Commissioner's Speeches

OTTAWA YOUTH FORUM

Remarks by:

Lucie McClung
Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada

Canadian Museum of Nature
November 7, 2002
Ottawa, Ontario


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Good morning,

I am very pleased to be here today. Wow! Look around you; look at everyone here. You can feel the energy in this room.

It is somewhat daunting for me to be here because I am talking to the future leaders of Canada. Indeed, that is who you are -- whether you believe it or not, whether you are conscious of it or not, you will shape the future of the country through your selected profession and by the virtue of who you are as individuals, families, communities.

This day has been organized for you -- someone told us that you wanted to know more about crime-related issues. Well, we know something about it. We have lots to say and we will be sharing some information with you today. But we also want to hear from you. And we want you to become as enthusiastic about the well-being and safety of communities as we are!

First, let me say a few words about the Correctional Service of Canada. It is part of the wider criminal justice system. It is a federal government agency that handles people who have been convicted of crimes that led to sentences of two years or more. In other words, we run the penitentiaries and we are also responsible for offenders who serve part of their sentences in the community.

An important part of what we do in federal corrections is to try to transform the lives of individuals -- to move them from being criminals to being law-abiding -- not an easy task, but it's a do-able task.

CSC provides programs and specialized counselling to help change offenders' criminal behaviour. It is important to realize that almost all offenders will return to the community, so it is important that we prepare them for this transition.

It may sound like a big responsibility and it is. We cannot do it alone. Luckily, we have many partners and volunteers who help offenders in their return to the community.

Let's face it, crime affects our lives; it affects the quality of our lives as Canadians. You see it on television. Maybe you know someone who has been through the youth courts or know someone who is in jail.

You're going to attend workshops today and you're going to work on an action plan to help make things better in your school and in your community.

Although you may not realize it, you have the power here. You can make a positive change in your life and in the safety of your community. You are doing crime prevention. And you are doing everyone a great service. So, I call upon you today to take that power and use it -- use it and help us contribute to the safety of our communities.

On that note, I wish you a wonderful day and I hope you take advantage of everything that is in store for you.

Thank you and enjoy your forum.