Conditional Release and Performance – Long-Term Supervision

Official Title: Performance Monitoring Report 2019-2020, Conditional Release and Performance – Long-Term Supervision
From: Parole Board of Canada

Long-Term Supervision

Tables 142-146

The court may impose a LTSO, not exceeding 10 years, if it is satisfied that it would be appropriate to impose a sentence of two years or more for the offence of which the offender had been convicted, there is substantial risk that the offender will reoffend, and there is a reasonable possibility of eventual control of the risk in the community.

The Board may establish conditions for the long-term supervision of an offender that are considered reasonable and necessary in order to protect society and to facilitate the successful reintegration of the offender into society. A long-term supervision order, unlike other forms of conditional release, cannot be revoked by the Board. However, the Board can recommend that charges be laid under the Criminal Code if the offender has demonstrated by his/her behaviour that he/she presents a substantial risk to the community because of a failure to comply with one or more conditions.

• On April 12, 2020, 944 offenders had a long-term offender designation, which amounts to 4.0% of the total offender population. Of those, 349 offenders with a long-term offender designation were still incarcerated; 79 were on statutory release and 2 were on day parole prior to the commencement of their LTSOs; 504 were in the community under a long-term supervision order and 10 had been deported upon their release on LTS.

Since 2000, when the first offender was released on a LTSO, the long-term population in the community has been generally increasing. In 2019-20, the long-term population in the community increased 6% to reach 514 compared to the previous year. Forty-seven (47) offenders were released at warrant expiry on LTSO in 2019-20 and 34 were released on LTSO after reaching warrant expiry on conditional release.

Figure 34. Long-Term Supervision Population

• In 2019-20, the long-term supervision population increased in the Atlantic (+4), Quebec (+14), Prairie (+5) and Pacific (+8) regions and decreased in the Ontario (-4) region.
• On April 7, 2019, 58% of federal offenders on long-term supervision were those sentenced for sexual offences, 40% were those sentenced for violent offences and 3% were those sentenced for non‑violent offences.
• Twenty-nine percent (29%) of offenders on long-term supervision orders were Indigenous.
• Men offenders represented 98% of the long-term supervision population in 2019-20.
• The Board rendered 641 decisions for offenders on long-term supervision orders in 2019-20, 4% more than the previous year.
• In 2019-20, the number of post-release residency conditions imposed and prolonged increased by 11% to 232. An increase was also reported in the pre-release category (to 75; two more conditions). 

Note: Excluded as of April 12, 2020, were 15 LTSOs who were UAL (Atlantic 1, Quebec 3, Ontario 3, Prairie 5, Pacific 3).

Note: 'Other' includes the decisions of no action, laying of information recommended and panel hearing ordered.

Note: Total = (pre-release imposed + pre-release prolonged) + (post-release imposed + post-release prolonged).