Prisons Inside/Out

In this episode of Prisons Inside / Out, we’re thrilled to welcome our Commissioner, Talal Dakalbab, to the podcast. Having recently stepped into this role, he is beginning an important chapter not only for the organization, but also for the staff who work every day to keep Canadians safe while rehabilitating offenders.  Tune in as Commissioner Dakalbab shares his perspective on the realities of h...

CORCAN is a special operating agency within the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) that helps federally incarcerated individuals gain real-world job skills, work experiences, and confidence they can carry into life after release. Through hands-on, on-the-job-training, offenders work in an environments that mirror private-sector standards, producing real products and services used by government a...

Traditional organized crime groups, outlaw motorcycle gangs, street gangs… On the outside, we think of them as criminal organizations. But inside Canada’s federal prisons, we refer to them as Security Threat Groups (STGs). STGs represent a complex and evolving challenge in federal prisons in Canada. But what exactly are these groups and how do they impact life in prison? In this episode, you’ll he...

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 take you inside the world of CSC’s Emergency Response Teams (ERTs)—specialized units trained to respond to critical incidents within federal correctional institutions. You’ll hear from Patrick, an ERT member, who talks about the rigorous traini...

Every federal prison in Canada has an inmate committee. But what do they actually do, and why does it matter?  These elected groups of inmates represent the incarcerated population and play a very important role in maintaining an open line of communication between staff and inmates and bringing forward concerns about daily life, like food, programs, and living conditions.  In this episode, we will...

Ever wondered what life is really like inside a federal women’s prison in Canada? Correctional services for women have been shaped by decades of evolution, beginning with the landmark Creating Choices report in 1990. In fact, the five principles that emerged from this report still guide our interventions with incarcerated women today. In this episode, we will learn more about the world of correcti...

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 Ash...

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...

“Reconnecting with their culture, I see a smoother reintegration into the community because they find a sense of belonging and it provides a big support network for them.” 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 expl...

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 sc...

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 Kle...

"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...

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:  Information for victims Resources for victims Restorative...

“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...

“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 epis...

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...

“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...

“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 Can...

“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...

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 e...

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?...