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 Opportunities Program (victim-offender mediation)
• 20 years of Restorative Opportunities 

“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: 

• Correctional Service Canada's Dog Detector Program
• Institutional security
• National list of offender personal property

“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.