Deputy Commissioner for Indigenous Corrections
About the role
The Deputy Commissioner for Indigenous Corrections heads Correctional Service of Canada’s (CSC) Indigenous Initiatives Sector and reports directly to the Commissioner.
About the Deputy Commissioner for Indigenous Corrections
Kathy Neil is a proud Métis descendant whose ancestors originated from the Red River Manitoba area. She was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and has 27 years of experience in the field of corrections.
In the past, Kathy served as Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Correctional Operations, for CSC in the Prairie Region, and the Warden of Saskatchewan Penitentiary. She has first-hand experience working directly with federally incarcerated Indigenous peoples in correctional institutions and healing lodges, including occupying positions in the areas of human resources, health services and mental health. Earlier in her career, she was a:
- Community Health Worker
- Mental Health Facilitator, and
- a Crisis Interventions Counsellor
Kathy Neil, Deputy Commissioner for Indigenous Corrections
Kathy also worked on the historic elimination of administrative segregation and implementation of Structured Intervention Units in 2019, including policy development, operations, and training.
Kathy has extensive knowledge of Indigenous communities, their history, and of the federally incarcerated Indigenous population in Canada. This has helped her develop robust partnerships and initiatives that are culturally appropriate and sensitive to the needs of this population and of its support networks.
Kathy has strong ties to her community and believes that positive relationships are key to assisting and supporting incarcerated Indigenous peoples on their rehabilitation journey.
As a proponent for Indigenous recruitment and retention, Kathy serves as a mentor to many and actively seeks opportunities to partner with Indigenous peoples and organizations.
Kathy holds a BA with a major in Indigenous studies and sociology from the University of Saskatchewan.
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Introducing the new Deputy Commissioner for Indigenous Corrections - Canada.ca