How We Operate

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) operates under three levels of management: National, Regional, and Institutional/District Parole Offices. The national headquarters in Ottawa performs overall planning and policy development for the Service, while each of the five regional offices implements CSC activities within the regions.

CSC is headed by the Commissioner of Corrections, who reports to the Minister of Public Safety Canada. The Commissioner is supported by an Executive Committee of national and regional officials.

Executive Committee

• Senior Deputy Commissioner
• Deputy Commissioner for Women
• Five Regional Deputy Commissioners
• Assistant Commissioners that each head a CSC sector
• Executive Director
• Chief Audit Executive
• General Counsel

The Senior Deputy Commissioner is accountable to the Commissioner. The Senior Deputy Commissioner's main role is to support the Commissioner, focus on the management of strategic issues and act as the Commissioner when required.

The Deputy Commissioner for Women is responsible for the development and oversight of programs for women offenders.

The five Regional Deputy Commissioners are responsible for the management of CSC operations within their respective regions, implementation of correctional policy, and leadership in providing advice on criminal justice system matters.

The Assistant Commissioners are responsible for the management of CSC operations within their respective sectors, implementation of correctional policy, and leadership in providing advice on criminal justice system matters.

CSC Sectors

• The Women Offender Sector is responsible for effective policy and program development, implementation, and ongoing program delivery for federally sentenced women.

• The Correctional Operations and Programs Sector is responsible for the integrity of community and institutional operations across CSC and for improving the delivery of safe corrections.

• The Policy and Research Sector is responsible for strategic planning and strategic policy. It also responds to offender redress and human rights issues, requests for access to information and privacy, and issues raised by the Correctional Investigator.

• The Performance Assurance Sector assesses, measures, analyses and evaluates operational performance in CSC.

• The Corporate Services Sector is responsible for Financial Resource Management (including budgeting, planning and monitoring) and Comptrollership (including contracting and material management) and the Technical and Facilities Management functions.

• The Human Resource Management Sector serves as a focal point for the resolution of administrative and human resource activities and providing interpretations of policies, directives and guidelines.

• The Health Services Sector is responsible for the quality and integrity of health services provided to federal offenders in institutional and in some community settings across CSC. This includes health care delivery such as assessment, diagnosis, treatment, health education, disease prevention, harm reduction, monitoring, surveillance and follow-up care. The Sector is also responsible for effective health policy, as well as program development and implementation that will contribute to offenders' rehabilitation and successful reintegration into the community.

• The Communications and Engagement Sector is the focal point for CSC's communications, citizen engagement and outreach services. The work of the sector is aligned with the Service's mandate to contribute to the public safety of all Canadians.

CORCAN is a Special Operating Agency of CSC responsible for aiding in the safe reintegration of offenders in Canadian society. CORCAN provides employment and training opportunities to offenders incarcerated in federal penitentiaries and, for brief periods of time, to offenders after they are released into the community.

The Executive Director is responsible for coordinating, preparing and vetting matters related to the preparation of correspondence to the Commissioner, the Minister's Office, members of Parliament and legislative assemblies. The Director also transmits and interprets policy and political issues and coordinates or prepares briefing documents for the Minister.

The Chief Audit Executive is responsible for the effective management of the internal audit function designed to assess and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes within CSC.

The General Counsel is responsible for the resolution of legal issues, and the interpretation of policies, directives and guidelines.