Why we did this study
One of the Correctional Service of Canada’s (CSC) strategic priorities is the safe transition of offenders from the institution into the community. Discretionary release provides offenders with a gradual and structured reintegration process for this transition. In addition, offenders on discretionary release, i.e. parole, are more likely to remain in the community than offenders who are released on statutory release. For offenders who waive, postpone, or withdrawn their parole application, the potential amount of time they have to reintegrate into society prior to the end of their sentence is shortened. This is particularly problematic for offenders deemed a low-risk to reoffend and who could be suitably managed and supported in the community.
What we did
For this study, all parole reviews for low-risk offenders scheduled in FY2014-2015 for men and FY2014-2015 and FY2015-2016 for women were extracted. Overall, 8,476 parole reviews were scheduled for low-risk offenders during the study period, representing 3,663 offenders. Women accounted for 12% of the offenders in this study, 3% of which were Indigenous. Among men, 6% were Indigenous.
What we found
Of the parole reviews scheduled for low-risk offenders, 37% were waived, postponed, or withdrawn. Indigenous women and men had higher rates of parole delays and cancellations than non-Indigenous offenders. In addition, rates varied by region, but were highest in the Ontario and Pacific regions. Postponements, however, were more common in the Quebec region.
Examination of the reasons provided by offenders for parole delays and cancellations showed that avoid a negative decision, program non-completion, and other were the most common.
Additional analyses were conducted to determine if structured indicators (such as demographics, criminogenic factors, offender behaviour, and correctional interventions) collected by CSC supported the reasons provided by offenders. For instance, almost two-thirds of those identifying program non-completion, were referred for programming; many of whom were either still in the program or waitlisted at the time of the scheduled review. In addition, waiving, postponing, or withdrawing parole does not negatively impact on the decisions made by the Parole Board of Canada at subsequent parole reviews.
What it means
This study builds on prior research examining the reasons that offenders choose to delay or cancel their parole reviews while also exploring the specific characteristics based on the reasons endorsed by offenders. Offenders provided many reasons for choosing to delay or cancel their review, which are supported for structured indicators collected by CSC’s Offender Management System. Overall, these results provide CSC with targeted areas for intervention in order to support offenders at low-risk to reoffend reintegrate to the community in a timely and successful manner. Future research areas are also identified.
For more information
Farrell MacDonald, S. (2017). Reasons for parole waivers, postponements, and withdrawals: Examining indicators for low-risk offenders (Research Report R-396).Ottawa, Ontario: Correctional Service of Canada.
To obtain a PDF version of the full report, or for other inquiries, please e-mail the Research Branch or contact us by phone at (613) 995-3975.
You can also visit the Research Publications section for a full list of reports and one-page summaries.