National News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE 30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICE OF CANADA

Ottawa, Ontario – The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is proudly celebrating the 30th anniversary of the renaming of the organization and a long and distinguished history of improving public safety for Canadians.

In 1979, several administrative changes led to the organization adopting the Correctional Service of Canada name and a new crest.  As part of its Transformation Agenda, CSC is currently undergoing significant operational changes to respond to the Government’s commitment to tackling crime and making our communities safer.

“As CSC moves forward, we must take the time to reflect on our achievements from the past 30 years and acknowledge the invaluable hard work and commitment of our numerous staff, volunteers, community partners and stakeholders,” said CSC Commissioner Don Head.

Please join CSC in celebrating its 30th anniversary and participate in celebratory events across the country. Celebrations will take place from April 2009 to March 2010. 

For more information, please visit the CSC 30th anniversary commemorative site at www.csc-scc.gc.ca/30anni.

For further information, please contact:

Christa McGregor
Senior Media Relations Officer
Public Affairs and Parliamentary Relations
Correctional Service of Canada
(613) 947-4815

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BACKGROUND

The History of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)

• 1966, the Department of the Solicitor General was created to include national police, penitentiaries and parole – all under one Minister.
• 1975-76, the Solicitor General Secretariat coordinated a Ministry Task Force to develop and reorganize the structure of a new Federal Corrections Agency to be responsible for all operational responsibilities of the federal government in the correctional field.
• 1976, many administrative changes took place that saw the amalgamation of the Canadian Penitentiary Service and the National Parole Service.
• 1978, the need for a completely new identity grew and a design process was initiated for a new crest.
• January 12, 1979, a letter from then-Solicitor General, Jean-Jacques Blais, was sent to the President of the Treasury Board asking permission to amend the Penitentiary Act to reflect the renaming of the organization to Correctional Service of Canada, and adopt a new crest to reflect this change.
• April 5, 1979, Commissioner Donald R. Yeomans made a formal announcement to the Senior Management Committee renaming the Canadian Corrections Service to the Correctional Service of Canada.
  
• April 10, 1979, Queen Elizabeth II formally approved and signed off on a new CSC crest design. The original design of the crest, carrying this date, is found in the CSC Museum in Kingston, Ontario.

The CSC Crest

The crest is a six-pointed gold star and sunburst on which a green ring is centered.  The words CORRECTIONAL SERVICE CORRECTIONNEL CANADA are inscribed on the ring in gold. The ring is surmounted by the crown, which covers the topmost point of the star. Inside the ring are a crossed gold key and torch, superimposed by the Canadian maple leaf. The key represents custodial responsibilities and the torch represents training, education and parole. A green ribbon set on the star's lowest point carries the Latin motto FUTURA RECIPERE - "to grasp the future".