2017-2018 Departmental Results Report

From: Parole Board of Canada

Chairperson’s Message

As Chairperson of the Parole Board of Canada (PBC), it is my pleasure to present the 2017-18 Departmental Results Report. This report provides parliamentarians and Canadians with an overview of the PBC’s performance in delivering on its established plans and priorities.

As an agency within the Public Safety portfolio, the PBC provides independent, quality conditional release and record suspension decisions and clemency recommendations, while respecting the rights and dignity of offenders, victims and applicants, in accordance with its statutory responsibilities and authorities.

It has been a year of notable achievements, between improving outreach and in-reach to key stakeholders, providing training for new Board members, ongoing services to victims, and work in the area of Indigenous offenders. The PBC’s accomplishments reflect its ability to respond to a changing environment with innovative thinking and continuous stakeholder engagement, resulting in quality decision-making.

I am proud of our accomplishments, and look forward to strengthening the PBC’s partnerships with stakeholders, including Indigenous communities. With the recent reviews of PBC’s policies, procedures, and training, we have strengthened our knowledge and understanding of Indigenous social history and our response to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. With a renewed focus on partnerships, the PBC will be more effective than ever as a compass for continued improvement.

The PBC continues to think strategically to ensure its effectiveness in meeting its corporate priorities and performance targets, and improving the way it delivers services. I want to acknowledge the exceptional performance of our Board members and public service employees and their profound contributions to the PBC, and to keeping Canadians safe and secure.

Jennifer Oades
Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada

Results at a glance

Results for the PBC include:

Actual Spending 2017-18	Actual full-time equivalents (FTEs) 2017-18
47,729,824	471
Key Achievements of the PBC in 2017-18
The PBC actively participated in the Government of Canada’s criminal justice review, which encompasses the PBC’s guiding legislation by providing data, and participating in the analysis of the operational impacts and considerations for the PBC. Last year, the PBC was also heavily involved in the ongoing analysis and preparations required for the implementation of the new Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act. The PBC had a busy year working with Public Safety and its partners in these areas, as well as ensuring that preparations to implement other legislative amendments that had relevance for certain aspects of the PBC’s activities were completed in a timely manner. In 2017-18 the PBC saw significant changes to its leadership positions with appointments of a new Chairperson, Executive Vice-Chairperson and Executive Director General. In 2017-18, 37 new Board members were appointed to the PBC, representing 50% of its existing complement. The PBC provided seven two-week orientation sessions at national office, and a further three weeks of training to new Board members in the regions. In a typical year, the PBC would usually deliver 2-4 orientation sessions, so this represents a significant increase in training activities. The PBC worked closely with other federal government departments, specifically with Public Safety, to focus on closing the gaps in services for Indigenous peoples. The PBC’s 2017-18 National Indigenous Outreach Plan ensured a strategic, national approach to outreach and in-reach, and resulted in an almost 12% increase in the number of Elder-Assisted Hearings. It has also brought more attention to Community-Assisted Hearings and has increased its partnerships with Indigenous communities and those working with Indigenous victims.

For more information on the PBC’s plans, priorities, and results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” section of this report.

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

Raison d’être

The PBC is an agency within the Public Safety portfolio.

The PBC is an independent administrative tribunal that has exclusive jurisdiction and absolute discretion under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) to grant, cancel, terminate or revoke day parole, full parole, and authorize or approve temporary absences. The PBC can also terminate or revoke statutory release. The PBC may also order (on referral by the Correctional Service Canada (CSC)) that certain offenders be held in custody until the end of their sentence. This is called detention during a period of statutory release. Furthermore, the PBC is responsible for imposing, modifying or removing release conditions on temporary absences, day parole, full parole, statutory release, and long-term supervision.

The PBC also has exclusive jurisdiction and absolute discretion to order, refuse to order, or revoke a record suspension under the Criminal Records Act (CRA). In addition, the PBC is authorized to modify or remove driving prohibitions under Section 109 and to investigate Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM) requests under Section 110 of the CCRA. The PBC also provides recommendations on clemency to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

Mandate and role

The PBC makes conditional release decisions for federal offenders (i.e., those serving sentences of two years or more), and for offenders serving sentences of less than two years in provinces and territories that do not have their own parole boards. Only the provinces of Ontario and Quebec currently have their own parole boards, which make parole decisions for provincial offenders.

The PBC is the federal agency responsible for processing record suspensions for convictions under federal acts or regulations of Canada and to review clemency applications, conduct investigations (at the direction of the Minister of Public Safety), and make recommendations to the Minister regarding whether to grant the clemency request.

In addition to the raison d’être above, the PBC has legislated responsibilities related to openness and accountability, which are the provision of information to victims of crime and observers at hearings, access to the PBC’s Decision Registry, and delivery of a program of public information.

PBC’S VISION, MISSION AND VALUES

Vision Statement As an independent administrative tribunal, the PBC contributes to making communities safer.

