Working together
Citizen advisory committees within the Correctional Service of Canada

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As part of the criminal justice system, CSC is the federal agency responsible for:

• the administration of sentences
• the management of correctional facilities, and
• the supervision of offenders serving sentences of two or more years

Because all offenders come from the community, and most will eventually return there, their successful reintegration requires community acceptance and support. This opens the door for citizens to become involved in the correctional system to help shape their communities. One way CSC achieves this is through Citizen Advisory Committees (CAC).

Communities and their citizens have an important role to place in the Canadian criminal justice system. Since their initial inception in 1965, and subsequent recognition through the Parliamentary Sub-Committee Report on Federal Penitentiaries (1977), Citizen Advisory Committees (CAC) have helped to inform communities about the correctional process and contribute to the overall development of correctional facilities and programs. Approximately 500 citizens participate in CACs and there are close to 100 CACs active across Canada. Almost all of the federal institutions and district parole offices have a CAC.

• We believe that public safety must be the paramount consideration in the correctional process.
• We respect:
• the dignity of individuals
• the rights of all members of society, and
• the potential for human growth and development
• We believe in the right of all citizens to become informed participants in the correctional process.
• We believe that offenders have the potential to live as law-abiding citizens.
• We believe that the community has a responsibility to facilitate the reintegration of the offender into society.
• We believe that the effective operation of all citizen advisory committees throughout Canada is essential in managing the Correctional Service of Canada with openness and integrity.

• To promote public knowledge and understanding of corrections through communication among:
  • offenders
  • CSC staff, and
  • the public
• To contribute to the overall development of correctional facilities and programs.
• To foster public participation in the correctional process.
• To participate in developing community resources designed to support correctional programs.
• To act as impartial observers.
• To positively contribute to the development and implementation of new policies and programs through meaningful consultation.

With a keen interest in positively contributing to the correctional process, CACs provide a means for the community to represent and express itself in the core work of the CSC.

Through their voluntary participation in the Canadian correctional process, which is guided by their mission and values, CACs provide:

CACs provide advice to CSC management on the development, implementation, and operation of correctional facilities and about their impact on surrounding communities. CAC members fulfill this role by regularly visiting correctional facilities, and meeting with:

• offenders
• local union representatives, and
• CSC management and employees

CAC members act as impartial observers of the day-to-day operations of CSC, which helps demonstrate CSC’s commitment to:

• openness
• integrity, and
• accountability

They help CSC evaluate and monitor the provision of adequate care, supervision, and programs for offenders, in accordance with stated values, legislation, and approved regulations and procedures such as CSC’s Mission and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA). CACs also act as impartial observers during institutional crises.

By acting as a link between communities and CSC, CACs:

• educate the public about CSC
• address public concerns, and
• build support for the correctional process

They also provide CSC management, at institutions and parole offices, a community perspective on institutional, operational, and policy decisions. They:

• educate the local community on correctional objectives and programs
• develop and implement means to enhance communication with the local community, and
• generally contribute and encourage public participation in the correctional process

• CACs reflect, as much as possible, the ethnic, gender, socio-economic, and cultural diversity of the community and endeavour to be the "public presence" in corrections.
• CAC members are local citizens who volunteer their time with the goal of making a difference in the criminal justice system.
• CAC members are independent from the management of CSC and are not paid for their services.
• CAC members are appointed for a minimum three-year period, which may be renewed.
• Following the submission of an application, potential CAC members will be subject to an orientation and recommendation process prior to being appointed.
• CACs' role as a community partner is administered through the CAC, which is under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Public Safety.

If you would like to become involved or would like more information about CACs or about CSC, please contact us:

• Atlantic Region
  Phone: 506-851-6313
  Email: GEN-ATL.VolunteersBenevoles@csc-scc.gc.ca
• Quebec Region
  Phone: 450-972-7768
  Email: 301-Coord.Liaisonaveclacollectivite@csc-scc.gc.ca
• Ontario Region
  Phone: 613-536-4527
  Email: GEN-ONT-CEES@csc-scc.gc.ca
• Prairie Region
  Phone: 306-659-9300
  Email: 500CitizenEngagement@csc-scc.gc.ca
• Pacific Region
  Phone: 604-870-2500
  Email: CitizenEngagement.GEN-PAC-RHQ@csc-scc.gc.ca
• National Headquarters
  Email: engagementdescitoyens.gen-nhqcitizen@csc-scc.gc.ca