Horizontal Initiatives 2015-2016

From: Parole Board of Canada 

Name of horizontal initiative: National Anti-Drug Strategy

Name of lead department(s): Department of Justice

Federal partner organization(s): Department of Justice, Health Canada, Department of Public Safety Canada, Parole Board of Canada

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 13, 2012. Current plans call for the provision of $9.4 million to PBC over five years, including $1.9 million in 2014-14 and beyond to manage increased numbers of conditional release reviews as a result of mandatory minimum sentences. Specific details regard the whole initiative are available at the Treasury Board Secretariat Horizontal Initiatives Database.

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.

Planning highlights: For 2015-16, the Board will continue to focus on contributing to safer and healthier communities through coordinated efforts to implement actions identified in the Enforcement Action Plan, by continuing to

1. Provide information and assistance to victims of crime, observers at hearings and individuals who seek access to the decision registry in relation to the requirements of the new legislation; 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.
   
2. Effectively manage its legislated responsibilities for parole decision-making for offenders in relation to the requirements of the new legislation; collect information and report 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).

Note [1]: The expected result is “conditional release decisions contribute to public safety”. This funding will provide the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) the capacity for effective management of its legislated responsibilities for parole decision-making for offenders in relation to the requirements of the new legislation. The performance indicator used to measure against the target is “the percentage of offenders on parole that do not incur a new violent offence prior to the end of the supervision period”.

Note [2]: The expected result is “PBC operates in an open and accountable manner, consistent with the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA)”. This funding will provide the PBC the capacity for provision of information and assistance to victims of crime, observers at hearings and individuals who seek access to decision registry in relation to the requirements of the new legislation. The performance indicator used to measure against the target is “the percentage of those who access PBC services who are satisfied with the quality and timeliness of information provided by PBC”.

Note [3]: The expected result for is “the Board's suite of internal services is managed to deliver efficient, quality client-focussed services and to enable the department to meet central agency oversight requirements”. The performance indicator used to measure against the target is “Internal services actual expenditures as a percentage of total departmental actual expenditures in a fiscal year”.

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