Our Mission The PBC, as a part of the criminal justice system, makes independent, quality conditional release and record suspension decisions and clemency recommendations, in an open and accountable manner, while respecting the rights and dignity of both offenders and victims, in accordance with its statutory responsibilities and authorities.

Values The PBC’s core values are: Respect - We respect the inherent potential and rights of all members of society; Openness, Integrity, and Accountability - We are committed to openness, integrity and accountability in the execution of our mandate; and Excellence - We achieve the PBC’s Mission through the contributions of qualified individuals working in a continuous learning environment.

For more general information about the department, see the “Supplementary Information” section of this report. For more information on the department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter.

Operating context and key risks

Operating context

The PBC works in a challenging environment that demands effective alignment to the Government of Canada’s outcome of a safe and secure Canada, and careful assessment of criminal justice issues and community concerns. Public safety remains the PBC’s primary consideration in all aspects of decision-making policy, training, and operations. The PBC exercises legislated responsibilities for sharing appropriate information with victims of crime, offenders, applicants, other criminal justice partners, and the public. In this environment, strategic information management is crucial, requiring the PBC to have the automated systems necessary to support effective collection, storage, and sharing of information, and gain efficiencies through the automation of work processes.

The PBC proactively works with its criminal justice partners to coordinate, oversee, and analyze legislative amendments and government initiatives, specifically in relation to our conditional release and record suspension programs. The pace and complexity of proposed legislative changes, and the impact of litigation have grown significantly over the last few years and have had continuous effects on the PBC’s operations.

In addition, with the disproportionate number of Indigenous offenders in federal corrections, the PBC has a responsibility to ensure that Indigenous offenders are aware of their rights with respect to conditional release and record suspensions and that there are no systemic barriers to Indigenous participation in these areas. We continue to work with stakeholders to support the reintegration of Indigenous offenders in the community and better understand the needs of Indigenous victims.

A key challenge for the PBC is to stabilize its workforce as well as to strengthen succession planning in relation to both Board members and its public service staff. It is essential for the PBC to maintain sufficient numbers of Board members, who are Governor-in-Council term appointments. To this end, the PBC continued to work with key partners to identify sufficient numbers of qualified candidates for consideration for selection as Board members. The composition of Board members is close to reflecting the diversity of Canadian society,^{Footnote 1} and the PBC can respond to offenders’ needs in the official language of their choice. 

For the foreseeable future, the PBC will face complex and growing workload pressures in areas of legislated responsibility. For this reason, strong strategic management of financial resources is essential in order to closely monitor impacts and identify opportunities to reallocate and re-invest in the PBC’s programs in line with changing priorities.

PUBLIC SAFETY PORTFOLIO PARTNERS

Public Safety Canada Canada Border Services Agency Canadian Security Intelligence Service Correctional Service Canada Royal Canadian Mounted Police Parole Board of Canada

Key risks

The risk response strategies outlined below were revised following the tabling of the 2017-18 Departmental Plan (DP). As such, the reporting reflects the operational realities based on priorities that emerged during the fiscal year. The mitigation strategy information below provides a summary of the action plans used to reduce the risk likelihood and impact. The risks identified are existing risks for the PBC. The strategies employed below provided the PBC with the ability to effectively mitigate its risks whereby the impact and/or likelihood of the risks occurring where minimal.

Risks	Mitigating strategy and effectiveness	Link to the department’s Core Responsibilities	Link to mandate letter commitments or to government‑wide and departmental priorities
The Application of Fairness - there is a risk that the application of fairness for evidence-based decision-making could be affected if the following are not addressed: National consistency (i.e., process, support, and evidence-based decisions); and Board member competencies, merit-based qualification, and professional standards.	Reviewed and modified national Board member training materials. Ensures that the delivery of Board member training was provided consistently across the organization. Held the Annual Training on Risk Assessment for all Board members, in support of Board member competencies and national consistency. Ensured that common training tools/strategies are up-to-date and made available in a timely manner to all Board members in support of their duties. Support and advice was made available to Board members by maintaining a professional and well trained employee cadre.	Conditional Release Decisions Record Suspension Decisions/ Clemency Recommendations	To support the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness: Keeping Canadians safe
Program Delivery and Management - there is a risk that the PBC may not be able to deliver its programs and services to fulfil its mandate due to inadequate capacity.	Transitioned the current file management practice to the E-File platform in accordance with regional objectives as determined by the articulated performance measures. Ensured that all pertinent documents (i.e., checklists) were received from CSC to initiate the decision-making process. Supported and re-evaluated contingency measures for conditional release decisions, to ensure there was no loss of jurisdiction. Additional decision-making capacity was realized through the dedication of individual Board members who worked above and beyond planned usage (i.e., weekends and evenings).	Conditional Release Decisions Conditional Release Openness and Accountability Record Suspension Decisions/ Clemency Recommendations	To support the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness: Keeping Canadians safe
Building and Sustaining Human Capital for BMs) - there is a risk that key activities and functions could be adversely affected unless the PBC is able to recruit, stabilize, strengthen competencies and capacity, and retain its workforce while ensuring wellness.	Proactively worked with the Privy Council Office (PCO) to support the Board member qualification process. Supported the Board member qualification process (i.e., exams were completed and interviews held). Continued to provide Board members operational flexibility through E-File. Provided accommodation measures and flexibility where feasible for Board members (i.e., telework) to encourage a healthy workplace.	Conditional Release Decisions Conditional Release Openness and Accountability Record Suspension Decisions/ Clemency Recommendations Internal Services	To support the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness: Keeping Canadians safe

