The report begins with a description of the responsibilities of the correctional investigator, which include the investigation and resolution of individual Federal offender complaints. The first day of an institution visit is described, beginning at 7:45 a.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. Major outstanding issues for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) to address are discussed and include challenges related to Aboriginal offenders, women offenders, use of force, the strip search policy, and the transfer of offenders, among others. Each outstanding issue is discussed in terms of past challenges, positive developments, and ongoing challenges; recommendations are offered for each issue. The section on “Files in Progress” identifies the issues brought up in the previous year’s annual report and discusses updates to those issues. Mental health issues are highlighted as an important focus for CSC in the coming year and statistics are offered pertaining to contacts by category and institution, complaints, and disposition of contacts. The second part of the report presents a response from the CSC to the 31st Annual Report of the Correctional Investigator. This section discusses the challenges of serving a changing offender population and a number of special needs are identified, including appropriate programming for women offenders, health interventions, and pre-release programming. The recommendations of the Correctional Investigator regarding outstanding issues and special needs are listed and addressed in turn.