Fact Sheet

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Highlights
2007-2008 NATIONAL PAROLE BOARD PERFORMANCE MONITORING REPORT

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• During 2007-08, the federal prison population increased to 13,582, and the conditional release population remained relatively stable at 8,434.
• In 2007-08, the NPB conducted 17,581 conditional release reviews. Work to prepare for and conduct these reviews accounted for more than 80% (or 34.3 million) of all NPB expenditures for the year.
• Out of 3,009 federal day parole releases completed in 2007-08, 84% (2,511) were successfully completed, while 13% (391) were revoked for violating the conditions of release, and 4% (107) were revoked for a new offence.
• Out of 1,358 federal full parole releases for offenders serving determinate sentences completed in 2007-08, 73% (990) were successfully completed, while 19% (262 paroles were revoked for violating the conditions of release, and 8% (106) were revoked for a new offence.
• Out of 5,693 statutory releases completed in 2007-08, 59% (3,348) were completed successfully, while 31% (1,739) were revoked for violating the condition of release, and 11% (606) 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.

Full parole and day parole can only be granted by the Board, while statutory release is, by law, automatically granted at two-thirds of the sentence. 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 266 cases which were referred for detention review in 2007-08, 248 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 33% (from 254 in 1996/97 to 170 in 2006/07).
• Over the same timeframe, convictions for violent offences by offenders on full parole declined 80% (from 55 in 1996/97 to 11 in 2006/07), while convictions for violent offences by offenders on day parole declined 44% (from 39 in 1996/97 to 22 in 2006/07).


Note: The year 2007/08 is shown but not used in calculations 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 20,457 contacts with victims during 2007-08. Victims also made 244 presentations at 139 hearings – 215 in person and 29 via audio or video recording.
• There were 1,974 observers at NPB hearings last year and 6,098 written NPB decisions were released publicly.
• The NPB received 30,398 applications for pardons in 2007-08. 24,846 pardons were granted and 175 were denied.
• The pardon grant rate was 99%.
• Since 1970, the NPB has granted 377,477 pardons. About 96% of these are still in force indicating that the vast majority of pardon recipients remain crime free in the community.