Results: what we achieved

Core Responsibilities

Conditional Release Decisions

Description

Conditional release is based on the principle that community safety is enhanced by the gradual release of offenders to the community when appropriate. Quality decisions based on the risk of re-offending in conjunction with effective programs and treatment, and effective community supervision all contribute to the process. Through this core responsibility, PBC staff provide timely, accurate information for Board member decision-making, and develop training and policies that are essential tools for risk assessment and decision-making.

Results

In 2017-18, a significant proportion of the PBC’s Board member complement were new appointments. This had a considerable impact on workloads, in terms of preparing incoming Board members for their new roles of making conditional release decisions using a structured approach that takes into consideration the case specific and risk relevant factors. The PBC’s Training Section delivered seven orientation sessions to new Board members, a sizeable increase from the normal 2-4 it delivers annually.

Over the last ten years, 99% of releases on parole did not result in a conviction for a new violent offence prior to warrant expiry, and 99% of offenders who completed their sentences on full parole five years ago have not re-offended and returned to a federal penitentiary because of a new violent offence.

The percentage of decisions that are affirmed by the Appeal Division increased during 2017-18 to 76% from 73% in 2016-17. This remains lower than the target of 95% and prior year results. The most common reasons for the Appeal Division to intervene were the Gladue^{Footnote 2} principles and erroneous/incomplete information. Since the last reporting period, the number of decisions with the “Right to be Heard” as a grounds for modification has decreased considerably, from 42 decisions in 2016-17 to 5 in 2017-18. This decrease is in part due to a court decision^{Footnote 3} and consequent policy change, which means that the PBC now performs reviews by way of a hearing in post-suspension cases, rather than by an in-office review.

Initial gender based analysis plus (GBA+) of conditional release data indicates that there were no significant disparities between different groups in terms of results, with the exception of the indicator for Appeals. While the overall affirmed decision rate for Appeals was 76%, it was only 55% for Indigenous offenders for each of the past two years. Data also indicates that Indigenous offenders appeal at lower rates; with 15% of appeal decisions being made for Indigenous offenders compared to 26% of total conditional release decisions. Similar differences also exist for women offenders. Further analysis will be undertaken to better understand the reasons for these differences.

The Conditional Release core responsibility has lower than planned human resources utilized due to unforeseen vacancies.

REVIEWS AND HEARINGS

In 2017-18: the PBC completed 15,299 conditional release reviews for federal and provincial/territorial offenders. 677 Elder-Assisted Hearings were conducted; an increase from 605 in 2016-17. This is due to in-reach activities conducted with Indigenous offenders by the PBC.

Results achieved

Departmental results	Performance indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2017-18 Actual results	2016-17 Actual results	2015-16 Actual results
Conditional release decisions contribute to keeping communities safe.	The percentage of offenders on parole who are not convicted of a violent offence during their supervision period.	≥98%	Annual	100%	100%	100%
	The percentage of offenders who completed their sentences on full parole and who are not re-admitted after release because of a violent conviction (five years post-warrant expiry).	≥98%	Annual	99%	99%	98%
Conditional release decisions adhere to the law, the PBC’s policies, and the principles of fundamental justice.	The percentage of decisions that are affirmed by the Appeal Division.	≥95%	Annual	76%	73%	82%

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2017-18 Main Estimates	2017-18 Planned spending	2017-18 Total authorities available for use	2017-18 Actual spending (authorities used)	2017-18 Difference (actual minus planned)
34,172,754	34,392,874	36,536,165	35,275,468	882,594

Human resources (FTEs)

2017-18 Planned	2017-18 Actual	2017-18 Difference (actual minus planned)
335	317	(18)

Financial, human resources, and performance information for the PBC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Conditional Release Openness and Accountability

Description

This core responsibility ensures that the PBC operates in an open and accountable manner, consistent with the provisions of the CCRA. This core responsibility works with victims of crime and the general public by providing information, including access to the PBC’s Registry of decisions, as well as providing assistance for observers at hearings. The core responsibility also works to encourage citizen engagement, investigates tragic incidents in the community, monitors the PBC’s performance and reports on conditional release processes.

