Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm happy to be here to say a few words about the work of Public Safety Canada with respect to your study on the rights of victims of crime, reclassification and the transfer of federal offenders.
I am joined here, as you mentioned previously, by Chad Westmacott, who is our DG for community safety, corrections and criminal justice.
Mr. Chair, from a legislative perspective, Public Safety Canada is responsible for the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. As such, I will be speaking about my department's work in this space. I will note that we are not involved in the operational decisions of the Correctional Service of Canada, which are under the purview of my colleague here beside me.
The act clearly outlines that decision-making authorities related to operations rest solely with CSC. As you know, that act guides both the Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board in how federal sentences of two years or more are carried out. It also provides the foundation for the rights to information, protection and participation of victims of federal offenders as set out in the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.
Public Safety Canada's national office for victims is an important resource in terms of how we provide information. It helps victims navigate the federal corrections and conditional release system by providing information about their rights and the federal services available to them.
Input from victims is constantly helping us adjust and refine the information that we share. One example would be how we help to explain basic sentence calculation rules for federal offenders. This includes how the eligibility dates for various types of releases are determined.
Since 2015, the national office for victims has distributed over 80,000 copies of its publications.
The Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada provide registered victims with information about the federal offender who harmed them. They assist victims with submitting impact statements, which can be considered in decision-making and can facilitate victim attendance at parole hearings.
On July 20, 2023, a ministerial directive was issued to the service entitled “Information Sharing: Security Classification and Transfer of Offenders”. It recognizes that more can be done to ensure that victims' rights are considered earlier as part of the decision-making process. This includes implementing a victim-sensitive approach. It seeks to enhance notification to registered victims and to improve how and when it provides notification regarding security classification and transfers.
Work is now ongoing across Public Safety and the CSC to identify the policy and legislative changes to implement the directive. In addition, my department supports recent legislative amendments to strengthen the national sex offender registry and empower victims of crime.
To ensure victims are aware of their right to information, judges will now be required to ask if victims want to receive ongoing information about their case after sentencing. They will also be required to ensure that their wishes, if known, are entered into the record of proceedings. By receiving victim contact details from the courts, the Correctional Service of Canada will be able to proactively register victims to receive information rather than the onus being placed on the victim.
Under the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, victims can also complain directly to federal departments and agencies if they feel their rights have been denied or infringed upon in order to resolve this in a timely fashion. If the outcome of a complaint is not satisfactory to the victim, there is an ombudsperson for victims of crime who is ready to assist.
My department also plays a role here in terms of increasing the transparency of the complaint process. The national office for victims, in collaboration with portfolio partners, prepares an annual report that compiles standardized information on complaints and how they are resolved. This helps us and our partners monitor new and emerging trends, address any systemic policy issues and find ways to further reduce the burden on victims.
In terms of the implementation of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights within the federal corrections and conditional release system, the office has held five national round tables so far, so that we can all approach this the right way together.
We've talked about accountability, how offenders are reintegrated, restorative justice, outreach and engagement.
Our department is committed to implementing the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights. Victims must be treated with compassion and respect. We remain committed to getting them timely and accurate information, in accordance with legislation and policies and with how they've told us that they want to receive it.
