Conditional Release Decisions: Performance

Official Title: Performance Monitoring Report 2017-2018, Conditional Release Decisions: Performance
From: Parole Board of Canada

Conditional Release Decisions: Performance

According to the CCRA s.102, the Parole Board of Canada may grant parole based on two key considerations:

1) the offender will not, by reoffending, present an undue risk to society before the expiration according to law of the sentence the offender is serving; and
2) the release of the offender will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating the reintegration of the offender into society as a law-abiding citizen^{Footnote 1}.

The Board’s performance indicators measure whether offenders who have been granted parole successfully complete their supervision periods in the community and do not reoffend, violently or non‑violently, before and after warrant expiry. When compared with offenders who were released on statutory release, parole is the most effective form of conditional release. This section provides information on the performance of offenders on conditional release and after sentence completion based on the following indicators:

1) time under supervision,
2) rates of conviction,
3) outcome rates, and
4) post-warrant expiry readmissions.

Time Under Supervision

Tables 108-114

The study of the average length of supervision periods provides a useful context to the discussion of performance indicators, particularly in relation to outcomes. This section offers a more in-depth look at the length of supervision periods for offenders serving determinate sentences.

• Over the last five years, the average length of federal supervision periods for offenders serving determinate sentences was 4.7 months for day parole, 22.9 months for full parole and 7.3 months for statutory release.
• Indigenous offenders serving determinate sentences had the shortest supervision periods on day parole, full parole and on statutory release, while Asian offenders had the longest day parole and statutory release supervision periods, and offenders in the Other category had the longest full parole supervision periods over the last five years.
• Over the last five years, female offenders had shorter federal full parole and statutory release supervision periods than male offenders. They also had their full parole and statutory release supervision periods revoked earlier than male offenders, either for a breach of condition or with a non-violent offence. No female offenders in the last five years had their supervision periods revoked because of a violent offence on day or full parole.
• Given the differences in the average lengths of federal supervision periods, it takes longer for offenders to successfully complete full parole when compared to day parole or statutory release. Over the last five years, 91% of day parole supervision periods and 46% of statutory release supervision periods were successfully completed in the first six months (that is, completed without any revocation) compared to less than one percent of full parole supervision periods that were successfully completed within six months of release. The majority of federal full parole supervision periods that were successfully completed by offenders serving determinate sentences (84%) were over a year long.
• Fifty-five percent (55%) of statutory release supervision periods revoked with a violent offence in the last five years were revoked within six months of release compared to 8% of federal full parole supervision periods revoked with a violent offence during the same period.

Table 108. Average Length of Federal Supervision Periods for Offenders with Determinate Sentences in Months (from 2013/14 to 2017/18)

Note: For supervision periods that ended between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2018.

Table 109. Average Length of Federal Supervision Periods for Offenders with Determinate Sentences by Indigenous and Race in Months (from 2013/14 to 2017/18)

Note: For supervision periods that ended between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2018.

Table 110. Average Length of Federal Supervision Periods for Offenders with Determinate Sentences by Gender in Months (from 2013/14 to 2017/18)

Note: For supervision periods that ended between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2018.

Table 111. Length of Federal Supervision Periods for Successful Completions for Offenders with Determinate Sentences (from 2013/14 to 2017/18)

Note: For supervision periods that ended between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2018.

Table 112. Length of Federal Supervision Periods for Revocations for Breach of Condition for Offenders with Determinate Sentences (from 2013/14 to 2017/18)

Note: For supervision periods that ended between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2018.
*Low numbers.

Table 113. Length of Federal Supervision Periods for Revocation with a Non-Violent Offence for Offenders with Determinate Sentences (from 2013/14 to 2017/18)

Note: For supervision periods that ended between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2018.
*Low numbers.

Table 114. Length of Federal Supervision Periods for Revocation with a Violent Offence for Offenders with Determinate Sentences (from 2013/14 to 2017/18)

Note: For supervision periods that ended between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2018.
*Low numbers.