Results

The PBC continued to face important increases in workload in this area. In 2017-18, the PBC had more than 33,000 contacts with victims. This number has grown over 49% over the last five years. In 2017-18, 42% of the contacts were by letter, 32% were by telephone, 17% by email, 7% unsuccessful, and 2% in-person. The number of victim complaints received by the PBC remained low in 2017-18. The PBC received a total of six victim complaints, four of which were admissible and two that were not admissible. As with conditional release decision-making, the need for quality program delivery is critical, given its implications for public confidence in corrections and conditional release, particularly due to intense public scrutiny and extensive media interest in the PBC’s programs.

Almost 5,000 people observed a PBC hearing in 2017-18 (including victims and their supports, members of the public, students, the media, PBC and CSC staff, and other government officials), reflecting a 24% increase over the last five years. The CCRA permits access to specific decisions and to decisions for research purposes through the PBC’s Registry of Decisions. In 2017-18, the PBC released over 5,000 decisions from its Registry of decisions. Victims were the most frequent requestors of decisions (approximately 50%), followed by the media (approximately 35%). Work continued in 2017-18 to develop a new module within the PBC’s Integrated Decision System (IDS) to electronically manage decision registry information, and this new module is expected to be implemented in 2018-19.

INCREASED OUTREACH AND IN-REACH

More than 40 outreach and in-reach presentations were delivered, providing information on government priorities that affect the PBC, such as victim rights, with a focus on Indigenous peoples.

Results achieved

Departmental results		Performance indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2017-18 Actual results	2016-17 Actual results	2015-16 Actual results
The timely exchange of relevant information with victims, offenders, observers, other components of the criminal justice system, and the general public.	The percentage of individuals (i.e., general public and victims) that are satisfied with the quality of the service and timeliness of the information provided.		≥80%	Annual	89%Footnote 4	89%	89%
	The percentage of those who access PBC’s internet site that finds the information useful.		≥80%	Annual	N/AFootnote 5	N/A	N/A
	The percentage of requests for information through the Decision Registry that are responded to in a timely manner.		≥80%	Annual	92%	91%	94%

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2017-18 Main Estimates	2017-18 Planned spending	2017-18 Total authorities available for use	2017-18 Actual spending (authorities used)	2017-18 Difference (actual minus planned)
4,681,030	4,747,331	4,577,677	4,266,874	(480,457)

Human resources (FTEs)

2017-18 Planned	2017-18 Actual	2017-18 Difference (actual minus planned)
40	42	2

Financial, human resources and performance information for the PBC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Record Suspension Decisions/Clemency Recommendations

Description

A record suspension is designed to support the successful reintegration of an individual into society where appropriate. It is a formal attempt to remove the stigma of a criminal record for people found guilty of a federal offence and who, after satisfying their sentence and specified waiting period, have shown themselves to be responsible law-abiding citizens. Record suspensions can be revoked or cease to have effect if an individual is convicted of a new indictable offence, or in some cases a summary offence, found to no longer be of good conduct, found to have made a false or misleading statement or hidden information. Through this core responsibility, the PBC screens applications for completeness and eligibility, collects information for decision-making and develops policy to guide decision processes. This program is also responsible for assessing requests and providing recommendations under the RPM (i.e., clemency) and providing advice to the Minister on the merits of each case. Clemency is granted in exceptional circumstances in deserving cases involving federal offences, where no other remedy exists in law to reduce severe negative effects of criminal sanctions.

Results

The volume of activity in the record suspension program increased significantly in 2017-18. Legislative changes dating back to 2012 imposed an additional 5 year waiting period for the eligibility criteria for certain applicants. This waiting period has now been reached by many applicants who are now eligible to apply. In addition, as a result of recent court decisions in British Columbia and Ontario, applications from applicants who reside in one of those two provinces whose last convictions occurred no later that March 12, 2012, will have their requests processed as pardon applications under the applicable version of the CRA.

As a result, in 2017-18, the PBC received a total of 14,661 record suspension/pardon applications, which reflects a 27% increase from 11,563 applications received in 2016-17. The increase in volume and complexity for this core responsibility resulted in significantly higher than planned revenues, expenses, and allocation of human resources. The PBC accepted 10,958 applications (approximately 75%) for processing. It rendered 7,180 record suspension and 1,901 pardon decisions. In 2017-18, there was one case where the Federal Court determined that a decision should be reconsidered and the required corrective measure was taken.

The PBC continued to process record suspension applications according to the following service standards:^{Footnote 6}

• Applications seeking a record suspension for (an) offence(s) tried summarily will be processed within 6 months of application acceptance;
• Applications seeking a record suspension for (an) offence(s) tried by indictment will be processed within 12 months of application acceptance; and
• Applications in which the PBC is proposing to refuse to order a record suspension may require up to 24 months after application acceptance to complete.

