2026-27 Departmental Plan - Operating Context

The Parole Board of Canada (PBC or the Board) is an independent administrative tribunal that works in a challenging environment that demands effective alignment with the Government of Canada’s mandate of a safe and secure Canada, and careful assessment of criminal justice issues and community concerns. Public safety is the primary consideration in all decisions made by the PBC, which is reflected in its guiding legislation, policy, procedures, and training.

The PBC exercises legislated responsibilities for sharing appropriate information with victims of crime, persons sentenced to imprisonment, applicants seeking a record suspension/pardon/expungement/clemency, other criminal justice partners, and the public. In this environment, strategic information management is crucial, requiring the PBC to have the requisite systems to support effective collection, storage, retrieval and sharing of information. The PBC’s work is shaped by several key factors:

• A diverse and increasingly complex offender population, requiring culturally responsive and inclusive policies and practices.
• The need for strategic information management, supported by reliable systems to collect, store, and share information effectively.
• Ongoing collaboration with criminal justice and community partners, including engagement on legislative reforms and emerging research.
• The importance of a modern and dependable IT infrastructure, which supports service delivery and ensures the Board can meet evolving operational demands.
• Operating in a context of fiscal restraint, which requires careful resource management and a focus on efficiency and effectiveness.

Together, these factors influence the PBC’s workload, decision-making complexity, and its ability to deliver timely, transparent, and consistent services to Canadians.