Sentence Calculation: Types and Timing of Releases

Victims told us that they need clear information on what a federal sentence means, how long an offender will serve time, the types of release they can be granted, and when those releases might occur.

A federal sentence is two or more years served under the supervision of the Correctional Service of Canada. Not all, but the majority of offenders, at some point, will return to the community. This booklet is designed to help the reader better understand four things:

1. the total length of the sentence;
2. the date the sentence starts and ends;
3. the different types of release an offender can be released on, if approved; and
4. when an offender can be considered for each type of release.

The rules in this booklet explain basic calculations according to the laws on the day it was published. This means that different rules might apply to sentences that started before or after this date.

Sentence Calculation – An Explanation of the Basics of Sentence Calculation with Examples

The following five Fast Fact Sheets provide examples of basic sentence calculations for different types of federal sentences:

• Offender Serving a Single Fixed Sentence with Long Term Supervision
• Offender Serving a Life Sentence for 1st Degree Murder
• Offender Serving an Indeterminate Sentence
• Offender Serving Multiple Concurrent Sentences
• Offender Serving Multiple Consecutive Sentences