In 2017-18, the Clemency Unit received 36 requests for the RPM, finalized 56 files, and had 114 active files at year-end. The number of active clemency files remains high as a result of the changes made to the CRA and legislative amendments.

The PBC does not collect disaggregated data on race or gender for Record Suspension/Clemency applicants, as it is not part of the legislated framework for the program, so it is not possible to perform a gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) of results.

TRAINING FOR BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF

Training materials and operational procedures for hearings were reviewed, standardized, and modified. Training was provided to Board members and staff which included information on the results of court decisions from British Columbia and Ontario.

Results achieved

Departmental results	Performance indicators	Target	Date to achieve target	2017-18 Actual results	2016-17 Actual results	2015-16 Actual results
Record suspension decisions contribute to keeping communities safer.	The percentage of record suspension decisions that are not revoked or cease to have effect.	≥95%	Annual	95%	95%	95%
Record suspension decisions adhere to the law, the PBC’s policies, and the principles of fundamental justice.	The percentage of record suspension decisions that require a change as a result of litigation Footnote 7	≤5%	Annual	0%Footnote 8	N/A	N/A
Clemency recommendations are made as part of a fair and equitable process.	The percentage of clemency files submitted for Minister’s office review that are considered complete. Footnote 9	≥95%	Annual	100%	N/A	N/A

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

	2017-18 Main Estimates	2017-18 Planned spending	2017-18 Total authorities available for use	2017-18 Actual spending (authorities used)	2017-18 Difference (actual minus planned)
Expenses	6,148,582	4,759,000	6,218,314	5,199,437	440,437
Revenue	5,644,800	4,230,000	5,644,800	5,122,530	892,530
Total	503,782	529,000	573,514	76,907	(452,093)

Human resources (FTEs)

2017-18 Planned	2017-18 Actual	2017-18 Difference (actual minus planned)
40	48	8

Financial, human resources, and performance information for the PBC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology (IT) Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.

Results

In 2017-18, Internal Services continued to effectively deliver services in support of the PBC’s core responsibilities. Priority activities included ensuring a healthy and respectful workplace, increasing its participation in Open Government, preparing to roll out a new financial system, and addressing compensation issues.

The PBC has continued its commitment to promoting a healthy and respectful workplace through various initiatives (e.g., the Positive Space initiative, developmental workshops etc.). In 2017-18, it successfully launched the ‘Not Myself Today’ campaign in support of mental health and wellbeing, and the National Champions of the Workplace Health and Wellness Committee visited all PBC offices to discuss these issues with Board members and staff. The PBC’s Management Accountability Framework (MAF) results indicated that, while the PBC’s sick-leave usage was above the average, it has decreased from 13.1 days in 2016-17 to 11.9 days in 2017-18.

The PBC continued to work towards meeting the Treasury Board Secretariat’s (TBS) Directive on Open Government by implementing its five-year Open Government Implementation Plan (OGIP). In 2017-18, the PBC released 115 data sets as part of its commitment to sharing information and data in an open and transparent manner. The PBC also created a Performance Framework and Governance Structures for Open Government, as part of its OGIP.

Actual spending by Internal Services was higher than planned due to the payment of retroactive personnel expenditures and reallocations of available funding to address corporate priorities in the year. The PBC’s Finance and Planning Division dedicated resources to the transition to a new financial system in April 2018. Efforts were also dedicated to address compensation issues. The PBC also invested in its IT infrastructure to support a more mobile workforce.

HIGHLIGHTS

Regional visits by the Champions of the Workplace Health and Wellness Committee. Release of 115 data sets to Open Government. Rollout of a new financial system for April 2018.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

2017-18 Main Estimates	2017-18 Planned spending	2017-18 Total authorities available for use	2017-18 Actual spending (authorities used)	2017-18 Difference (actual minus planned)
6,906,405	7,036,548	8,298,325	8,110,575	1,074,027

Human resources (FTEs)

2017-18 Planned	2017-18 Actual	2017-18 Difference (actual minus planned)
60	64	4

Analysis of trends in spending and human resources

Actual expenditures

PBC’s expenditures in 2017-18 increased by $904,000, or 2%. This increase is due to the payment of retroactive personnel expenditures under signed collective agreements.

