January 19 – 25, 2014 CAC Awareness Week in Canada

January 19 – 25, 2014 CAC Awareness Week in Canada

CAC Groups are working along with Canada’s Corrections Service (CSC) this week.  They are presenting their volunteer work in all Regions of our Country. The goal is that both CSC and the Public would know better what the CAC Groups can do.

Do you know what a CAC volunteer does?  CAC?  That is short for “Citizens Advisory Committee” (CAC). They are working within our Canadian Prisons and Canadian Communities to help keep our Communities safe.

The following list is what takes place this year and this week - all across Canada.

National Headquarters

Launching CAC Awareness Week with a Cake and Coffee event. Commissioner Don Head will host members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) at an interactive meeting to discuss the contributions CACs deliver on a daily basis. (National Headquarters, January 20)

Pacific Region

• ·         Holding an Honouring Ceremony in the Long House for CAC members. (Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village, January 17)
• ·         Holding a potluck with CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz with staff. (Metro Vancouver East PO, January 24)
• ·         CAC chairperson providing information on the CAC to the mayor via a letter and invitation to visit site. (Prince George Parole Office)
• ·         Setting up information table at local university and local library (Nanaimo Parole Office)
• ·         Promoting CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz for staff. (Various sites) 
• ·         Having announcement about CAC Awareness Week at general staff meeting and CAC introductions. (Kent Institution, Pacific Institution, Fraser Valley Institution)  

Prairies Region

• ·         Holding a facilitated teleconference discussion for all Prairie Region CAC members associated with parole offices. (Regional Headquarters [RHQ], January 22)
• ·         Including the CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz at all managers’ meetings. (Edmonton Institution for Women, January 7)
• ·         Discussing the CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz to staff in the Parole Board Canada boardroom. (Edmonton Institution for Women, January 20) 
• ·         Posting Commissioner Don Head’s letter recognizing the contributions of CACs on the communication board for all staff to view and discussing CAC Awareness Week at daily briefings. (Edmonton Institution for Women, January 20)
• ·         Highlighting CAC Awareness Week on the EIFW InfoNet including attachments to resource materials. (EIFW, January 20)
• ·         Displaying the CAC info sheet through the institution’s information televisions. (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Pen Max/Med/Min and Prince Albert Parole including La Ronge Parole)
• ·         Posting notice for CAC Awareness Week and a link to the CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz on the Saskatchewan Penitentiary InfoNet homepage. (Prince Albert)
• ·         Inviting CAC members to attend the Saskatchewan Penitentiary senior management meeting for introductions to senior managers and general discussion. (Prince Albert)
• ·         Inviting CAC members to meet with the Inmate Welfare Committees at all three security levels. (Prince Albert)
• ·         Holding a CAC meeting during the week to talk about their work and answer any questions. (Stony Mountain/Rockwood Institution)
• ·         Setting up a CAC table with the information sheet and providing the opportunity to interact with and engage staff. (Stony Mountain/Rockwood Institution)
• ·         Presenting the CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz. (Stony Mountain/Rockwood Institution)
• ·         Highlighting CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz at staff assembly. Summarizing the organization in routine orders at the Regional Psychiatric Centre (RPC) for the week. (RPC/Saskatoon Parole, January 16)
• ·         Publishing a photo and a bio of each CAC member in the upcoming routine orders. (Regional Psychiatric Centre/Saskatoon Parole, January 16)
• ·         Sharing CAC Awareness Week resources with members and staff. (Medicine Hat/Lethbridge/Calgary Parole)
• ·         Announcing CAC Awareness Week at morning briefing and recognizing the valuable role that CACs serve for CSC. (Pe Sâkâstêw Healing Centre)
• ·         Announcing CAC Awareness Week, including trivia questions about the local CAC. (Pe Sâkâstêw Healing Centre)
• ·         Visiting site with CAC members to meet with staff and the inmates. (Pe Sâkâstêw Healing Centre, January 21)
• ·         Providing resource tools to staff, with a committee focus on recruitment. (Edmonton Parole)
• ·         Conducting monthly CAC meeting. (Grand Cache Institution, January 21)
• ·         Conducting tours of the Grande Cache Institution, with various community leaders and organizations. (Grand Cache Institution, January 21)
• ·         Sending the CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz to staff (Grand Cache Institution, January 20)
• ·         Holding CAC Awareness Week Luncheon Kick-Off activity. CAC/CSC partnership with Town of Drumheller profiled in submission for Let's Talk Express. (Drumheller Institution)
• ·         Featuring the CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz to staff at meeting. (Regina Parole/Oskana Centre)
• ·         Presentations to correctional officers during daily briefings throughout the week. (Edmonton Institution)

Ontario Region

• ·         Sending a message from Regional Deputy Commissioner to all staff re: CAC Awareness Week. (January 19)
• ·         Regional CAC coordinator hosting an Info Sharing Session with RHQ staff, regional chair and vice-chair to attend, Chit Chat Cafe - brown bag lunch (January 24)
• ·         Hosting Open House. (Peterborough Parole, January 23)
• ·         Info Sharing Sessions with offenders on CAC, CAC members will provide offenders with an overview during scheduled class session periods. (Collins Bay/Frontenac Institutions)
• ·         Planning senior management walkabout institution with CAC members to connect with staff, coffee and cake available in three buildings.
• ·         Holding staff assembly planned in near future. (Warkworth Institution, January 21)
• ·         Posting on social media: CAC Facebook, Twitter, Blog. (By regional CAC chair , January 17-25) Ontario Regional Ethnocultural Committee and other CAC members encouraged to post as well.
• ·         Held an Open House in November 2013 (Keele); holding event with staff and CAC to introduce new members, sharing letter from the Commissioner, including the CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz. (Keele CCC, January 20 and 27)
• ·         Discussing the CAC Awareness Week presentation and quiz to staff, testimonials from CAC members – why CAC is important to them. (Toronto East Parole Office, January 23)
• ·         Connecting with CSC staff. (Ottawa Parole Office)
• ·         Sent a letter to local paper highlighting local CAC by CAC chair (Fenbrook/Beaver Creek, January 23)
• ·         Hosting supper for CAC members compliments of Area Director at Sudbury Parole, CAC presentation and quiz, Teleconference with Greater Ontario and Nunavut District partners (Chair, January 23)

Québec Region

• ·         Sending email to chairs of the CACs to thank them for their engagement. (Regional Headquarters [RHQ], January 20)
• ·         Sending email to employees with information on regional activities through CAC. (RHQ)
• ·         Publishing an article on InfoNet announcing the recipients of recognition certificates and presenting regional committee members. (RHQ, January 24)
• ·         Holding meetings with partner groups and regional CAC chair. (RHQ, January 24)
• ·         Sending the CAC fact sheet to employees on the roles of CAC members. (Port-Cartier)
• ·         Sent CAC quiz to staff and sending follow-up material. Planning for the Director of Interventions to attend a dinner with the CAC members to discuss shared issues. (l’Établissement Joliette and other sites)

Atlantic Region

• ·         Publishing an article in This & That/De ci, De ça on CAC Awareness Week with comments from RDC and CAC regional chair, and announcing the new inter-provincial CAC for New Brunswick—Prince Edward Island and provincial CAC for Nova Scotia.
• ·         Hosting a lunch and learn. (Nova Institution)
• ·         Spending a day shadowing the Warden and raising awareness about the CAC at the institution (Westmorland Institution)
• ·         Creating a poster to recognize CAC members. Distributing CAC brochures to networks, parole offices, CRFs, CACs, etc. Informing employees, friends, and family members on the role of CACs. Inviting CAC members to meeting