Correctional Service Canada
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Vol. 34, No. 1

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The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has seen many changes since the organization was renamed in 1979, following the amalgamation of the Canadian Penitentiary Service and the National Parole Service in 1976.

Historical moments, such as the hiring of CSC’s first female correctional officer in 1978, the first recorded cases of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C in institutions in the 1980s, and the opening of the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge in 1995 – the first federal institution designed to meet the cultural needs of Aboriginal women – to name just a few, have directly influenced the way CSC operates today.

“Over the years, staff, especially correctional officers, have had to adjust to a changing offender profile and working environment,” says Ross Toller, Regional Deputy Commissioner, Ontario Region. “As the primary contact for offenders, correctional officers know an offender’s personality and behaviour better than anyone. This is invaluable when managing an offender’s correctional plan and safe reintegration to the community.”

When Toller started his career in corrections as a correctional officer at Kingston Penitentiary in 1978, the institution was operated primarily as a reception centre with two or three units devoted to maximum security.

“Back then, the Service was run more like a paramilitary type of operation,” says Toller.

He also points out that electronic systems did not exist as they do today. All cells and range barriers were hand operated with keys, resulting in direct contact with offenders at all times, as cells would be opened for yard, meal parade and other major movements. It was common to have, for example, two or three correctional officers in the gymnasium with 300 to 400 offenders.

“Although, in my opinion, basic security functions (searching, observation, reporting) have not changed dramatically over the past 30 years, infrastructure changes have been necessary to deal with the changing offender profile,” says Toller. “We never had computers and information about an inmate’s background, program involvement or reasons for sentencing. Because of technology, information is more available for correctional staff and this fundamentally adds to improved security and operations in our institutions.”

Following his early days with the Service, Toller has held numerous positions in the organization, including classification officer, deputy warden, Assistant Commissioner of Correctional Operations and Programs, and currently Regional Deputy Commissioner of the Ontario region. With his experience and vast knowledge of the correctional system, he advises new correctional officers to fulfill their areas of responsibility and take pride in their job.

“What I enjoyed most about being a correctional officer was working directly with inmates, understanding their motivation and both challenging and supporting them while developing a sixth sense about the pulse of the unit,” says Toller. “I saw inmates genuinely interested in improving their choices.”

One feature of the Service that Toller noted has not changed during the past 30 years is the passion and dedication of CSC correctional officers, and their commitment to enhancing public safety.

“Correctional officers believe in the values of the organization and truly make a difference in the lives of many Canadians trying to rebuild their lives,” says Toller. “These professional men and women are vital to fulfilling CSC’s mission.”

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