The Harper Government is continuing to take action to help keep our streets and communities safe for Canadian families. Today, our Government took another step towards helping ensure the safety of our families, by introducing legislation which amends the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to restrict Statutory Release for repeat violent criminals.
Currently, a criminal can be released into the community under supervision and under conditions (i.e. needs to reside in a halfway house) after serving two thirds of their sentence, unless the Parole Board of Canada determines that the offender is likely to commit another serious offence.
Our Government believes that this is the wrong approach. That is why the legislation introduced today would restrict Statutory Release for violent criminals sentenced to five years or more for an offence which includes a serious violent component who commit another violent offence and receive a sentence or sentences totaling two years or more. A violent offence is defined as those listed on Schedule 1 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, which include aggravated sexual assault and assault causing bodily harm.
The amendments will allow repeat offenders to be exposed to correctional programming in penitentiaries for a longer period of time to change behaviour which contributes to reoffending. Offenders who receive life or indeterminate sentences would remain ineligible for statutory release under all circumstances.
Repeat violent criminals who have their Statutory Release restricted would be eligible for six months supervision in the community prior to the end of their sentence. This would ensure a period of transition into the community and would provide an opportunity for the criminal to be supervised by Correctional Service Canada to ensure that the criminals are safely reintegrated into the community. The Parole Board of Canada’s authority to detain high-risk criminals until the very end of their sentence will remain unchanged by this legislation.
This legislation is part of the Government of Canada’s plan to help ensure safer streets and communities for Canadians and their families, to hold violent criminals accountable, and ensure that the rights of victims are kept at the heart of the criminal justice system.
