The complainant alleged that Correctional Service Canada (CSC) improperly withheld information under subsection 19(1) (personal information) of the Access to Information Act. The complaint centres on a request for an up-to-date copy of an inmate’s carceral file.

The investigation revealed that CSC neither retrieved nor processed the records at issue before applying subsection 19(1) to protect the requested information in its entirety. As a result, CSC could not legitimately maintain that the information meets the criteria for personal information under subsection 19(1). Moreover, without access to the records at issue, delegated officials at CSC could not demonstrate the circumstances that would allow for disclosure of personal information pursuant to subsection 19(2).

The Information Commissioner recommended that the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness proceed with the retrieval and processing of the requested information in its entirety and issue a new response to the complainant by June 30, 2021. The Commissioner of CSC gave notice that CSC would implement the Information Commissioner’s recommendations. The complaint is well founded.