National Joint Board of Investigation Results Released Circumstances around an offender’s day parole and supervision in relation to a tragic incident in Quebec

• The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) released the findings and recommendations of the National Joint Board of Investigation (BOI) into the circumstances of an offender’s day parole and supervision related to the January 2020, death of Marylène Levesque in Ste-Foy, Quebec.
• CSC and PBC convened a Joint BOI on February 3, 2020. It was comprised of five members with the skills and expertise to carry out this investigation, including two external co-chairs, who are criminologists, independent of CSC and PBC. They conducted interviews and examined all of the documentation and facts around the release and supervision of an offender who was on Day Parole at the time of the incident, and presented findings and recommendations that cover the following themes: information collection and sharing, community supervision, training, and the PBC decision-making process.
• The BOI makes five recommendations related to CSC’s operations. There are no recommendations for PBC.
• This arm’s-length investigation has played an important role in examining and analyzing the various components of this case by focusing on a lessons learned approach. It provides an opportunity to respond to the issues raised, based on the principles of accountability, responsibility and transparency. This will result in the implementation of organizational changes, corrective measures, and actions to prevent similar incidents.
• Following a thorough analysis of the BOI’s conclusions, both CSC and the PBC have issued statements in response to the findings. CSC has put forward its action plan to implement all of the recommendations in their entirety.
• The BOI process is administrative in nature and established in the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and policy (Commissioner’s Directive – 041). Boards of Investigation can be carried out following any serious incident and may examine a number of elements, including whether organizational policies and practices were followed and to ensure that appropriate corrective actions are implemented.
• A separate criminal investigation into Ms. Levesque’s murder was carried out by the Service de Police de Québec. This led to charges of first-degree murder. On February 27, 2020, the offender (Eustachio Gallese) was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. He is currently in federal custody.

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