The Correctional Plan Progress Report

Acronyms

The acronyms used in this document are:

CPPR

Correctional Plan Progress Report

CSC

Correctional Service of Canada

Correctional Plans and Correctional Plan Progress Reports

All offenders serving a federal sentence of two years or more with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) have a correctional plan. At the start of an offender's sentence, CSC gets information about their lives and past crimes, interviews the offender, and completes an assessment of the information. The courts and police provide some of this information. The information and assessments form the correctional plan.

CSC evaluates and rates the offender's needs in terms of learning, substance abuse, attitudes, relationships and other topics. The protection of society and the protection of victims are among the factors that are considered in the correctional plan. The correctional plan targets what led the offender to break the law and identifies the programs that can address the issues. It prioritizes the programs and lists which should be taken in the institution and which should be taken when the offender is on release in the community.

CSC also rates how willing the offender is to:

• act responsibly
• work on their correctional plan
• deal with the problems that may have led them to commit crimes.

Lastly, CSC rates whether the offender is able to live in society without re-committing crimes in the future. These ratings appear in the offender's correctional plan.

The correctional plan also tells offenders what they need to do to improve. For example, attend programs, maintain institutional employment, not receive disciplinary charges, maintain positive behaviour, and improve the ratings in their correctional plan.

CSC regularly reviews the correctional plan and updates the ratings if needed. CSC looks at what the offender is doing to meet their goals so they can return to society and obey the law. For more information about the correctional plan process, refer to:

• Information Guide to Assist Victims: Offender Intake Assessment and Correctional Planning in the References section.

CSC keeps victims informed about the offender's progress throughout their sentence. The Correctional Plan Progress Report (CPPR) is a summary of the offender's correctional plan and what the offender is doing to meet the goals set out in that plan. Victim Services sends CPPRs to registered victims who ask for them. Then, updated CPPRs are sent automatically every one to two years. We may send an updated CPPR earlier if the offender is being considered for release to the community. This guide will help you understand the information you get in the CPPR.

The law (Corrections and Conditional Release Act) allows CSC to share specific information with victims. This guide tells you what information you could get in a CPPR. Victims can get information about offenders who are in a CSC institution and those who are being supervised in the community. CSC must respect the offender's privacy when sharing information. This means the report you get will not include health or security-related information, etc.

CSC sends CPPRs by mail or through the Victims Portal. The Victims Portal is a free and secure service for victims where they can receive notifications, submit victim statements and set preferences electronically. We invite you to visit the website to learn more about the Victims Portal and sign up.

• Victims Portal

Victim Services Officers can also let you know by phone if the offender makes any progress. Please call your Victim Services Officer to talk about the report if you have questions, toll free at:

• 1-866-806-2275

What do I do with this information?

With the assistance of this guide, the CPPR will provide you with some information and updates to consider throughout the offender's sentence. This could include recommended correctional programs and if they were completed, and the offender's behaviour while incarcerated. This information may help you to write a victim statement and/or prepare you to attend a Parole Board of Canada hearing, where you may decide to read your statement. For further information on victim statements and parole board hearings, please speak with your Victim Services Officer.

Having access to information in relation to the offender's progress, or lack thereof, can be important information to have especially when the offender is returning to the community. It can be helpful for safety planning and working with your local authorities so you can prepare for the offender's release. 

Correctional Plan Progress Report Format

The following information is presented in the same order as it appears in the CPPR that is shared with you. You will find that not all of the information below applies to the CPPR that you receive. This is because each CPPR is unique to each offender to meet their individual needs. The intent of this guide is to provide you with an overview of the CPPR process, what the ratings mean and some general information about how CSC works to change offenders' lives so they become law-abiding citizens. Please contact your Victim Services Officer, toll free at 1-866-806-2275, to discuss the specifics of the CPPR you receive.

Introduction

This section gives basic information about the offender:

• name
• age
• crimes related to their current sentence
• start date of their sentence

This section also tells you when the offender is eligible for release.

• Offenders must apply for all temporary absences and day parole before a review is scheduled.
• Offenders must be considered for full parole when they reach their full parole eligibility date, whether or not they apply.
• The law says that offenders must be released on their statutory release date (Note: statutory release does not apply to offenders serving a life sentence). The statutory release date is when offenders have served two-thirds of their sentence. The offender will live in the community and CSC will supervise them until their sentence ends. Statutory release can only be prevented if the Parole Board of Canada is satisfied that if the offender is released they are likely to commit an offence causing death or serious harm to another person, a sexual offence involving a child or a serious drug offence. When the Parole Board of Canada decides not to release an offender on their statutory release date, this means the offender is being detained.
• Offenders serving a life sentence are supervised by CSC for the rest of their lives. This means their sentence does not have an end date, also known as a warrant expiry date.
• When the court orders long-term supervision, CSC will supervise and support an offender in the community after their sentence ends. This supervision can last for up to ten years.

