Statement - Minister Anandasangaree welcomes the Office of the Correctional Investigator's Annual Report

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 30, 2025 /CNW/ - The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety, today issued the following statement:

"The Correctional Investigator plays a vital role in Canada's correctional system. His annual report offers important insights and recommendations to help ensure that federal corrections remain safe, humane, and accountable for inmates, staff, and the broader community.

The Government of Canada has responded to the recommendations and will work closely with the Office of the Correctional Investigator to address matters highlighted in the report.

The government is committed to strengthening the federal correctional system, which includes working with Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to provide a safe and secure environment for inmates and staff at federal correctional institutions.

A key focus of the work will be improving access to, and the quality of, mental health care within federal correctional institutions. Ensuring that inmates have access to effective mental health support is important and it positively contributes to the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders in society.

We are committed to ensuring that the Corrections and Conditional Release Act continues to reflect the evolving needs of the federal inmate population, including aging and long-serving individuals.

We acknowledge that there is more work to be done in these areas, as well as to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous and other racialized individuals in the federal correctional system, and we will continue to leverage the Office of the Correctional Investigator's valued findings to seek improvements.

I would also like to thank the Correctional Investigator, Dr. Ivan Zinger, who will be retiring at the end of January 2026, for the invaluable contributions that he has made as Ombudsman by ensuring the fair and humane treatment of incarcerated individuals. 

Dr. Zinger's 30 years of public service, including more than eight years as Correctional Investigator, have been marked by exceptional human rights advocacy and a deep commitment to serving Canadians.

In anticipation of Dr. Zinger's retirement, Public Safety will work to identify a qualified candidate for appointment as the next Correctional Investigator.

I look forward to working with the Correctional Investigator for the remainder of his tenure, and ongoing collaboration with his team, to ensure a safe and humane correctional system that supports rehabilitation and reintegration."

Related links

• Office of the Correctional Investigator
• PS responses to the annual report of the OCI
• CSC responses to the annual report of the OCI

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Contacts: Simon Lafortune, Deputy Director of Communications and Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, 613-991-0657, [email protected]