Budgetary performance summary for Programs and Internal Services (dollars)

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2017-18 Main Estimates	2017-18 Planned spending	2018-19 Planned spending	2019-20 Planned spending	2017-18 Total authorities available for use	2017-18 Actual spending (authorities used)	2016-17 Actual spending (authorities used)	2015-16 Actual spending (authorities used)
Conditional Release Decisions	34,172,754	34,392,874	34,398,702	34,399,464	36,536,165	35,275,468	35,113,334	35,007,980
Conditional Release Openness and Accountability	4,681,030	4,747,331	4,748,629	4,749,901	4,577,677	4,266,874	3,912,382	3,854,157
Record Suspension Decisions/Clemency Recommendations: Gross Spending	6,148,582	4,759,000	4,759,000	4,759,000	6,218,314	5,199,437	5,113,125	4,547,833
Less revenues	5,644,800	4,230,000	4,230,000	4,230,000	5,644,800	5,122,530	3,856,305	4,183,470
Net spending	503,782	529,000	529,000	529,000	573,514	76,907	1,256,305	364,363
Subtotal	39,357,566	39,669,205	39,676,331	39,678,365	41,687,356	39,619,249	40,282,021	39,226,500
Internal Services	6,906,405	7,036,548	7,037,174	7,037,704	8,298,325	8,110,575	6,543,420	7,104,439
Total	46,263,971	46,705,753	46,713,505	46,716,069	49,985,681	47,729,824	46,825,441	46,330,939

Planned Spending for 2017-18 of $46.7 million was based on funding through Main Estimates, plus an estimate of additional funding to be received in year for the carry-forward of unused funding from the previous year and an estimate for refundable salary-related expenditures (e.g., severance and parental benefits). The amount of total authorities available for use in 2017-18 ($49.9 million) was higher than Planned Spending because the PBC received additional funding for the impact of collective agreements and higher than planned carry-forward funding.

In 2017-18, net spending in Record Suspension Decisions/Clemency Recommendations was $0.07 million which is significantly lower than net spending of $1.2 million in 2016-2017. This decrease in net spending is due to two factors: an increase in revenue from the higher volume of applications received, and a reduction in spending because work on eliminating the pardons backlog was completed in 2016-17. Net spending on this program is difficult to forecast due to variations in the volume of applications received in a year and the recent requirement to maintain dual operations to process applications under two different legislative requirements.

Planned spending for fiscal years 2018-19 and 2019-20 are $46.7 million respectively, which is the anticipated funding to be received through the Main Estimates and an estimate for refundable salary-related expenditures.

Actual spending in 2017-18 of $47,729,824 is lower than authorities available for use, and resulted in a lapse of $2,255,858 as reported in the Public Accounts of Canada. The lapse is primarily due to position vacancies.

As presented in the following chart, spending by each core responsibility as a percentage of total spending has remained generally consistent over the last three years. The increase in spending in Internal Services is due to allocating available resources to corporate priorities in the year, as described in the previous section.

Actual human resources

Human resources summary for Programs and Internal Services (FTEs)

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2015-16 Actual	2016-17 Actual	2017-18 Forecast	2017-18 Actual	2018-19 Planned	2019-20 Planned
Conditional Release Decisions	322	321	335	317	335	335
Conditional Release Openness and Accountability	42	44	40	42	40	40
Record Suspension Decisions/Clemency Recommendations	52	59	40	48	40	40
Subtotal	416	424	415	407	415	415
Internal Services	59	56	60	64	60	60
Total	475	480	475	471	475	475

The actual utilization of human resources was 471 in 2017-18. As presented in the following chart, FTE utilization by responsibility area as a percentage of the PBC total has remained generally consistent over the last three years. The decrease in FTE utilization in Record Suspension Decisions/Clemency Recommendations is due to additional resources allocated to the core responsibility in 2016-17 to complete the backlog of pardon requests. The increase in human resources in Internal Services were assigned to corporate priorities such as work on compensation issues and the new financial system.

Expenditures by vote

For information on the PBC’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2017-2018.

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of the PBC’s spending with the Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available in the GC InfoBase.

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

The PBC’s financial statements [unaudited] for the year ended March 31, 2018, are available on the PBC’s website.

Financial statements highlights

Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited)
For the year ended March 31, 2018 (dollars)

Financial information	2017-18 Planned results	2017-18 Actual	2016-17 Actual	Difference (2017-18 actual minus 2017-18 planned)	Difference (2017-18 actual minus 2016-17 actual)
Total expenses	58,399	63,617	60,996	5,218	2,621
Total revenues	4,230	5,118	3,849	888	1,269
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers	54,169	58,499	57,147	4,330	1,352

The 2017-18 Planned Results presented in the Statement of Operations are based on estimates known at the time of the Departmental Plan. The differences between 2017-18 Planned Results and 2017-18 Actual Results are due to events not known during the Departmental Plan planning phase. Expenses were higher than planned because the PBC received additional funding for the impact of signed collective agreements and higher than planned carry-forward funding.  Revenue was higher than planned as a result of the increase in volume of record suspension applications received. 

The increase in actual expenses in 2017-18 compared to the prior year is due to a $2.4 million (5%) increase in salaries and employee benefits, due to the signing of collective agreements. Other expenses that increased significantly include relocation expense, which increased by $0.4 million (100%), primarily due to a spike in new Board member appointments, and travel expenses, which increased by $0.3 million (22%) primarily due to travel to attend training. These increases were offset by modest decreases in most other categories of expenses.

Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited)
As at March 31, 2018 (dollars)

Financial Information	2017-18	2016-17	Difference (2017-18 minus 2016-17)
Total net liabilities	7,628	7,165	463
Total net financial assets	4,152	3,800	352
Departmental net debt	3,476	3,365	111
Total non-financial assets	2,450	2,601	(151)
Departmental net financial position	(1,026)	(764)	262

The PBC’s liabilities are composed of accounts payable and accrued liabilities (59%), employee future benefits (18%), and employee vacation pay and compensatory leave (23%). The increase in liabilities between years is primarily attributed to an increase in accounts payable, and is attributed to higher spending in the last quarter of the year. The liability for employee future benefits has been steadily decreasing in recent years since the accumulation of severance benefits for voluntary departures has ceased.

Total net financial assets consist of accounts receivable, advances, and amounts due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the Government of Canada. The amount due from the CRF represents 100% of the year-end balance. This represents the amount of net cash that the PBC is entitled to draw from the CRF in the future to discharge its current liabilities, without further appropriations. The amount and composition of PBC's net financial assets have remained consistent between years. On a gross basis, the amount of accounts receivable and advances outstanding at year-end has increased by 40% between years, and is attributed to an increase in receivables with other government departments. Since the department is not able to re-spend future recoveries, the increase in gross receivables is eliminated on a net basis.

Total non-financial assets consist primarily of tangible capital assets, which makes up 96% of the balance (93% in 2016-17), with prepaid expense accounting for the remainder. The amount and composition of the PBC’s non-financial assets have remained consistent between years.

Supplementary information

Corporate information

Organizational Profile

Appropriate Minister: The Honourable Ralph Goodale, P.C., M.P.

Institutional Head: Jennifer Oades, Chairperson.

Ministerial Portfolio: Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

Enabling Instruments: The legal authority under which the PBC operates includes the CCRA and its Regulations, the CRAand its Regulations, the Letters Patent, the Criminal Code, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and other legislation.

Year of Incorporation/Commencement: 1959.

Other: The PBC constantly strives to contribute to the Government of Canada’s outcome of a safe and secure Canada. The PBC contributes to this outcome by making quality conditional release and record suspension decisions and clemency recommendations.

The PBC is headed by a Chairperson who reports to Parliament through the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. The Minister, however, does not have statutory authority to give direction to the Chairperson or other members of the PBC in the exercise of their decision-making powers. This structure helps to ensure the impartiality and integrity of the PBC’s decision-making process.

In making conditional release and record suspension decisions, as well as clemency recommendations, the PBC's primary objective is the long-term protection of society. In rendering its decisions, the PBC is autonomous and independent. However, its decisions are open and transparent to the public consistent with its legislation and policies.

The protection of society is the paramount consideration for all decisions taken by the PBC. The PBC contributes to the protection of society by facilitating, as appropriate the timely reintegration of offenders into society as law abiding citizens. In addition, a record suspension allows people who were convicted of a criminal offence, but have completed their sentence and demonstrated they are law-abiding citizens for a prescribed number of years, to have their criminal record kept separate and apart from other criminal records.

Outcomes of the PBC’s work can be found in its annual Performance Monitoring Report (PMR). The PMR provides performance and statistical information for the past five years for the PBC’s two legislative based core responsibilities: conditional release, and record suspension and clemency.

The PBC carries out its responsibilities through a national office in Ottawa, as well as six offices in five regions across the country (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairie, and Pacific).

PBC Locations

The PBC’s regional offices deliver the conditional release program. Conditional release decisions are made by Board members, who are supported in their decision-making by public service staff. Staff schedule hearings, provide information for decision-making, ensure that information for decision-making is shared with offenders, and communicate conditional release decisions to offenders, CSC representatives, and others as required. Regional staff also provide information to victims, make arrangements for observers at hearings, and manage requests for access to the PBC’s Decision Registry.

While Board members from all five regions make decisions related to record suspensions, the data collection, investigation and assessment work for record suspensions and clemency are conducted by public service staff at the national office. In addition, Board members in the Appeal Division at the national office review conditional release decisions upon receipt of an application for appeal to determine if the law and processes were respected.

Public service employees at the national office develop national policies and procedures related to all core responsibilities, help coordinate Board member selection and training, deliver a program of public information, and respond to Access to Information (ATIP) requests. Other work performed at the national office includes strategic and operational planning, resource management, program monitoring, case reviews and investigations, and an array of internal services.

Consistent with the provisions of the Acts that govern the PBC, Board members are independent in their decision-making responsibilities, and free from outside interference of any kind. As independent decision-makers, Board members are bound by legislation, guided by policy, and are responsible for:

• Reviewing all information for consideration in conditional release, record suspension and clemency cases;
• Conducting an in-depth analysis of each case, and requesting additional information, as necessary, to support quality decision-making;
• Assessing the risk and other factors related to cases, voting independently on the disposition of each case, and providing sound, well-documented, written reasons for decisions; and
• Ensuring that reviews are conducted in accordance with the duty to act fairly, and with respect for all procedural safeguards.