See the Definitions section of this guide to learn about each type of release.

Correctional Plan

Looking at needs to address criminal behaviour

Parole officers from the institution test the offender at the beginning of their sentence. This process is called the "intake assessment". The tests show the offender's needs in eight different areas where the offender may need to improve called "Dynamic Factors".

See the Definitions section for more information about Dynamic Factors.

Parole officers consider multiple sources of reliable information, such as judge's comments, police reports, psychological reports and victim impact statements from court. Then they use their professional judgement to determine a rating for each of the Dynamic Factors. The table below provides the meaning of each rating.

The Initial Rating column in the table shows the offender's rating at the start of their sentence. The Current Rating column shows the rating from the offender's most recent assessment. The last column shows if any change to the rating indicates progress.

The parole officer reviews the eight Dynamic Factors and identifies which ones played a large role in the offender's criminal behaviour. The correctional plan is designed to address these areas specifically. These areas, called contributing factors, are highlighted in yellow in the CPPR you receive.

Making the Change

CSC also assesses the offender in six areas to identify how committed the offender is to changing their criminal behaviour. These areas are:

• Level of Intervention
• Accountability
• Motivation
• Responsivity
• Engagement
• Reintegration Potential

Parole officers use the following criteria when deciding what rating to assign for each of the six areas.

1. Level of Intervention

The amount of programming and other activities needed for the offender to become a law-abiding citizen is referred to as the "Level of Intervention".

Dynamic Factors

Dynamic Factors are things that can change and be improved on. They are the eight areas in the table above. Parole officers determine what intervention is needed for the offender to meet CSC's expectations for each Dynamic Factor listed above.

• CSC's expectations

To do this they use the following ratings:

Static Factors

Parole officers also determine how much intervention is needed to address the offender's history. These are called "Static Factors" because they normally do not change. Static Factors include:

• Criminal history (number and types of offences, how long since the last offence, offender's age at the time of their first offence, etc.)
• Severity of the current offence (type of offence, degree of force used, number of victims, etc.)
• Sex offending history (number of victims, age of victims, offender's treatment history, etc.)

See the Definitions section for more information about Static Factors.

When determining how much intervention is required to address the offender's Static Factors parole officers use the following ratings:

When deciding whether to adjust the Level of Intervention, the parole officer looks at:

• the degree of change
• how serious the change is
• the number of areas where the offender has shown this change in day-to-day life
• how long it has been since the offender committed another crime.

2. Accountability

Accountability refers to whether the offender takes responsibility for their crimes. Attitude, behaviour and understanding are important here.

3. Motivation

Motivation is about whether the offender wants to and is willing to change.

4. Responsivity Issues

Responsivity refers to the offender's ability to learn from the programs and activities that CSC recommends. Responsivity issues may include a language barrier or learning and concentration problems. These problems may last a short or long time or may never improve. A rating of "no" means that the offender does not have any problems to learn from participation in programs. A rating of "yes" means the offender may have problems learning from programming. 

5. Engagement

Engagement is about whether the offender has shown they are willing to:

• actively take part in their correctional plan
• stay away from criminal and gang activity while serving their sentence
• behave respectfully
• follow the rules while incarcerated and/or while being supervised in the community.

The rating for Engagement combines the ratings from the Motivation and Accountability areas.  A rating of "yes" means the offender is actively participating in their correctional plan. A rating of "no" means they are not.

6. Reintegration Potential

Reintegration potential looks at whether the offender can return to the community without committing crimes in the future. Parole officers calculate this using three scientific, research-based tools:

1. Statistical Information on Recidivism (predicts whether an offender will succeed or fail in the community)
2. Custody Rating Scale (determines the security level of the institution needed to manage the offender, how the offender adjusts to life in an institution, the risk they will escape, and the risk they pose to public safety)
3. Static Factor rating (see Level of Intervention section above).

The parole officer then considers the Motivation rating, and the Levels of Intervention for Static Factors and Dynamic Factors. They adjust the Reintegration Potential rating using their professional judgement.

The second table in the CPPR you receive shows the ratings for these six areas. Again, you will see both the offender's rating at the start of their sentence and the rating from the most recent assessment. The last column of the table shows if any change in the rating indicates progress.

If the offender shows improvement in these areas, they are more likely to be rehabilitated and less likely to commit more crime. Offenders must follow their correctional plan, and failure to do so reduces an offender's chances of being granted parole or other forms of conditional release.

For more information about how correctional plans are developed and how progress is measured see the following policies listed in the References section:

• Commissioner's Directive 705-6, Correctional Planning and Criminal Profile
• Commissioner's Directive 710-1, Progress Against the Correctional Plan

Programs

CSC has a legal mandate to provide programs and services that address offenders' criminal behaviour. Programs are part of an offender's correctional plan and are essential in addressing the offender's criminal behaviour. Programs in the offender's correctional plan are prioritized as follows:

1. Correctional programs: address factors that are linked to criminal behaviour. There are different types of correctional programs.
   • CSC offers the Integrated Correctional Program Model for male offenders. For more information about the Integrated Correctional Program Model, please see the References section.
   • Women offenders have unique needs that impact the way they respond to correctional programs. CSC offers correctional programs for women offenders within a women-centered perspective. For more information, see Women Offender Correctional Programs in the References section.
   • CSC delivers culturally-relevant Indigenous programs. These include programs for Indigenous men, programs for Inuit men and programs for Indigenous women. These programs meet the specific needs of Indigenous offenders, consider Indigenous social history and include Elder involvement. For more information, see Indigenous Correctional Programs in the References section.
2. Educational programs: help offenders develop basic literacy, academic and personal development skills. For more information, see Educational Programs in the References section.
3. Employment programs: help prepare offenders for a job in the community upon release. For more information, see Employment Programs in the References section.
4. Social programs: provide offenders with the skills, knowledge and experiences they need for personal and social growth. Offenders do not require a referral or approval to participate in social programs. For more information, see Social Programs in the References section.

This section of the CPPR contains the third table and lists all of the correctional programs, educational programs and employment programs the offender has been referred to and which ones the offender has participated in. The table names each program, indicates the program type (from the list above) and shows the offender's status in the program. The status may include:

• Assigned: The offender is actively taking part in the program.
• Assignment cancelled: The program the offender was referred to was cancelled.
• Assignment transferred: The offender left the program to take part in another program at the same site.
• Attended all sessions: The offender completed the program. There was little or no evidence of progress made. The offender failed to show they have learned the skills the program sets out to develop.
• Incomplete: The offender was taking part in a program but did not complete it and/or was removed. This typically happens because:
  • the offender broke the rules
  • the offender was absent for court or hospital purposes
  • the offender's conditional release was suspended (for reasons unrelated to their participation in the program).
• Program cancelled: The offender was taking part in a program that was cancelled (for reasons the offender could not control).
• Temporarily reassigned: The offender left one program to take part in a different one for a short period of time. The offender will return to the first program after completing the second.
• Released: The offender took part in a program until they were released on day parole, full parole or statutory release.
• Successful completion: The offender completed all parts of the program, attended all sessions and made progress.
• Suspended: The offender quit or was removed from the program. This typically happens because:
  • the offender is unwilling to attend the sessions or follow the rules
  • the offender is not participating at the expected level.
• Transferred: The offender took part in a program until they were transferred from one institution or supervision area to another.
• Wait-listed: The offender has been referred to the program and is waiting to take part. This typically happens because:
  • the program has not yet been offered
  • there was no space for the offender in the program
  • the decision to have the offender take part in the program changed
• Warrant expiry date: The offender was taking part in a program when their sentence ended.

If you have questions about CSC's correctional programs, please discuss them with your Victim Services Officer at:

• 1-866-806-2275

CSC also publishes detailed information about programs for offenders (see the References section).

Court-ordered financial obligations

Offenders must do what the court orders them to do. This includes making any payments ordered by the court (financial obligations). These obligations are set out as goals in the offender's correctional plan. Offenders must set up a plan to pay any amounts the court has ordered. Offenders must prove they are making payments. Their compliance with the order is reported in correctional plan updates.

When reporting on the offender's progress if they have court-ordered obligations, the CPPR will include:

• the total amount the judge ordered the offender to pay
• whether the offender has paid any of the ordered amount (this indicates if the offender is making an effort to meet this goal).

Offenders make these payments directly to the courthouse where the order was made. CSC only monitors whether the offender is making payments. For this reason, CSC is unable to share the following information with victims:

• the type of order or how many there are
• the amount that still needs to be paid
• details about the payment plan(s)
• information about anyone who may share responsibility for the payment
• information about anyone who is to be paid.

The above information may be available by contacting the court that ordered the offender to pay the identified amount.

Disciplinary Offences (while incarcerated)

Inmates are expected to behave appropriately and obey the rules and conditions of the institution.

A formal disciplinary process deals with offences in the institution. First, the institution must try to use informal resolution. This means:

• negotiation
• mediation
• counselling
• problem solving with the inmate
• warnings
• advice
• order to stop
• voluntary restriction of movement

Sometimes informal resolution is unsuccessful. In those cases, the correctional officer completes an offence report. The report describes what the inmate has done. A manager reviews the offence report and decides whether to charge the inmate. If they do charge the inmate they must also decide whether the inmate's actions were either a:

• Minor offence: when the inmate's actions break the institutional rules. Some examples are: the inmate disobeys a justifiable order from a staff member; is found in an area that is off limits to inmates; is found in possession of contraband; leaves work or refuses to work without a reasonable excuse, etc.

or a:

• Serious offence: when an inmate commits, attempts to commit or convinces other inmates to break institutional rules in a way that is violent or harmful to others. Actions can also be considered a serious offence if they are a repeated violation of the same institutional rule. Some examples are: assaulting another inmate; assaulting an officer; theft; creating or participating in a disturbance or an activity that jeopardizes the security of the institution, etc.

The next step is to have a hearing to decide whether the inmate is guilty of the disciplinary offence they were charged with. There are two types of hearings:

• Minor disciplinary hearing: The institutional head or person representing CSC determines whether the inmate is guilty of the disciplinary offence. Minor court seeks to correct the behaviour. Minor court hearings occur at least once a week. If the inmate is found guilty, the institutional head decides what the punishment will be.
• Serious disciplinary hearing: An independent chairperson determines whether the inmate is guilty of the disciplinary offence. They listen to statements, review evidence and decide if the inmate is guilty. Inmates have time to get and instruct legal counsel. The hearings usually take place at institutions every week or every two weeks. A serious court hearing is more formal than a minor court hearing. If the independent chairperson determines the inmate is guilty, they also determine what the punishment will be.

This chart shows the punishment and the limits for minor and major offences according to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations.

For more information, consult Commissioner's Directive 580, Discipline of Inmates (in the References section).

Urinalysis

The Corrections and Conditional Release Act allows CSC to test offenders for use of banned substances. Offenders in an institution can be asked to provide a urine sample for the following three reasons:

1. Random testing as per the institution's urinalysis program.
2. Reason to suspect the inmate has committed or is committing a disciplinary offence (paragraph 40(k) of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act).
3. Needed for the offender to take part in substance abuse programs, or a program/activity involving contact with the community.

Offenders on release in the community can be asked to give a urine sample for the following two reasons:

1. Reason to suspect an offender has broken a condition not to use alcohol or drugs.
2. Regular testing for offenders with a condition not to use alcohol or drugs.

The CPPR reports all urinalysis tests for offenders who have substance abuse as a contributing factor to their criminal behaviour. The CPPR indicates the following:

• number of samples requested
• where the sample was requested (institution / community)
• number of samples provided
• number of samples the offender refused to provide
• number of samples that tested positive for banned substances.

The Privacy Act prevents CSC from disclosing the type of substance found in positive tests:

• Privacy Act

For more information about urinalysis and CSC's National Urinalysis Program:

• Commissioner's Directive 566-10, Urinalysis Testing (in the References section)

Employment

Offenders are expected to work while they are incarcerated. Doing so helps them develop basic literacy, academic and personal development skills that will assist them to be law-abiding citizens when they return to the community. Some examples of institutional work assignments are:

• Kitchen worker
• Carpenter/Electrician/Painter assistant
• Cleaner
• Upholstery Shop (CORCAN Program, see References section for more details)
• Carpentry Shop (CORCAN Program, see References section for more details)

Offenders are paid a daily amount while incarcerated. They can use this money to make payments towards court-ordered obligations (restitution, victim surcharge, child support, etc.), to send to their families, to purchase hobby supplies they are permitted to have, to purchase items from the canteen, etc. The level of pay offenders receive reflects their progress in meeting the goals of their correctional plan.

Level A: $6.90/weekday

• participates as expected in institutional work
• participates as expected in programs identified in their correctional plan
• follows the rules of the institution
• has passed all tests for banned substances in their urine
• is rated "high" for Accountability, Motivation, and Engagement
• performs better than expected in programs, relationships, attitude, motivation, behaviour, effort, results and responsibility

Level B: $6.35/weekday

• participates as expected in institutional work
• participates as expected in programs identified in their correctional plan
• has not broken any "serious" institutional rules
• has passed all tests for banned substances in their urine
• is rated "moderate" for Accountability, Motivation, and Engagement

Level C: $5.80/weekday

• attends the programs listed in their correctional plan, including institutional work

Level D: $5.25/weekday

• takes part in assigned institutional work but refuses to attend another program listed in their correctional plan

Allowance: $2.50/weekday

• takes part in one or more programs or institutional work that total fewer than ten full days per two-week payment period

Basic allowance: $1.00/weekday

• refuses to participate in all programs including institutional work

CSC reviews the offender's pay level every six months. An offender's pay level may move up or down a level based on the following:

• Do they show up and are they on time?
• What have they done to meet the expectations of the program assignment (relationships with others, attitude, behaviour, effort, motivation, productivity and responsibility)?
• How involved have they been in their correctional plan (Accountability, Motivation and Engagement)?
• How have they behaved while incarcerated overall (conviction(s) for disciplinary offences, positive or refused urinalysis tests, etc.)?
• Do they belong to a group of inmates that pose a threat to the institution?
• Have they been placed in a specialized unit (Special Handling Unit, Structured Intervention Unit, etc.)?
• How long have they been at their current pay level?

If an offender refuses to take part in any program that is part of their correctional plan, they will remain at pay Level D when working. See:

• Commissioner's Directive 730, Offender Program Assignments and Inmate Payments, in the References section.

While an offender is on release in the community, they must continue to show effort and make progress in meeting the goals of their correctional plan. This means looking for and keeping a job and attending programs. The CPPR will indicate the offender's employment status while on release to the community.

Release to the Community

Experience and studies show that most offenders are more likely to become law-abiding citizens if they participate in a program of gradual, supervised release and reintegration. The goal of community corrections is to gradually release offenders from correctional facilities when their risk is manageable and help them adjust to life outside of institutions. Except for some temporary absences and work releases, the Parole Board of Canada makes the decision to release the offender and CSC supervises the offender.

Supervision of offenders released to the community means the direct monitoring of offenders. Supervision is carried out mainly by parole officers employed by CSC who work in the community. All offenders on conditional release are supervised no matter where they live, whether in the city or remote parts of the country. The degree of supervision will depend on the offender and the risk they present. Some offenders may require closer monitoring and more frequent contact than others. This is called the Level of Intervention (see below). Offenders who are considered to be a higher risk to society will require close monitoring and more frequent contacts. Those who are lower risk will require less.

In supervising offenders, correctional staff rely on many sources of information: police, family members of the offender, program staff, employers, victims and others. By being aware of the offender's situation, correctional staff can help ensure that they stay on track. They can take action when the offender breaks rules, or they can help solve problems that could, if not addressed, lead to a new crime.

Research shows that supervision alone does not help offenders change. Supervision needs to be complemented with good programming. Programs in the community build on the gains that the offender has already made by taking part in programs when they were incarcerated.

Offenders on release may be expected to participate in programs tailored to their needs. Some programs help them cope with daily living, relationships and emotions, while others deal with specific issues such as sexual offending and alcohol or drug abuse. In some instances, it may be of benefit for offenders to upgrade their education or employment skills.

CSC's national approach to Indigenous corrections includes:

• the National Indigenous Advisory Committee to enable Indigenous community leaders to assist CSC in involving the Indigenous community more extensively in the integration of offenders
• agreements with Indigenous communities for the provision of correctional services
• enhanced Indigenous treatment centres such as healing lodges (special institutions for lower-security offenders involved in Indigenous traditions and culture), based on Indigenous values and principles
• strengthened Indigenous programming that increases inmates' access to Indigenous Liaison Services and Elders in order to address their spiritual needs
• development of culturally-sensitive programs
• a concerted effort to recruit Indigenous staff
• Pathways Units, a process of culturally-appropriate interventions to prepare inmates for transfer to lower security institutions and for eventual release to the community

Agencies and individuals in the community also deliver programs or add to program activities. They act as counsellors, role models and support networks. Community involvement demonstrates the community's willingness to accept those offenders who reform themselves. Offenders' success in starting fresh depends partly on their own efforts and partly on the opportunities the community at large provides.

The skills, resources and experiences of many different people are needed to deal with offenders' complex problems and needs. CSC draws upon a broad network of organizations and individuals, family members, psychologists, employment counsellors, educators and others to assist in community correctional work. Such community networks provide both supervision and support. The needs of offenders involved in Indigenous culture/traditions in the community are met by Indigenous Community Liaison Officers and Indigenous Community Development Officers. These officers, who work with established communities and Elders, are often located in parole offices.

Halfway houses are owned and operated by either a non-governmental organization or a private aftercare agency. Each agency-owned facility operates under contract with CSC, providing accommodation, counselling and supervision for 15 to 30 offenders who are usually on day parole or full parole. This can also include offenders on statutory release and long-term supervision if the Parole Board of Canada has imposed a special condition requiring them to reside there.

CSC also operates 14 of its own community-based residential facilities, referred to as Community Correctional Centres. In these centres, the director, parole officers and support staff work as a team, often in cooperation with community partners, to supervise and provide programs for offenders on day parole, or those on statutory release or long-term supervision that are required to reside there.

Community parole officers are the key link to supervising offenders in the community and are crucial to managing the offender's risk of committing another crime. Their job is part police officer, part social worker. Parole supervision is based on a professional relationship with each offender and on a study of the risk factors that contribute to their criminal behaviour. The parole officer ensures the offender continues to follow their correctional plan through:

• regular visits with the offender, with or without advance notice
• contacts with family, police and employers
• feedback on an offender's progress by checking with people who may be assisting the offender in a program

If the offender breaches parole conditions or seems likely to do so, the parole officer can take disciplinary measures, which may include taking the necessary steps to send the offender back to a CSC institution.

Parole officers are guided in their work by rules and standards. They routinely write reports on the progress of each offender and discuss cases that require additional attention with their supervisors. Officers work together with many community agencies to help secure stable housing, employment, income and positive personal contacts for the offender.

In this section of the CPPR you receive, you will be given information about the offender if/when they are serving the rest of their sentence in the community. The report you receive may contain the following information:

• the type(s) of release the offender was granted
• the level(s) of intervention during release
• the date(s) the release was suspended (offender returned to an institution), and why (if this is the case)
• the name and location of the institution where the offender is incarcerated (if returned to an institution) or the area where they are being supervised in the community.

Suspension of an offender's release

When an offender's behaviour raises concerns in the community, CSC issues a warrant to arrest them and take them back to a CSC institution.

If their behaviour turns out to be less concerning than first thought, the parole officer can cancel the warrant, and the offender can return to the community.

In other cases, the parole officer asks the Parole Board of Canada to decide if the offender will be kept in a CSC institution or released back to the community.

The CPPR shows you when the warrant was issued, why, and its status.

Level of Intervention

While an offender is in the community, CSC looks at how much supervision the offender needs. The offender must meet with their parole officer face-to-face a number of times each month. The number is based on how well the offender is doing in the community and how much supervision, structure and support they need. Parole officers can also stay in touch with offenders by phone, outside of the set meetings. The CPPR tells you how much supervision the offender gets in the community.

For more information about the levels of supervision, consult Commissioner's Directive 715-1, Community Supervision, in the References section.

Next steps

The last section of the CPPR provides the next major event or date that is expected in the offender's sentence. This may be:

• the date the offender is eligible for a type of release
• a future parole hearing
• the offender's statutory release date
• the end of the offender's sentence.

If you have any questions about the information in the CPPR you have received, please contact your Victim Services Officer.

Definitions

Day Parole

Offenders on day parole live in the community in a half-way house where they must return nightly. Only the Parole Board of Canada can grant day parole. They also decide leave privileges (for example, weekend passes) based on the rules of the halfway house.

Most offenders can apply for day parole six months prior to their full parole eligibility date or six months after the sentence, whichever is longer. This is different for offenders serving a life sentence. When the court ordered the offender to serve a life sentence, the judge decided how much of the sentence the offender must serve before the offender can be considered for full parole. The date when this happens is called the offender's full parole eligibility date. Day parole is considered a lesser, more restrictive, form of parole and the offender can ask the Parole Board of Canada to consider granting them day parole three years before their full parole eligibility date.

Day parole is normally granted for up to a maximum of six months. The Parole Board of Canada must decide every six months whether to continue the day parole.

