The Services at the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is committed to ensuring that victims of crime have an effective voice in the federal corrections and criminal justice system. Dedicated Victim Services Officers (VSO’s) provide information to victims who were harmed by an offender serving a sentence of two years or more.

The Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) is the law that governs the CSC, which is responsible for supervising offenders in custody and in the community. The Act also governs the National Parole Board (NPB), whose members decide whether or not an offender is permitted to return to the community to serve the balance of his or her sentence under supervision. The CCRA recognizes that victims of crime have an important role to play in the criminal justice system and provides victims with an opportunity to participate in the federal corrections and conditional release process.

 

Under section 2 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) a person is considered a victim of crime if:

• they have been harmed or suffered physical or emotional damage as a result of someone committing a criminal offence; or
• they are a spouse, conjugal partner, relative of, dependent or guardian of a victim who died as a result of an offence or a victim who is not able to act for him or herself (i.e., victim is ill or is a child).

Section 26(3) of the CCRA also allows CSC to consider persons as victims if they were harmed and a complaint was laid, even if the offender was not prosecuted or convicted of the offence.

 

CSC does not automatically inform victims about the offender who harmed them. Information is only provided at the request of a victim.

To receive information about an offender, a victim must request it in writing from CSC or NPB. This is commonly known as ‘registering’. A victim can contact CSC or NPB by telephone; however, in order to confirm registration, a victim must submit a written request or complete and sign an Information Request for Victims Form and send it to CSC or (NPB). A person can register as a victim or authoritize someone else in writing to act as their representative.

Victim Services Officers are located across Canada and can assist individuals with the registration process. To speak to a Victim Services Officer, please contact us toll-free at 1-866-806-2275 or by email at victims-victimes@csc-scc.gc.ca.

Types of Information Provided to Victims.

Upon request from a victim, CSC will provide the following information, as per section 26 of the CCRA.

• the offender’s name,
• the offence of which the offender was convicted and the court that convicted the offender,
• the date of commencement and length of the sentence that the offender is serving, and
• eligibility dates and review dates applicable to the offender under this Act in respect of temporary absences or parole.

Victims of crime may wish to obtain more information about the offender who harmed them. CSC may provide additional information to a victim if his or her interest in the disclosure clearly outweighs any invasion of the offender's privacy that could result from the disclosure.

Additional information may include:

• the offender’s age,
• the location of the penitentiary in which the sentence is being served,
• the date, if any, on which the offender is to be released on temporary absence, work release, parole or statutory release,
• the date of any hearing for the purposes of a review under section 130,
• any of the conditions attached to the offender’s temporary absence, work release, parole or statutory release,
• the destination of the offender on any temporary absence, work release, parole or statutory release, and whether the offender will be in the vicinity of the victim while travelling to that destination, and
• whether the offender is in custody and, if not, the reason why the offender is not in custody.

 

CSC is committed to engaging the public on correctional issues.

CSC values receiving information from victims. Victims often provide CSC with important and relevant information about an offender along with any safety concerns they may have. CSC also encourages victims to provide a Victim Statement to express how the offender’s crime has impacted their lives. The Victim Statement assists CSC when deciding on temporary absences or work releases, an offender’s programming needs, risk level and security level.

Victims can also choose to present a Victim Statement at a National Parole Board Hearing. To learn more about the role of victims at the NPB, please contact 1-866-789-4636 or visit www.npb-cnlc.gc.ca/victims/victims-eng.shtml.

These Statements are distinct from Victim Impact Statements, which are formal court documents used at the time of sentencing. (See section 722 of the Criminal Code for more information).

The Federal Government provides Financial Assistance for Victims to Attend National Parole Board Hearings of the offender who harmed them. Financial assistance is also available for a support person to accompany registered victims or provide child or dependant care to enable victims to attend.

 

CSC uses victim information in:

• decisions related to the offender’s institutional security level;
• recommendations to the NPB about whether the offender should be granted conditional release and what special conditions, if any, should be placed on the offender;
• decisions about whether the offender should be released on a temporary absence or a work release; and
• evaluations of the offender's programming needs and overall risk of re-offending.

 

Personal information about a victim, such as address and telephone number, will NOT be made available to the offender. However, CSC and the NPB must disclose to offenders any information that will be considered when deciding on such things as an offender's parole application, conditions of release, etc.

To learn more about CSC Victim Services, please contact us toll-free at 1-866-806-2275 or by email at victims-victimes@csc-scc.gc.ca.