The Chairperson of the PBC is a full-time member of the PBC and its Chief Executive Officer. The Chairperson directs the PBC’s delivery of core responsibilities in keeping with the Government of Canada’s overall plans and priorities. The Chairperson is accountable for the effectiveness and efficiency of the PBC’s policies and operations and is assisted in these responsibilities by the Executive Vice-Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson of the Appeal Division, the PBC’s five regional Vice-Chairpersons, and senior managers.

The Executive Vice-Chairperson exercises all powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Chairperson, in the event of the absence of the Chairperson or vacancy in the office of the Chairperson. The Executive Vice-Chairperson is responsible for overseeing the qualification process, training, professional conduct, performance evaluations and appointment processes for all Board Members and Vice-Chairpersons at the PBC.

The Executive Director General of the PBC is its senior staff member and Chief Operating Officer. The Executive Director General, in support of the Chairperson, provides leadership for strategic and operational planning, resource management, program monitoring and administration, as well as the operation of the national office and the regions.

The following organizational chart provides additional details.

Reporting Framework

The PBC’s Departmental Results Framework (DRF) and Program Inventory of record for 2017-18 are shown below:

Note: Within the chart below the blue background denotes core responsibilities; the white background signifies departmental results, and the beige background reflects result indicators.

Concordance between the Departmental Results Framework and the Program Inventory 2017-18 and the Program Alignment Architecture 2016-17.

2017-18 Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record	2016-17 Strategic Outcome(s) and Program Alignment Architecture of record	Percentage of Program Alignment Architecture program (dollars) corresponding to new program in the Program Inventory
Conditional Release Decisions	Conditional release and record suspension decisions and decision processes that safeguard Canadian communities
	Conditional Release Decisions	100%
Conditional Release Openness and Accountability	Conditional release and record suspension decisions and decision processes that safeguard Canadian communities
	Conditional Release Openness and Accountability	100%
Record Suspension Decisions/Clemency Recommendations	Conditional release and record suspension decisions and decision processes that safeguard Canadian communities
	Record Suspension Decisions/Clemency Recommendations	100%
Internal Services	Internal Services	100%

Supporting information on the Program Inventory

Financial, human resources and performance information for the PBC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the PBC’s website:

• Fees.

Federal Tax Expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs. The tax measures presented in this report are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational Contact Information

Regular mail:   Public Affairs
                         410 Laurier Avenue West
                         Ottawa, Ontario
                         K1A 0R1

E-mail:            info@PBC-CLCC.gc.ca

Appendix - definitions

Appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

Core Responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a Core Responsibility are reflected in one or more related Departmental Results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a three‑year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Result (résultat ministériel)

A Departmental Result represents the change or changes that the department seeks to influence. A Departmental Result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

Departmental Result Indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a Departmental Result.

Departmental Results Framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

Consists of the department’s Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on an appropriated department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

Evaluation (évaluation)

In the Government of Canada, the systematic and neutral collection and analysis of evidence to judge merit, worth or value. Evaluation informs decision making, improvements, innovation and accountability. Evaluations typically focus on programs, policies and priorities and examine questions related to relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. Depending on user needs, however, evaluations can also examine other units, themes and issues, including alternatives to existing interventions. Evaluations generally employ social science research methods.

Experimentation (expérimentation)

Activities that seek to explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies, interventions and approaches, to inform evidence-based decision-making, by learning what works and what does not.

Full‑time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person‑year charge against a departmental budget. Full‑time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])

An analytical approach used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA+ acknowledges that the gender-based analysis goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences. We all have multiple identity factors that intersect to make us who we are; GBA+ considers many other identity factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability. Examples of GBA+ processes include using data disaggregated by sex, gender and other intersecting identity factors in performance analysis, and identifying any impacts of the program on diverse groups of people, with a view to adjusting these initiatives to make them more inclusive.

Government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2017–18 Departmental Results Report, those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government; A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada’s Strength; and Security and Opportunity.

Horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

Non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

Performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

Performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

Performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence‑based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

Plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

Planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts that receive Treasury Board approval by February 1. Therefore, planned spending may include amounts incremental to planned expenditures presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

Priority (priorité)

A plan or project that an organization has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired Strategic Outcome(s) or Departmental Results.

Program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

Program Inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all of the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s Core Responsibilities and Results.

Result (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

Statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

Sunset program (programme temporisé)

A time‑limited program that does not have an ongoing funding and policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made whether to continue the program. In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration.

Target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

Voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The Vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.

Endnotes