A Legacy of Service: Celebrating Susan Cox King Charles III Coronation Medal Honouree
Transforming Corrections: A Career Defined by Compassion, Innovation, and Public Safety
With more than three decades devoted to Ontario’s justice system, Susan Cox has championed a powerful belief—that communities become safer when people are given the tools and support to change. Her 34+ year career in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) is a testament to that belief, and today, she is being honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her profound impact on offender rehabilitation and her leadership in modernizing correctional programs province-wide.
Susan’s career began humbly as a university volunteer with Ontario Corrections. That experience would evolve into 18 impactful years as a Probation and Parole Officer, where she led rehabilitative groups, advocated for clients, and trained fellow staff. Simultaneously, she pursued a Master of Applied Science in Applied Psychology, laying the groundwork for what would become a transformational role in correctional programming.
A surprise three-month secondment to assist with the Ministry’s transformation agenda in the late 1990s became a 16-year journey of innovation, leadership, and systemic change.
Rebuilding Rehabilitation: A Province-Wide Transformation
At the time Susan stepped into a policy and program development role, correctional programs in Ontario were fragmented and inconsistent. Many lacked training frameworks, evaluative components, or alignment with research on effective intervention. Susan saw the opportunity—and necessity—for change.
She became a Program Analyst in 1998, then Core Program Consultant by 2001. In 2005, she established the Core Program Project Team, and by 2008, she secured funding to launch the Offender Programs Unit—a centralized structure for developing and delivering standardized, evidence-based programming across the province.
Over the years, Susan authored or co-developed more than 30 rehabilitative programs, focusing on areas such as anger management, domestic violence, substance use, anti-criminal thinking, sexual offending, and literacy/numeracy, as well as gender-responsive programs for women and culturally informed programming for Indigenous offenders. The scale and longevity of her work continue to influence correctional practices today.
A Passion for People—and Public Safety
Susan’s approach was never just about systems—it was about people. She believed that helping offenders develop the skills to stop offending was the most effective way to protect families, communities, and the offenders themselves. She credits the many dedicated OPS staff, whose support and commitment made the programming initiative successful. These staff included her talented team, mentors, corporate champions and all those staff who delivered programs in Probation offices and institutions. They were all essential partners in the mission and together they changed lives.
Her leadership helped embed a rehabilitative philosophy across the OPS that centered on dignity, accountability, and transformation.
Retirement in Full Bloom: Lifelong Learning Through Horticulture
After retiring, Susan remained committed to education and service. She consulted, trained, and taught online college courses. But her greatest post-retirement joy has blossomed in the garden.
Now living on a peaceful country property north of Owen Sound with her husband, Susan has become a certified Master Gardener and is completing a Horticultural Certificate from the University of Guelph. She channels her love of learning and community building into gardening education, proving that her passion for growth—of all kinds—has never faded.
Susan Cox’s remarkable career has shaped the landscape of correctional programming in Ontario. Her legacy lies in every program she developed, every staff member she mentored, and every person who found the strength to change because of the structures she helped build. For her lifelong service, innovation, and compassion, she is a truly deserving recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
With more than three decades devoted to Ontario’s justice system, Susan Cox has championed a powerful belief—that communities become safer when people are given the tools and support to change. Her 34+ year career in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) is a testament to that belief, and today, she is being honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her profound impact on offender rehabilitation and her leadership in modernizing correctional programs province-wide.
Susan’s career began humbly as a university volunteer with Ontario Corrections. That experience would evolve into 18 impactful years as a Probation and Parole Officer, where she led rehabilitative groups, advocated for clients, and trained fellow staff. Simultaneously, she pursued a Master of Applied Science in Applied Psychology, laying the groundwork for what would become a transformational role in correctional programming.
A surprise three-month secondment to assist with the Ministry’s transformation agenda in the late 1990s became a 16-year journey of innovation, leadership, and systemic change.
Rebuilding Rehabilitation: A Province-Wide Transformation
At the time Susan stepped into a policy and program development role, correctional programs in Ontario were fragmented and inconsistent. Many lacked training frameworks, evaluative components, or alignment with research on effective intervention. Susan saw the opportunity—and necessity—for change.
She became a Program Analyst in 1998, then Core Program Consultant by 2001. In 2005, she established the Core Program Project Team, and by 2008, she secured funding to launch the Offender Programs Unit—a centralized structure for developing and delivering standardized, evidence-based programming across the province.
Over the years, Susan authored or co-developed more than 30 rehabilitative programs, focusing on areas such as anger management, domestic violence, substance use, anti-criminal thinking, sexual offending, and literacy/numeracy, as well as gender-responsive programs for women and culturally informed programming for Indigenous offenders. The scale and longevity of her work continue to influence correctional practices today.
A Passion for People—and Public Safety
Susan’s approach was never just about systems—it was about people. She believed that helping offenders develop the skills to stop offending was the most effective way to protect families, communities, and the offenders themselves. She credits the many dedicated OPS staff, whose support and commitment made the programming initiative successful. These staff included her talented team, mentors, corporate champions and all those staff who delivered programs in Probation offices and institutions. They were all essential partners in the mission and together they changed lives.
Her leadership helped embed a rehabilitative philosophy across the OPS that centered on dignity, accountability, and transformation.
Retirement in Full Bloom: Lifelong Learning Through Horticulture
After retiring, Susan remained committed to education and service. She consulted, trained, and taught online college courses. But her greatest post-retirement joy has blossomed in the garden.
Now living on a peaceful country property north of Owen Sound with her husband, Susan has become a certified Master Gardener and is completing a Horticultural Certificate from the University of Guelph. She channels her love of learning and community building into gardening education, proving that her passion for growth—of all kinds—has never faded.
Susan Cox’s remarkable career has shaped the landscape of correctional programming in Ontario. Her legacy lies in every program she developed, every staff member she mentored, and every person who found the strength to change because of the structures she helped build. For her lifelong service, innovation, and compassion, she is a truly deserving recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal.