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Reflections on Parole in Canada  


Author:  Michael Crowley.


Source: Volume 29, Number 02, Winter 2020 , pp.4-7(4)




Journal of Community Justice (formerly Journal of Community Corrections)

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Abstract: 

In Canada, there is both federal and provincial jurisdiction involved in crime and corrections, but unlike in the United States, there is only one criminal code and it is federal. Once an individual is convicted and sentenced, there is a critical split in jurisdiction. An individual sentenced to a period of incarceration of two years or longer will serve that time in a federal prison regardless of the level of security. Any sentence of up to two years (minus one day) will be served in a provincial facility. There is no federal probation—probation is a provincial responsibility. Each province has the option of operating its own parole system, but only Ontario and Quebec, the two largest provinces, currently do so. British Columbia had its own parole board until a few years ago, when it relinquished jurisdiction to the federal government. In all remaining eight provinces and two territories across the country, the PBC has the sole jurisdiction to make parole decisions, even when an offender is serving what is considered to be a provincial sentence. This article presents an overview of the parole system in Canada. Written from the perspective of a long-serving parole board member, it summarizes the history of parole since 1996 and discusses historic and recent changes in the parole process that include enhanced training for parole board members, the admission of victim statements, information sharing with inmates, aboriginal accommodations, and use of technology.

Keywords: Parole in Canada, federal and provincial jurisdiction, Corrections and Conditional Release Act, victim statements, aboriginal accommodations, risk assessment framework (RAF)

Affiliations:  1: Canadian Correctional System (Retired).

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