The Union of Safety and Justice Employees launched its groundbreaking, independently commissioned research on the experiences and perspectives of federal Correctional Program Officers on March 25, 2026.
USJE commissioned this research in 2023 through a partnership with Memorial University, and the research findings from the academic team were made available to USJE late last year.
In order to widely share the research findings, USJE convened a national press conference on Parliament Hill on Wednesday, March 25th that was aired live on the Canadian Public Affairs Channel and broadcast to all major media outlets covering Parliamentary affairs. It featured:
- USJE National President David Neufeld;
- Regional Vice President Patrick Menard; and
- Dr. Rosemary Ricciardelli, Research Chair in Safety, Security, and Wellness, from Memorial University
In advance of this launch, USJE National President David Neufeld took the opportunity to highlight key findings and recommendations with:
- the Office of the federal Minister of Public Safety of Canada, the Hon. Gary Anandasangaree, including a senior policy advisor
- Parliamentary Secretary for Public Safety Jacques Ramsay, MP for La Prairie—Atateken; as well as:
- the newly appointed Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, Talal Dakalbab.
President Neufeld was particularly pleased to walk Commissioner Dakalbab through the report and recommendations on his first day as Commissioner on Monday, March 23rd – with the support of the primary researcher for the report, Dr. Rose Ricciardelli. Mr. Neufeld was encouraged by Mr. Dakalbab’s strong interest in hearing directly from USJE’s senior leadership and research experts on the experiences of frontline members, including those responsible for providing crucial rehabilitative programs to federal offenders within Corrections.
The new Commissioner’s interest is particularly timely given serious concerns by USJE about the potential negative impacts of cuts announced earlier this year by the Correctional Service – under the Comprehensive Expenditure Review – that would reduce the number of Correctional Program Officers and related supports.
“Ultimately, if the Government of Canada is truly committed to the successful rehabilitation of federal offenders, we must support the people responsible for delivering these programs,” said David Neufeld, National President of the Union of Safety and Justice Employees.
“This is why we are calling on the Correctional Service of Canada to halt its plans to introduce so-called efficiencies – and not proceed with the proposed reduction in the number of Correctional Program Officers. The potential long-term impacts on public safety if these cuts are made are very concerning. They will likely affect access by federal offenders to key programs aimed at reducing recidivism – and also the nature of these programs,” highlighted President Neufeld.
USJE also arranged for in person briefings in advance of the report’s launch with three other Members of Parliament who sit on the House of Commons Public Safety Committee, including:
- Rhonda Kirland, MP (CPC) for Oshawa, Ontario;
- Dane Lloyd, MP (CPC) for Parkland, Alberta; and
- Ali Ehsassi, MP (LPC) for Willowdale, Ontario.
President Neufeld was also able to attend a regularly scheduled meeting of the House of Commons Public Safety Committee where the Minister of Public Safety, Commissioners of the Correctional Service of Canada and the RCMP were serving as witnesses, as well as senior leaders from the Parole Board of Canada and the Canadian Border Services Agency who were presenting to MPs on some key initiatives.
USJE’s research report, entitled Correctional Program Officers: Wellness, Safety, and the Responsibility of Rehabilitation, is based on interviews with more than one hundred Correctional Program Officers across the country.
The report provides the first comprehensive assessment of the workplace realities confronted by the professionals responsible for delivering rehabilitation programming in federal institutions and in the community.
The study was conducted by leading Canadian public safety academic, Dr. Rosemary Ricciardelli (Memorial University of Newfoundland), who collaborated with Dr. Mark Norman (Saint Francis Xavier University), Micheal Taylor (Memorial University of Newfoundland), and Dr. Christine Genest (Université de Montréal) to undertake the study.
The research highlights several key challenges affecting the experiences and well-being Correctional Program Officers and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs. Major concerns include:
- exceedingly heavy workload stress,
- Very limited discretion in the classroom to customize program content to better respond to the needs of offenders;
- a preoccupation with program completion over program quality;
- sustained exposure to both operational and organizational stressors that negatively impact mental health and well-being;
- a profound lack of appropriate, trauma informed mental health supports given ongoing interactions with federal offenders with serious criminal backgrounds.
Fundamentally, Correctional Program Officers are mandated to facilitate positive rehabilitative experiences for individuals serving federal sentences. Despite the critical nature of this work, very few Canadians even know these professionals exist.
In Dr. Ricciardelli’s report, Correctional Program Officers, or CPOs, were described as the “ghosts of rehabilitation” whose experiences, wellness, and workplace realities have rarely been studied or discussed publicly.
USJE is calling on the federal government to cease consideration of any cuts until the research findings have been reviewed and apprehended. Further, USJE is urging the Correctional Service of Canada to:
- Recognize the critical role Correctional Program Officers play in rehabilitation and public safety,
- Ensure staffing levels and workloads allow programs to be delivered effectively, with an emphasis on quality not quantity
- Equip Correctional Program Officers to develop programs in response to the needs of the offenders in the classroom
- Improve training, mentorship, and career development opportunities, and
- Implement trauma informed, specialized mental health supports for these crucial federal public safety personnel.
USJE spoke with several media organizations after the media launch and plans to continue to engage with the Government of Canada, the Correctional Service of Canada and Members of Parliament across party lines on the crucial nature of the work undertaken by Correctional Program Officers, as well as other federal public safety personnel within the Correctional Service and beyond.
More information:
Read USJE’s news release on the report release
Watch USJE’s National Press Conference