2023-24 for Indigenous offenders
- from 88.7% in 2014-15 to 90.4% in 2023-24 for Black offenders
In June, we evacuated more than 220 maximum security inmates from Port-Cartier Institution, in Quebec, over a 24-hour period to avoid the raging wildfires that were threatening the area. In a letter to me dated August 8, 2024, the Correctional Investigator described the unprecedented transfers as "a feat" and agreed that "this large-scale operation in an emergency and high-security context was carried out masterfully."
CSC's ability to manage through these extraordinary challenges is due to the hard work, dedication, and resiliency of our staff, partners, volunteers, and stakeholders. I am incredibly proud of our team and the work they do to deliver on our mandate and keep Canadians safe.
