REGINA — Improving safety, fairness and consistency in the correction system is the focus of the Correctional Services Amendment Act, 2026 recently passed in the Saskatchewan Legislature.
According to Saskatchewan Community Safety, the changes provide clearer processes and stronger oversight to manage inmates, while respecting the safety and rights of both inmates and staff.
Under the new act, major disciplinary matters are now decided by justices of the peace. This ensures decisions are impartial and consistent, officials say. Clear and enforceable consequences for serious misconduct are outlined in the act.
A new partnership has also been forged with the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS). This partnership is designed to improve how criminal incidents are addressed within correctional facilities. The SMS will investigate offences that occur in provincial custody and lay charges when appropriate. The goal is to ensure incidents, such as violence or drug trafficking, are dealt with promptly, while allowing municipal police services to focus on frontline community policing.
The SMS will begin working at the Prince Albert Correctional Centre, Pine Grove Correctional Centre and Prince Albert Youth Residence with a mandate to expand to additional correctional facilities over time. Together with the strengthened disciplinary framework, this reinforces clear expectations and meaningful consequences within Saskatchewan's correctional facilities, according to Community Safety.
"This new partnership strengthens public safety by ensuring that serious incidents involving offenders in custody are investigated thoroughly, safely and with clear accountability for criminal actions," Saskatchewan Marshals Service Chief Marshal Robert Cameron said.
"By assuming responsibility for these investigations, the Saskatchewan Marshals Service will help reduce the operational burden on already busy police services of jurisdiction, allowing them to focus more time and resources on responding to 911 emergencies and advancing proactive crime reduction efforts."
