Question Period Note: Victims’ Rights

There has been recent media coverage of calls for the Correctional Service of Canada to take additional steps to uphold victims’ rights.

• The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is committed to upholding victims’ rights and taking a victim-informed approach when making decisions or recommendations regarding offenders.
• CSC has established a Multidisciplinary Committee on Victims Services to enhance policies and practices pertaining to victims.
• The committee started its work this month and is comprised of 11 members, including victims, the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, and corrections experts.
• Over the next 3 months, the committee will explore how CSC provides services to victims of crime and also examine additional areas that could be further strengthened.
• The committee will provide recommendations to CSC and aim to develop a report by Winter 2024, which will be shared publicly.
• CSC has also undertaken a review of its victim services policy to see how they can better serve victims and provide them with more timely information about the offender who harmed them.

As a result of the study taken by the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) into the rights of victims of crime, the security reclassification and transfer of offenders within Correctional Service Canada, calls have been made for additional measures to be taken to uphold the rights of victims.

CSC is committed to upholding victims’ rights and taking a victim-centered approach when making decisions or recommendations regarding inmates. As part of this, CSC provides information and notifications to victims as per Section 26 of the CCRA for individuals who meet the definition of a victim under the law: an individual who has suffered physical or emotional harm, property damage or economic loss as the result of the commission of the offence.

Victims may register to receive information about the inmate who harmed them. Victims can request to receive information, including but not limited to:
• Sentence information;
• Information about transfers and reasons for transfer;
• Eligibility and review dates for temporary absences and conditional release;
• The outcome of the review;
• The inmate’s release date;
• Destination and conditions of release.

Victim considerations are taken into account in case management recommendations and decision-making throughout the course of the inmate’s sentence.

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