Commissioner's Letter to the Editor

Recently, there have been several articles about hiring by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). I would like to clear up some key misconceptions.

The "4,000 new hires" referenced is from CSC's 2010-2011 Report on Plans and Priorities and represented the planned increase in staff from April 2010 to March 2013. It was based on a projected inmate population of approximately 18,000 by March 2013. To date, this population stands at just under 15,000, substantially less than our projections for this point in time.

While we have seen growth in our inmate population, our projections did not materialize as originally forecasted. As is our normal practice, we continuously examine and adjust our hiring plans, so that our human resources are commensurate with actual inmate population growth.

Let me state very clearly: our hiring of staff is based on the actual number of inmates, not projections. As a result, we will not be hiring 4,000 new employees. I can assure you that CSC will not hire any new staff nor build any new facilities that are not needed to effectively manage our actual population levels, and ensure public safety results for all Canadians.

Don Head
Commissioner
Correctional Service Canada