Fact Sheet

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Highlights
2008-2009 NATIONAL PAROLE BOARD (NPB) PERFORMANCE MONITORING REPORT

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• During 2008-09, the federal prison population decreased to 13,289 and the conditional release population increased to 8,716.
• In 2008-09, the NPB conducted 17,565 conditional release reviews. Work to prepare for and conduct these reviews accounted for 80% (or 38.4 million) of all NPB expenditures for the year.
• Out of 3,063 federal day parole releases completed in 2008-09, 85% (2,596) were successfully completed, while 12% (370) were revoked for violating the conditions of release, and 3% (97) were revoked for a new offence.
• Out of 1,375 federal full parole releases for offenders serving determinate sentences completed in 2008-09, 75% (1030) were successfully completed, while 19% (255 paroles were revoked for violating the conditions of release, and 7% (90) were revoked for a new offence.
• Out of 5,795 statutory releases completed in 2008-09, 60% (3,494) were completed successfully, while 30% (1,745) were revoked for violating the conditions of release, and 10% (556) were revoked for a new offence.

Successful completion refers to releases in which the offenders remain under supervision in the community without violating the conditions of their release or committing a new offence. The re-offending rate is defined as the number of parole revocations resulting from the commission of a new offence.

Statutory release is mandated by law and is not a decision by the National Parole Board. However, the NPB may, upon the recommendation of the Correctional Service of Canada, detain an offender until the end of the sentence. This is called detention.

• Of the 267 cases which were referred for detention review in 2008-09, 256 offenders were detained in prison past their statutory release date.
• Convictions for violent offences by offenders on conditional release (including day parole, full parole and statutory release) have declined steadily over the past ten years, dropping by 36% (from 254 in 1996/97 to 164 in 2007/08).

Note: The year 2008/09 is not used because the number of convictions for violent offences will often fluctuate during the next 12 to 18 months after a fiscal year ends because charges for violent offenders often take that long to proceed through the courts.

Violent offences include crimes such as murder, attempted murder, sexual assault, assault causing bodily harm, hostage-taking, forcible confinement and armed robbery.

• The NPB recorded 20,039 contacts with victims during 2008-09. Victims also made 192 presentations at 112 hearings – 181 in person and 11 via audio or video recording.
• There were 1,904 observers at NPB hearings last year and 6,140 written NPB decisions were released publicly.
• The NPB received 35,784 applications for pardons in 2008-09. 39,628 pardons were granted and 800 were denied.
• The pardon grant rate was 98%.
• Since 1970, the NPB has granted more than 400,000 pardons. About 96% of these are still in force indicating that the vast majority of pardon recipients remain crime free in the community.