Supplementary Information Tables 2013-2014

Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

Horizontal Initiatives

Name of horizontal initiative: National Anti-Drug Strategy
Name of lead department(s): Department of Justice
Lead department PAA Program: Stewardship of the Canadian Legal Framework
Start date: March 13, 2012
End date: March 13, 2017

Total federal funding allocation (from start date to end date): $570.2M

Description of the horizontal initiative (including funding agreement): The National Anti-Drug Strategy (the Strategy) was launched by the Government of Canada in 2007, with a clear focus on illicit drugs and a particular emphasis on youth. Its goal is to contribute to safer and healthier communities through coordinated efforts to prevent use, treat dependency and reduce production and distribution of illicit drugs. It encompasses three action plans: prevention, treatment and enforcement. The Strategy received Royal Assent on March 13th 2012. Current plans call for the provision of $9.4 million to PBC over five years, including $1.9 million in 2013-14 to manage increased numbers of conditional release reviews as a result of mandatory minimum sentences.

Shared outcome(s):

• Reduced demand for illicit drugs in targeted populations and areas;
• Reduced impacts of illicit drug use through prevention and treatment efforts; and
• Reduced supply of illicit drugs

Governance structure(s): The governance structure of the Strategy consists of an Assistant Deputy Minister Steering Committee and working groups on policy and performance, prevention and treatment, enforcement, and communications. The governance structure is supported by the Youth Justice and Strategic Initiatives Section of the Department of Justice Canada.

The Assistant Deputy Minister Steering Committee (ADMSC), which is chaired by the Department of Justice Canada, oversees the implementation of the Strategy, making decisions necessary to advance the initiative, where required, and ensuring appropriate and timely outcomes for the initiative and accountability in the expenditure of initiative resources. The ADMSC also prepares questions for the consideration of Deputy Ministers, where appropriate.

The Prevention and Treatment Working Group, chaired by Health Canada, oversees the implementation of the Prevention and Treatment Action Plans. The Enforcement Working Group, chaired by the Department of Public Safety Canada, oversees the implementation of the Enforcement Action Plan. The Policy and Performance Working Group, chaired by the Department of Justice Canada, oversees policy directions and outcomes for the Strategy and the work of the Sub-Committee on Evaluation and Reporting.

The Communications Working Group, chaired by the Department of Justice Canada, oversees communication of the Strategy including making decisions necessary to advance communication of the initiative and ensuring coordination of communication.

Federal Partner: Department of Justice

Note [1]: Effective management of the PBC's legislated responsibilities for parole decision-making for offenders in relation to the requirements of the new legislation. PBC collects information and reports on workloads and outcomes of parole for provincial offenders incarcerated as a result of new legislative provisions (e.g., the number and proportion of offenders who successfully complete their parole). Only a portion of the resources were needed in the second year as the number of reviews impacted by this legislation change increased slightly from previous fiscal year.

Note [2]: This funding provided the PBC with the capacity to effectively manage its legislated responsibilities for parole decision-making for offenders in relation to the requirements of the new legislation. As the legislation received Royal Assent on March 13, 2012, the PBC will not start to see an effect for at least 18 to 24 months once the cases which are subject to the new legislation pass through the courts. In 2013-14, the PBC conducted 162 reviews for provincial offenders convicted of drug offences.

Note [3]: Provision of information and assistance to victims of crime, observers at hearings and individuals who seek access to the decision registry as a result of offenders sentenced under the provisions of the new legislation. In a similar manner, report on the extent of involvement of victims, and observers in conditional release processes and the level of satisfaction of these individuals with the information and assistance provided by PBC. Effective management of both these responsibilities contributes to public safety and reinforces public confidence in the justice system.

Note [4]: This funding provided the PBC with the capacity to provide information and assistance to victims of crime, observers at hearings and individuals who sought access to the decision registry as a result of offenders sentenced under the provisions of the new legislation. Only a portion of the resources were needed in the second year as the number of reviews impacted by this legislation change increased slightly from previous fiscal year

Contact information:

Eric Bouchard
Manager, Financial Planning and Reporting
Parole Board Canada
Ottawa, Canada K1A 0R1
Email: eric.bouchard@pbc-clcc.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-954-7780

Sources of Respendable and Non-respendable Revenue

Pardon Decisions / Clemency Recommendations

Record Suspension Decisions/ Clemency Recommendations

Total Respendable and Non-Rependable Revenue

User Fees Reporting

User Fee: Record Suspension User fee ($631.00)
Fee Type: Other Products and Services
Fee-Setting Authority: User Fees Act (UFA)
Date Last Modified: 2012

Performance Standards: Record suspension applications for summary convictions are processed within six months of application acceptance; record suspension applications for indictable offences are processed within 12 months of application acceptance; and, record suspension applications that the PBC is proposing to deny are processed within 24 months of application acceptance.

Performance Results: In 2013-14, the PBC received a total of 14,254 record suspension applications and accepted 9,533 for processing. The accepted applications were successfully processed within the established standards at 99.7%.

Average processing time for files:

• containing offences tried summarily: 75 days;
• containing offences tried by indictment: 262 days; and,
• where the Board refused to order a record suspension: 227 days.

Other Information: The Board saw a significant decrease in the number of record suspension applications received and accepted from the previous year when during the same period, a total of 19,526 record suspension applications were received and 11,291 accepted for processing. This decrease in volume was mainly a result of the amendments to the Criminal Records Act^[1] in March 2012 which extended the waiting periods before an applicant can submit a request and increased the user fee.

User Fee: Fees charged for the processing of access requests filed under the Access to Information Act (ATIA)

Fee Type: Regulatory Service
Fee-Setting Authority: Access to Information Act (ATIA)
Date Last Modified: 1992

Performance Standards: Response provided within 30 days following receipt of request; the response time may be extended pursuant to section 9 of the ATIA. Notice of extension to be sent within 30 days after receipt of request. The ATIA provides fuller details: Access to Information Act.

Performance Results: Response times 100% within Performance Standard (Access to Information Act ): Total 37 requests: within 30 days = 37 requests; 31-60 days = 0 requests; 61-120 days = 0 requests; over 121 days = 0 requests.
Response times 100% within Performance Standard (Privacy Act): Total 629 requests: within 30 days = 629 requests; 31-60 days = 0 requests; 61-120 days = 0 requests; over 121 days = 0 requests.

User Fee Totals

External Fees