Partnerships and Perceptions: CAC Awareness Week
By Bill Rankin, Communications Officer, Communications and Citizen Engagement

The panel discusses CAC issues with an interested group of NHQ staff.

During late November 2006 employees tuned in to learning more about one of the Correctional Service of Canada’s (CSC) most valuable assets: citizens’ advisory committees (CAC). The Citizen Initiatives Division (CID), in collaboration with the Ottawa Parole Office CAC, set up an interactive booth at NHQ and hosted a noon-hour panel presentation on CACs that drew a crowd of eager listeners.

The presentation was hosted by CID Director Dr. Pamela Yates and local CAC members: Jo Cassie, Mel MacLeod, Sharon Rosenfeldt and Jill Skinner, who fielded questions from the audience. How did you get involved in the CAC? What are your roles and responsibilities? How do CACs contribute to the CSC mandate? The members shared their insights and a few anecdotes about their experiences. Dr. Yates spoke about the importance and relevance of CACs to the Service’s work across many areas and sectors, and urged NHQ staff to consider CACs and the contributions they make to many aspects of the organization.

A new and exciting initiative – Taking It to the Streets – has been developed recently by the Ottawa Parole Office CAC and the Ottawa Police in collaboration with the CSC- sponsored Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA). The goal is to engage local community members and criminal justice partners in a discussion about offender risk management and reintegration programs and address perceptions of personal and community safety.

Taking It to the Streets events are scheduled for early in the new year, including a community safety fair (Jack Purcell Community Centre, January 27, noon to 4 pm) and a town hall-style forum (Ottawa City Hall, March 24, noon to 5 pm). They are sure to interest CSC employees and the general public. For more information, contact: Susan Love (613) 824-8608 or Jodi McDonough (613) 992-2008.