Detention

The Parole Board of Canada can keep an offender in a CSC institution past their statutory release date until the end of their sentence. The Parole Board of Canada has authority to detain an offender only when the Board is satisfied that if the offender is released they are likely to commit an offence causing death or serious harm to another person, a sexual offence involving a child, or a serious drug offence.

Dynamic Factors

Dynamic Factors are areas that present issues in a person's life that can lead to criminal behaviour. These factors can change and be improved on. CSC uses eight Dynamic Factors:

1. Personal / Emotional
2. Attitude
3. Associates
4. Substance Abuse
5. Family / Marital Relationships
6. Employment
7. Education
8. Community Functioning

Full Parole

Offenders on full parole may live on their own or with their family, work and contribute to society. The offender remains under supervision of a CSC parole officer and must continue to abide by certain conditions.

Generally, offenders are eligible for full parole after serving one-third of their sentence. Offenders serving a life sentence are eligible for full parole at the date set by the judge at the time of sentencing.

Once full parole is granted to an offender, it does not expire. As long as the offender behaves appropriately, does not break the law and follows the conditions set out by the Parole Board of Canada, the offender can remain on full parole until their sentence ends (warrant expiry) or in the case of a life sentence, until the offender dies.

Long-Term Supervision Order

The court can order that after the offender has finished their sentence, the offender will live in the community under the supervision of a CSC parole officer for as long as ten years. The judge sets the length of the supervision period at the same time that the offender is sentenced. Judges can make this order if both of the following are likely:

1. the offender has a high risk of re-offending if the offender is returned to the community at the end of their sentence without supervision. 
2. supervision and structure would lower the offender's risk of committing another crime.

Just like offenders on parole or statutory release, offenders on Long-Term Supervision must also follow the conditions imposed by the Parole Board of Canada. They must report to their parole officer regularly and if their risk of committing another crime becomes too high, the parole officer can suspend the supervision period and return the offender to a CSC institution while other interventions are put in place to help the offender remain crime free.

Static Factors

Static Factors are about the offender's past and the offences they have committed. Because they are in the past, these factors normally do not change. This information helps parole officers determine what makes the offender break the law and identifies the programs to address that. Static factors include:

• Criminal history (number of offences, types of offences, how long since the last offence, offender's age at the time of their first offence, etc.)
• Severity of the current offence (type of offence, degree of force used, number of victims, etc.)
• Sex offending history (number of victims, age of victims, offender's treatment history, etc.)

Statutory Release

Statutory release does not apply to offenders serving a life sentence. If an offender has served two thirds of their sentence but is not yet on parole in the community, they must be released to the community, by law. Statutory release allows the offender to serve the remaining portion of their sentence in the community under the supervision of a CSC parole officer. Research, over many years, shows that offenders are more likely to become productive law-abiding citizens when they return to the community gradually, under supervision, than when they stayed in prison until the end of their sentence.

Temporary Absences

Temporary absences are the first type of release that an offender may receive. These may be authorized for various reasons, including: medical; administrative; community services; family contact; rehabilitative purposes; and, compassionate reasons such as to attend a funeral. The Parole Board of Canada, the Commissioner of CSC and institutional heads have authority to grant temporary absences. Public safety is always of paramount importance in these decisions.

Escorted temporary absences are short-term releases to the community. The offender can leave the institution to go to a specific destination. The offender is accompanied and supervised by CSC staff member(s) or a trained member(s) of the community.

Offenders are eligible for an escorted temporary absences at any time during their sentence. Institutional heads typically authorize escorted temporary absences. In certain instances, for offenders serving life sentences, authorization by the Parole Board of Canada is required.

Unescorted temporary absences are short-term releases to the community. The offender can leave the institution to go to a specific destination but goes on their own.  Longer absences are supervised by CSC parole officers who work in the community.

Most offenders can apply for unescorted temporary absences after serving one-sixth or six months of their sentence. Offenders in a maximum-security institution cannot apply for this type of release.

Work Release

Work release allows an incarcerated offender, whose risk is manageable, to work in the community on a voluntary or paid basis. Generally, offenders can apply for a work release after serving one-sixth or six months of their sentence. Offenders in maximum-security institutions cannot apply for work release.

Institutional heads have the authority to grant a work release for as long as 60 days. Regional deputy commissioners have the authority to grant a work release for as long as 120 days. Work releases are granted to carefully selected offenders who perform work and services that benefit the community such as painting, general repairs and maintenance of community centres or homes for the elderly. Work release is one of the first steps in the safe, gradual reintegration of offenders into society.

