Richard Michael Zubrycki: 31 January 1944-5 May 2004.

• Author: Campbell, Mary
• Position: Candian corrections and criminal justice official - Obituary

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Richard Zubrycki on 5 May 2004. Richard was well known, loved, and respected in the field of corrections and criminal justice, to which his contributions were legion. A "home boy" from his beloved Winnipeg, Richard obtained his master's degree in social work and completed his course work and draft dissertation for his Ph.D. He began his public service career as a probation officer with the Manitoba Probation Service in 1965 and was appointed Senior Probation Officer in 1970. He joined the federal public service in 1973 when he was appointed Coordinator of Social Development for the Ontario Region of the Canadian Penitentiary Service (now the Correctional Service of Canada). He was then appointed Assistant Director, Socialization, at Stony Mountain Penitentiary in Manitoba, where he served until 1976.

Following his Ph.D. studies at the University of Toronto under his beloved mentor John Gandy, Richard joined the Policy and Planning Branch of CSC at its headquarters in Ottawa in 1978. He joined the Solicitor General Ministry Secretariat in 1981 and subsequently held various posts of increasing responsibility there. He was appointed to the post of Director, Corrections Policy and Program Analysis, in 1988. In 1994, he was appointed to the position of Director General, Corrections. Richard led teams responsible for introducing 17 bills to Parliament, reflecting a wide range of policy issues, including high-risk offenders, sex offender registry, and Criminal Records Act reform. A major achievement was the development of the current Corrections and Conditional Release Act, which replaced the outdated Penitentiary Act and Parole Act in 1992. This legislation was novel in its introduction of a statement of purpose and principles and for reflecting the relatively new Charter of Rights and Freedoms and common law principles that have stood the test of time. In the spring of 2003, while remaining at Solicitor General Canada in a special advisory position, Richard began a wonderful new career as an adjunct professor at Carleton University.

Over the course of these many years of service, Richard developed close relationships and ties with colleagues. His commitment and passion for his work were inspiring. He will long be remembered as a tireless mentor and loyal friend, and for a sense of humour that brought perspective to the work we do. There were a few defeats along the way, but Richard...