Articles and Related Media

Canada Receives World Attention: Visitors Abound

By Shereen Benzvy Miller, Director, International Special Projects and Bill Rankin, Communications Officer, Communications and Consultation Sector
Photos: Bill Rankin and Martin Bélanger
(August 2001)

Richard Morris, Chief Financial Officer from the New Zealand Department of Corrections, is at the start of a six-month visit with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), examining our systems and processes in depth. He discusses his motivation for coming and how the rest of the world sees Canadian corrections.

"One thing that strikes me is how most countries around the world face the same issues regardless of background. Canada has a number of advantages though, which the rest of the world is keen to learn from. You aren't simply talking about it. For many years now, you have been opening specialized facilities and delivering high quality programs. Your work is based on solid research and Canada leads the world in contributing to corrections knowledge.."

In the last two years there have been over a hundred delegations hosted by various regions and national headquarters.

"They come from all over the globe," says Suzanne Blais, CSC Co-ordinator of International Visits. "African countries, Scandinavia, Japan, the Czech Republic, South America, the United States and many more." Visitors usually get to meet CSC and other Canadian experts in the substantive areas they identify as a priority for the visit and they have the opportunity to tour our institutions. They are often challenged by the new concepts and sights introduced to them during the tours.

Francesca Lundstrom, for example, is a research psychologist from the Irish Department of Justice. She visited Canada for a week in February 2001 to study intake procedures and reintegration programs. She was particularly interested in programs for sex offenders. Ireland has seen a sharp increase in the number of sexual offenders incarcerated following changes to their legislation.

Ms. Lundstrom was given an overview of programs within CSC and spoke at length to Dr. Pamela Yates who manages Sex Offender Programs. She then visited the Ottawa Parole Office where Parole Officer Luigi Tarini discussed offender risk assessment with her. Two days of the tour were spent in Kingston at Millhaven Institution and the Regional Treatment Centre. Ms. Lundstrom was particularly impressed with the way Parole Officer Sarah Forbes and Regional Co-ordinator of Sex Offender Programs Bruce Malcolm described their work with inmates.

"The thoroughness of assessments and the amount of work done for each one is truly amazing," she said. Unit Manager Joe Hudacin gave Ms. Lundstrom a tour of Millhaven, describing the daily routines and answering a flood of questions from our visitor. "It takes lots of goodwill on the part of staff when they are called upon to play tour guide," says Suzanne Blais. "But staff obviously have reason to be proud of what we are achieving." Visits to Canada are often the first step in ongoing technical assistance projects. Many countries have broad corrections mandates that include probation, and programs for young offenders and offenders serving short sentences. CSC works closely with federal and provincial corrections and justice partners to help meet the wide range of needs of its guests. Tours often include young offender facilities like the William Hay Centre, recognized for its innovative programming, and the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre.

In the evenings, delegates often brainstorm over reports, confirming each other's observations and insights, knowing that when they return to their countries there will be many questions to answer. And delegations depart with more than just new ideas - they are loaded down with armfuls of reference material, corrections manuals, encyclopedias and implementation plans.

Karen Wiseman, Director General, Inter-governmental Affairs, puts it succinctly: "Visits are really our opportunity to see our values in action. Not only does it encourage us to share our ideas, knowledge, values and experience, nationally and internationally, but it gives us a chance to really learn from our partners, face-to-face."

"I don't think the general public or even your own staff realize just what is being accomplished," says Richard Morris. "If I talk to a cab driver in Ottawa or a casual Canadian acquaintance, they always want to know why I have come to Canada. When I explain, they invariably say, 'Hey, I didn't know we were doing anything special.' "

"Getting the public to appreciate your efforts is always hard," he says. "It's sad that the rest of the world knows more about what Canada is doing well than its own communities. Clearly this is a challenge for you in the future."