Warrant Expiry Date

An offender's warrant expiry date is the date their sentence is finished. Offenders serving a life sentence do not have a warrant expiry date. They will remain incarcerated or on parole in the community until the end of their life.

References

Commissioner's Directive 566-10, Urinalysis Testing

Commissioner's Directive 580, Discipline of Inmates

Commissioner's Directive 705-6, Correctional Planning and Criminal Profile

Commissioner's Directive 710-1, Progress Against the Correctional Plan

Commissioner's Directive 715-1, Community Supervision

Commissioner's Directive 730, Offender Program Assignments and Inmate Payments

Corrections and Conditional Release Act

Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations

Educational Programs

Education is important as it increases offenders' chances to successfully transition back into society. Improved literacy skills may improve an offender's ability to take part in correctional programs.

CSC's Education Programs:

• address offenders' educational needs
• increase offenders' basic literacy, social cognition, and problem-solving skills
• prepare offenders for participation in correctional programs, and
• provide offenders with the knowledge and skills needed to gain and maintain employment and lawfully reside in the community upon their release

The education process includes:

1. a review of the initial education-related assessments
2. individual education planning
3. enrolment and participation in the delivery of education programs
4. ongoing assessment of progress
5. reporting

For more information, follow the link above to CSC's web page on this topic.

Employment Programs

CSC's employment program is called CORCAN. It provides offenders with employment and employability skills training while incarcerated, and for brief periods of time after they are released into the community. This is done through on-the-job and third-party certified vocational training that focuses on CSC's four business lines: Manufacturing, Textiles, Construction, and Services.

For more information, follow the link above to CSC's web page on this topic.

Indigenous Correctional Programs

Indigenous correctional programs are offered in most CSC institutions for men and all CSC institutions for women. Trained Indigenous correctional program officers are culturally-competent and deliver Indigenous correctional programs.

The Corrections and Conditional Release Act, Section 80 mandates CSC to deliver programs that meet the needs of Indigenous offenders or offenders who are sincerely engaged in the Indigenous culture/traditions.

• Corrections and Conditional Release Act, Section 80

CSC must consider Indigenous peoples' unique circumstances and experiences. CSC must take into account:

• the Criminal Code of Canada, Section 718.2 (e)
• the Supreme Court of Canada case, R. v. Gladue
• subsequent cases like:
• R. v. Ipeelee
• R. v Sims

The programs also accept non-Indigenous offenders who follow Indigenous cultural traditions.

For more information, follow the link above to CSC's web page on this topic.

Information Guide for Victims: Offender Intake Assessment and Correctional Planning

Integrated Correctional Program Model

CSC has based the Integrated Correctional Program Model on models of what works in correctional rehabilitation, including cognitive-behavioural approaches. The integrated nature of the Integrated Correctional Program Model allows offenders to address all of their criminal behaviour under one program umbrella. This works because even if offenders have diverse patterns of offending and different criminal offences, the program focuses on:

• commonalities that lead to criminal behaviour
• common interests
• individual circumstances and application of skills

For more information, follow the link above to CSC's web page on this topic.

Programs for Offenders

Privacy Act

Social Programs

CSC offers social programs to help offenders adjust to incarceration and prepare for community reintegration. We offer certain social programs nationally, while others may vary depending on institutional need and suitability.

Social programs help offenders make personal changes in their lives by encouraging them to learn about their strengths and areas that need improvement. They:

• teach personal interaction and development skills
• allow offenders to build life skills
• promote positive and healthy lifestyle choices
• teach offenders how to use their leisure time constructively and in a pro-social manner
• target factors that may impact the offenders' ability to successfully transition back into the community

For more information, follow the link above to CSC's web page on this topic.

Women Offender Programs

Correctional programs for women are holistic. They provide a gender- and trauma-informed approach to address the specific needs of women. The programs focus on how an offender's behaviour can influence situations and relationships. Correctional programming offers a continuum of care, from admission to sentence expiry. The goal is for the offender to:

• learn to live a crime-free life and
• successfully reintegrate into the community

Indigenous women offenders, or women offenders who have expressed a sincere desire to follow Indigenous programming and spirituality, may choose to take part in the Indigenous stream of correctional programs, also known as the Circle of Care.

For more information, follow the link above to CSC's web page on this topic.

Information About Offender Releases

Victims of federal offenders

Preparing a Victim Statement

Victim Representative