| News Release
March 21, 2016
Hires Will Support Transformation, Help Ensure Staff and Inmate Safety
The province will hire 2,000 correctional officers over the next three years to increase staffing levels at Ontario’s correctional facilities, enhance access to rehabilitation and reintegration programming, strengthen mental health supports and improve staff and inmate safety.
Today Yasir Naqvi, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, announced the province’s hiring commitment on the first day of training for 140 correctional officers with the Ontario Correctional Services College.
The province’s commitment to increase hiring will ensure that staffing levels grow beyond normal turnover and retirement. Ontario will also continue to promote diversity within Correctional Services by targeting recruitment to ensure that correctional officers are reflective of the diverse communities they serve.
Adding correctional officers and upgrading correctional facilities across the province is a key part of the government’s transformation of Ontario’s correctional system to build safer communities. |
QUICK FACTS
- All new recruits must complete a comprehensive assessment and evaluation as part of a rigorous, eight-week training program. The program includes mental health training and inmate management techniques, and is supported by ongoing training and job coaching following deployment.
- Correctional Officer Training and Assessment is an eight-week program that all correctional officers are required to take before being deployed.
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QUOTES
“Ontario’s correctional officers are essential partners in the work underway to transform our correctional system. The hiring of 2,000 correctional officers over the next three years, building on the 710 correctional officers already hired since 2013, will ensure that we continue to attract excellent recruits to further enhance staffing levels and safety at our facilities as well as to improve rehabilitation and reintegration programming.”
— Yasir Naqvi, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services |
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