In this episode, we explore how education transforms lives within Canada's federal correctional institutions. We’ll hear a teacher talk about his work, and we'll also hear from one of his students who reflects on the positive impacts education had on his life.
Discover how education helps with rehabilitation, but also contributes to safer communities and reduced recidivism.
The Behind the Badge series is back, sharing the stories and voices of frontline staff across the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). In this episode, we hear from Ashley, a Primary Worker at Nova Institution for Women in Truro, NS. Primary Workers like Ashley are essential to women’s corrections, they manage security, support rehabilitation and play a key role in case management.
Tune in as Ashley shares what it’s like working inside a women’s prison, and the importance of dynamic and static security, in her own words.
Since 1964, Canada’s Penitentiary Museum has been preserving the rich and complex history of corrections in our country. Located just across the street from the former Kingston Penitentiary, Canada’s first federal institution, the museum houses artifacts and exhibits that help bring this history to life.
In this episode, Museum Historian Dave guides us through the evolution of federal corrections in Canada; from its beginnings before Confederation to the present day. Along the way, we explore key milestones, shifting philosophies in corrections, and the stories behind the events that have shaped our correctional history.
Indigenous peoples are overrepresented in Canada’s federal correctional system, and many incarcerated individuals have had limited or no prior connection to their Indigenous culture, history, or identity. In part two of our exploration of cultural reconnection in Indigenous corrections, we look at how cultural identity and community support are key to the safe and successful reintegration of Indigenous offenders.
In this episode, we hear from Elder Josephine Buffalo, who shares her perspective on the importance of preserving Indigenous culture and the unique role Elders play in supporting incarcerated individuals. We also hear from Julia, Operations Manager at Buffalo Sage Wellness House, who explains how Section 81 healing lodges provide culturally grounded support through supervised housing, traditional teachings, and reintegration programs for Indigenous offenders.
In this episode, we meet CSC’s hard-working health professionals who take us behind the scenes to give us a glimpse into what it’s like to provide health services to inmates in federal prisons across the country.
CSC is mandated by law to provide essential health care to inmates, which we know in turn contributes to safer prisons for our staff and safer communities for the public. Go behind the scenes with our health professionals who are working hard to make a difference and keep everyone safe every day.
In 2002, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that denying inmates the right to vote was a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In this episode, we will hear from the offender who challenged the law and made voting possible for all federally incarcerated people and from Correctional Service Canada (CSC) staff on how voting works in a federal prison.
Public safety is a 24/7 responsibility, especially for the team at Correctional Service Canada’s (CSC) National Monitoring Centre (NMC). As the eyes and ears of CSC, especially during the critical after-hours, the NMC plays a vital role in maintaining public safety, monitoring offenders on various types of releases in the community to keep Canadians safe.
In this episode, we speak with Daniel Kletke, a supervisor at the NMC, to learn how he and his team manage this crucial and dynamic responsibility.
"I've found so many positive things, and even now I'm learning so much more about myself than I did three years ago when I when I met with the offender."
In part two of this episode, we continue Angie's story. This time, we hear from the offender who sat across from her in a face-to-face meeting through the Restorative Opportunities program. Later, Angie returns to reflect on that conversation and share her final thoughts on what the program has meant to her healing journey.
Episode resources:
Have you ever wondered what mealtime looks like in prison? Feeding thousands of inmates in a controlled environment requires careful coordination and planning on a massive scale.
In this episode of Prisons Inside / Out, we visit Drumheller Institution in Alberta to meet the dedicated CSC staff making it happen each and every day.
“I told him that I forgave him for who he was, not for what he took from me, that was very important that I worded it that way.”
In this episode, we share Angie’s story, in her own words. After her brother was murdered, Angie began her healing journey with the support of a Restorative Opportunities (RO) program mediator.
Episode resources:
“To me, that’s a piece that is so important when we’re talking about reintegration, because part of reintegration is reconnection.”
On this episode of Prisons Inside / Out, we explore how Indigenous inmates can discover or reconnect with their cultural roots while incarcerated. We speak with an inmate on their journey of cultural revitalization, and Teddi Saddleback, the acting Executive Director of Pê Sâkâstêw Centre in Mâskwâcîs, Alberta. Listen in as they share how traditional Indigenous practices are helping to shape paths of rehabilitation and transformation within the correctional system.
“I think that being a parole officer is about building rapport and building trust, and that can be a very big challenge. But it’s a challenge that I happily take on because I feel that it is my greatest impact that I can have as a parole officer.”
Parole officers work tirelessly every day to keep Canadians and their communities safe, always prioritizing public and victim safety. In the latest episode of Prisons Inside / Out, meet Dalila, one of CSC’s dedicated parole officers. Tune in and listen as they share real stories form their work on the front lines.
Preventing and reducing the number of drugs, cellphones, and other unauthorized items in correctional institutions is a priority for the Correctional Service of Canada. In this episode, we hear from two staff members who help do just that. Tune in to listen to our conversation with Detector Dog Handler, Todd, and Security Intelligence Officer, Christian, to learn more about how they help keep our prisons safe.
Additional information:
“You can’t force change, all you can do is keep leading that example, and leading what the change could look like to them.” Every day, correctional officers in federal prisons across Canada go above and beyond to creative positive change in the lives of those in our care and custody.
In the third and final episode of our “Behind the Badge” miniseries, we hear from Correctional Manager Ellen, who has been working on the frontlines of CSC for 26 years. Ellen currently works inside one of the several minimum-security prisons across Canada, and joins us on the podcast to talk about her inspiring journey in corrections. Tune in and hear the story in her own words.
“It's different every day. It just doesn’t stop, it’s 24/7.” Correctional officers in federal prisons work hard to keep us safe. They work in shifts around the clock during days, weeknights, weekends and holidays.
In this episode of our podcast, we continue our three-part miniseries, Behind the Badge, with Don, a correctional officer in his 16th year of service with the Correctional Service of Canada. Follow along with Don who takes us on a tour of the medium-security unit at Collins Bay Institution in the latest episode of Prisons Inside/Out.
“It wasn’t until I was in uniform that I realized how important this job is.” The work that Correctional Officers do can be challenging but also rewarding. They work hard to keep Canadians safe but also have a positive impact on the lives of those in our care and custody.
Over the next several weeks, we’ll meet some of them in a new three-part series, called Behind the Badge. In part one, we meet Victoria, who has worked inside a maximum-security prison for the last two years. Tune in to this episode to hear her story.
Join us for this episode where we talk with two very special guests: CSC Commissioner Anne Kelly and CSC Deputy Commissioner of Indigenous Corrections, Kathy Neil. We’ll hear from them about the path that led to their successful careers, the challenges they overcame, and talk about what it’s like being a woman leader in corrections in their own words.
Over the last several months, we've heard a lot about the transfer of offenders between different security levels in federal prisons. In this episode, we are diving into the details on how and why exactly these transfers can happen.
Join us as Kory Abrams, Assistant Warden of Interventions, takes us behind-the-scenes to break down the operations of inmate transfers, security classifications, and everything else that falls in between.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like beyond the walls of our federal prison system in Canada?
In this first episode of Prisons Inside/Out, we answer some of your most frequently asked questions to
explore just that. Join us as we take a deep dive into Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to investigate the
complexities and myths that surround our system. How often do prison escapes happen in Canada? Are
there really gangs in prison? Can inmates vote? Listen to this quick crash course, hosted by Kirstan
Gagnon and Veronique Rioux, before we explore other topics, more-in-depth, later this season.
