MINISTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL INVESTIGATOR OF CANADA

OTTAWA, February 24, 2004 - The Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today announced the appointment of Howard Sapers of Edmonton as the Correctional Investigator of Canada.

Howard Sapers is at present Vice-Chairperson for the Prairie Region of the National Parole Board of Canada. From 2001-2003 he was director of the Crime Prevention Investment Fund of the National Crime Prevention Centre, and from 1993 to 2001 served in the Alberta Legislature, as health critic, treasury critic and acting leader of the Official Opposition. He was employed by the John Howard Society of Alberta from 1982 to 1993, serving as the Society's Provincial Executive Director for the last seven of those years.

Mr. Sapers obtained a B.A. in Criminology from Simon Fraser University in 1979, and brings to the position of Correctional Investigator a strong background in corrections, rehabilitation of offenders and crime-prevention gained through employment and community service. His volunteer activities have included: chairman of the organizing committee of the Biannual Congress on Criminal Justice (1999), president of the Canadian Criminal Justice Association (1997), president of the Alberta Criminal Justice Association (1993) and vice-chair of the City of Edmonton Safer Cities Advisory Committee (1993).

The role of the Correctional Investigator, as set out in Part III of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, is to be an ombudsman for federal offenders. The primary function of the office is to investigate and bring resolution to individual offender complaints.

Mr. Sapers replaces Ronald L. Stewart, who retired after more than 25 years as Correctional Investigator of Canada.

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For further information:

Alex Swann
Office of the Honourable Anne McLellan
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety
and Emergency Preparedness
613-991-2863