Policies Related to Multiculturalism

CSC is legally obligated to assist and equip all offenders under its responsibility, no matter their race or ethnicity, to become law-abiding citizens. The policies in place to guide CSC in this area are summarized as follows:

Corrections and Conditional Release Act, s. 3 and 4(g): Correctional policies, programs and practices respect gender, ethnic, cultural and linguistic differences and [are] responsive to the special needs of women and Aboriginal peoples, persons requiring mental health care and other groups.
Corrections and Conditional Release Act, s. 83: For greater certainty, Aboriginal spirituality and Aboriginal spiritual leaders and elders have the same status as other religions and other religious leaders. CSC shall take all reasonable steps to make available to Aboriginal inmates the services of an Aboriginal spiritual leader or elder after consultation with the National Aboriginal Advisory; and the appropriate regional and local Aboriginal advisory committees, if such committees have been established pursuant to that section.

Commissioner's Directives (CDs):

CD-01, Mission of the Correctional Service Canada: Public service is based on relationships of trust, respect for the dignity and worth of others, including Canadians at large, our partners, our clients, our critics and ourselves as colleagues and individuals and as members of diverse linguistic and cultural groups. They include characteristics such as respect, reasonableness, civility, openness, fairness and inclusiveness.
CD-081, Offender Complaints and Grievances: To support the fair and expeditious resolution of offender complaints and grievances at the lowest possible level in a manner that is consistent with the law. The directive also ensures that the legal obligation to provide timely and impartial resolution of offender complaints and grievances is met.
CD-23, Citizen Advisory Committee: To foster positive relations with the community by engaging citizens in the development of policies and offender programs and to ensure that they are enriched by diverse perspectives.
CD-259, Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke: Exposure to Second-hand Smoke has been revised to include provisions that allow Aboriginal practices and spiritual activities to continue.
CD-566-12, Personal Property of Inmates - Principle 8: Decisions on inmates' personal property will be made in a manner that respects gender, religious and cultural considerations.
CD-60, Code of Discipline: Relationships with other staff members must promote mutual respect within Correctional Service Canada and improve the quality of service. Staff are expected to contribute to a safe, healthy and secure work environment, free of harassment and discrimination.
CD-700, Correctional Intervention: All aspects of correctional work require a commitment to sensitivity to and respect for diversity.
CD-702, Aboriginal Offenders: To ensure that Aboriginal Offenders have an equitable opportunity to practice their culture and traditions without discrimination and the opportunity to use traditional Aboriginal healing practices.
CD-710-3, Offender Specific Personal Development Programs: Ensures that inmates are provided with opportunities to access the community or another institution for the following reasons: medical, administrative, parental responsibility, compassionate reasons, community service, family contact, personal development, and for rehabilitative purposes. The process requires that inmates are supervised appropriately.
CD-715, Offender Specific Personal Development Programs: To establish a framework for the supervision and support of offenders in the community that promotes their reintegration and active involvement in meeting the objectives of their Correctional Plan, with the protection of society as the paramount consideration.
CD-715-5,Community Supervision of Women with Children: The directive directs and supports the work of staff in their supervision of women with children in the community. For women who have had a child/children living with them while in custody, issues of accommodations during gradual release are addressed to support a continuation of the mother-child relationship.
CD-726, Management of Correctional Programs: Offenders are to receive the most effective Correctional Programs at the appropriate time in their sentence to rehabilitate and prepare them for reintegration into the community. These programs are to respect gender, ethnic, cultural and linguistic differences, being responsive to the special needs of women, aboriginal offenders, offenders requiring mental health care and other groups.
CD-760, Leisure Activities: Each institution shall develop and maintain relationships with individuals and groups in the community for social and cultural purposes.
CD-767, Ethnocultural Offender Programs: To ensure that the needs and cultural interests of offenders belonging to Ethnocultural minority groups are identified and that programs and services are developed and maintained to meet those needs.
CD-775, Volunteers and Volunteer Activities: To develop and maintain ties between offenders and the community by encouraging citizens to participate, as volunteers working with staff members, in activities designed to help offenders become law-abiding citizens.
CSC is committed to developing and maintaining a strong and diverse workforce that reflects the wider Canadian community we serve. As such, the organization has Human Resource plans that reflect this ongoing effort.
CSC has operating policies regarding ethnic groups and cultural events, and all inmate ethnic and cultural groups must establish a constitution.
Staff members are subject to numerous legislations, policies, including the Canadian Human Rights Act, Canadian Multiculturalism Act, Policy on Duty to Accommodate, Employment Equity Act, Guidelines on Workplace Accommodation, CDs, and Policy on Harassment in the Workplace.

Correctional Service Canada's mandate includes the development and delivery of programs aimed at helping offenders prepare for their eventual community reintegration. In the light of an increasingly culturally diverse offender and staff population, the organization continues to deliver programs related to multiculturalism and cultural diversity.