National Office for Victims
Working with victims of federal offenders
Working with victims of federal offenders (PDF 427KB)
Established in 2005, The National Office for Victims (NOV) is part of Public Safety Canada and is co-located with the Policy Centre for Victim Issues (PCVI) at the Department of Justice. The NOV operates a toll-free line, 1-866-525-0554, which victims may call from anywhere in Canada or the United States.
What is the role of the office?
The National Office for Victims is a central resource offering information and support on federal corrections issues. As part of its mandate, the office:
- offers general information for victims and the public;
- provides referrals to the Correctional Services of Canada (CSC) and the National Parole Board (NPB) for specific enquiries;
- ensures that a victim's perspective is included in national policy development; and
- develops information products for dissemination to victims, victim service providers and the general public.
CSC Victim Services Officers and NPB Regional Communication Officers remain the primary source
of ongoing information for registered victims.
To register for the victim's notification service, please call either CSC at 1-866-806-2275 or the NPB at 1-866-789-INFO (4636). These toll-free victim information lines can be accessed from anywhere in Canada and the United States.
Addressing the needs of victims: A shared responsibility
As a general rule, the Correctional Service of Canada is responsible for offenders serving two years or more. The correctional service of the province or territory where the offenders was sentenced is responsible for sentences of less than two years.
The National Parole Board may grant, deny or revoke the parole of all offenders except those serving less than two years in Ontario and Quebec. Provincial parole boards have been established in those provinces.
Other federal services for victims
The Correctional Service of Canada, the National Parole Board, the Policy Centre for Victim Issues at the Department of Justice and the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime also provide a number of services for victims.
Correctional Service of Canada
The Correctional Service of Canada, through the Victim Services Program, has dedicated regional Victim Services Managers and Victim Services Officers who are responsible for managing information and services to victims of offenders under federal jurisdiction.
CSC also offers victim-offender mediation. The mediation process is entirely voluntary. To find out more, please contact CSC's Restorative Justice Unit at 613-947-7309.
National Parole Board
The National Parole Board has a team of Communications Officers in each region to provide information and services to victims. Registered victims can obtain a copy of NPB decisions, present impact statements at NPB hearings and attend hearings as observers. Communications Officers are also available to attend NPB hearings with victims.
Department of Justice
Policy Centre for Victim Issues
The Policy Centre for Victim Issues in the Department of Justice provides a victim's lens for criminal law reform and policy development. PCVI works closely with other federal departments to ensure a consistent approach to improving the experience of victims in the criminal justice system.
PCVI has a broad mandate that includes:
- conducting research;
- raising awareness about the needs and concerns of victims;
- developing public information materials;
- consulting with stakeholders to identify areas of concern and options for law and policy reform; and
- administering the Victim Fund which supports victims through funding to provinces and territories for victim services programming, non-governmental victim serving organizations and limited financial assistance directly to victims.
Victims may also apply to the Victim Fund for financial assistance to attend National Parole Board hearings of the offender who harmed them. In order to receive this financial assistance, victims must be registered with CSC or the NPB.
Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime
The Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime was established in 2007 and is mandated to ensure that the federal government meets its responsibilities regarding victims as set out in the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Canadian Statement of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime. The Ombudsman is an independent resource for victims and can address complaints from victims of offenders under federal supervision and any other matter within federal responsibility.
The Ombudsman may also identify and explore systemic and emerging issues that impact negatively on victims of crime.
For more information or to contact the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, please call, toll free, 1-866-481-8429.
For more information
To learn more about victim services, please contact your local police force, check your phone book's Government Pages for "victim services", or visit the following websites:
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