Why Canadas prison watchdog is leaving the job early

After eight years on the job and three decades in the public service, Ivan Zinger is leaving his post as Canada’s Correctional Investigator two years early. This week on InFocus, Zinger joins me to discuss his legacy and the challenges of advocating for change in a system that’s resistant to it. “I think that’s been one of the biggest challenges, that corrections [Correctional Service of Canada] is not an organization that is sort of open to look at alternatives,” Zinger said on InFocus. “Especially when those alternatives require a reallocation of their budget.” Since his appointment in 2017, Zinger has brought attention to a myriad of issues within Canada’s correctional system, including the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in prison. In his final annual report, he called for an overhaul of mental health services in federal corrections, arguing that they’re ill-equipped to provide long-term care. “Given that it’s my last annual report, it provided me with a platform to express my views and feelings over the last 20 years,” he said. “I have to say that those sentiments of frustration are not uncommon among my peers.” Addressing the over-incarceration of Indigenous peoples has remained a central focus for Zinger. Yet, despite advancing dozens of recommendations over the years, he argues not enough progress has been made. It’s one of the reasons he’s leaving his post in 2025 instead of 2027, when his term was set to end. “If you can reduce incarceration rates, that would mean that you probably are at the front end doing things better, like housing, like education, like, access to health care, and enabling Indigenous people in Canadian society to benefit from the same socio-economic, cultural (and) political rights that non-Indigenous people tend to benefit from,” he said. Read More:  Can Kathy Neil fix Canada’s prison system for Indigenous inmates? Some people aren’t so sure  As Zinger transitions to a new chapter, Canada’s next Correctional Investigator will have big shoes to fill. What advice would he give his successor? Tune into the conversation to hear more. Continue Reading