Performance Monitoring Report 2007-2008

7. POLICY, PLANNING and OPERATIONS

Staff members in the Policy, Planning and Operations Division are responsible for a wide range of functions including:

• Input to legislative change;
• Policy development and revision;
• Coordination of the Board's strategic and operational planning processes;
• Coordinating the Board's governmental reporting functions;
• Coordinating the development and revision of national processes for the delivery of the conditional release program;
• Ensuring user needs are identified and met in an automated system to support the delivery of the conditional release program;
• Aboriginal and diversity initiatives;
• Victim initiatives; and
• Conducting research to support the Board.

Highlights of activities within the Division during 2007/08 include:

• Legislative/Strategic Policy Initiatives - The Division was extensively involved in a wide range of strategic policy or legislative issues with a direct or indirect impact on the NPB. These initiatives were related to the government's priority of addressing criminal justice issues. Examples of these initiatives include parole reform, mandatory minimum penalties for various offences, and victims of crime.
• Treasury Board submissions - A number of Treasury Board submissions were drafted and/or finalized to request the resources required for the NPB to meet its responsibilities. As a result of these submissions, the NPB received additional resources to enhance the Board's services to victims of crime.
• Corrections Review Panel - In the fall of 2007, the Corrections Review Panel released a report which contained a number of recommendations relating to the Correctional Services of Canada ( CSC ). CSC has created a Transformation Team tasked with responding to the recommendations. The Board has a representative on this team, and the Division has formed a working group to examine the impact of the recommendations on the Board.
• Conditional Release System ( CRS ) - Significant work was undertaken throughout the year, with CSC officials, to move forward with the completion of this automated system which supports the delivery of the conditional release program. As a result of the Memorandum of Understanding with CSC , where CSC is now responsible for meeting the Board's information technology needs, CSC is developing a system to meet the needs of NPB users.
• Victims of Crime - Division staff members were extensively involved in implementing victims' initiatives. Most notably, Division staff have been working with other federal departments, who work with victims, including the Federal Ombudsman's Office for victims of crime. The Division staff also prepared a NPB poster which reminds victims of the role they may choose to play in the parole process. In addition, t he Division prepared a simulated hearing program which was installed on the NPB website. This program is intended to help victims and victim service agencies better understand a NPB hearing–the set up, the process, the people in the hearing room.
• Contingency Planning - The Division coordinated contingency planning efforts that were necessary for the NPB to meet its conditional release legislative requirements during a time of a shortage of Board members.
• Video conferencing - The Division developed a policy and guidelines for the use of video conferencing at NPB hearings. Work has begun to examine further use of video conferencing, such as with victims.
• Aboriginal and Diversity - The Division was involved in an examination of interpretation services for offenders who required interpretation in other than an official language. In addition, the Division was involved in piloting the Aboriginal Perceptions Training for Board members and staff. The Division continues to provide information to increase awareness about Aboriginal and diversity issues, including coordinating the Aboriginal Circle to discuss Board priorities in relation to Aboriginal offenders/communities.

7.1 ABORIGINAL and DIVERSITY INITIATIVES

The Government of Canada has identified community involvement as a crime prevention priority to break the cycle of violence, provide hope and opportunity for youth. In the context of Aboriginal communities, the Public Safety Portfolio's enhancement of the safety of First Nations communities in relation to prevention, policing, and corrections supports this priority. The development of corrections policy to strengthen community reintegration and the management of high risk offenders is of particular relevance to Aboriginal people and communities given their more frequent contact with the criminal justice system. Aboriginal adults are over-represented in federal institutions (20% of federal inmates), they are more likely to be incarcerated for a violent offence, and are considered to have higher risk and needs. The Correctional Service of Canada, our partner agency, is responding to the needs of Aboriginal offenders through the provision of effective rehabilitative interventions and services in the institutions and communities.

Section 151 (3) of the CCRA guides the Board's work in relation to Aboriginal and diversity initiatives. The legislation dictates that our policies must respect gender, ethnic, cultural and linguistic differences and that the Board must be responsive to the needs of women, Aboriginal peoples, and of other groups of offenders with special requirements. The Board meets this legislated responsibility, while also ensuring public safety, through the provision of quality decisions on the timing and conditions of release of offenders into the community.

Aboriginal and Diversity Initiatives facilitates this process through the provision of corporate expertise on Aboriginal, ethnocultural, and women offender issues and leadership on the conditional release program, Board member training, policy development, and implementation.

The section works horizontally and in collaboration with the national and regional offices, partners, other government departments, and with community stakeholders. Its energies are particularly focused on developing national strategies and initiatives aimed at enhancing informed conditional release decision-making, in relation to Aboriginal, women, and ethnocultural/racial offenders, to ensure public safety.

The following are some of the activities undertaken in relation to Aboriginal, women, and ethnocultural/racial initiatives in 2007/08:

• In October 2007, the Aboriginal and Diversity Initiatives Newsletter was launched. The Newsletter is a means to share information between the national office and the regions and to provide updates on meetings and conferences that have been held on the topics of women, Aboriginal and ethnocultural/racial offenders. Educational information is also provided. The Newsletter is published on a quarterly basis.
• The Prairie region established a regional diversity committee similar to that in other regions and this committee launched its monthly Newsletter in November. Aboriginal and/or Diversity Committees, which have been created in the majority of the regions, serve to identify Board member training needs, as well as to identify and prioritize issues and areas requiring action. The Minutes from these meetings are shared across the Board.

Federally-Sentenced Women

In January 2007, the Atlantic Region implemented a one-year pilot project whereby a Regional Communications Officer and a Hearing Officer attend Nova Institution for Women (Nova), on a monthly basis, to meet with incarcerated women. The morning information sessions include a viewing of a hearing video and a question and answer period relating to the hearing process. The feedback has been extremely positive and, as a result, and at the request of management at Nova, the pilot will continue through the new fiscal year.

Ethnocultural Offenders

The Hallmarks of a Quality Hearing section of the Board's policy was implemented in August 2007. This section of the policy is a result of a recommendation made by the Cultural Hearings Working Group in 2006. It recognizes that difference matters and allows for the use of a cultural interpreter should such assistance be required by decision-makers. Training on this new section of the policy has also been developed and implemented.

Funding was received from the Department of Canadian Heritage, under the Inclusive Institutions Initiative ( III ), to undertake a national project examining the quality of interpretation services provided at hearings for offenders who do not have either English or French as a first language. The project was completed in March 2008. Additional funding from III in the new fiscal year will facilitate the Board's ability to address the areas requiring attention.

In the Atlantic region, a second project funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, was piloted in 2007/08. The project involved having an African-Canadian Cultural Liaison attend hearings to facilitate Board members' understanding of African-Canadian culture, heritage, and community. The Cultural Liaison also provided information on the hearing process to offenders from this community.

Regionally, National Parole Board representatives have been actively involved at meetings of Correctional Service of Canada's ( CSC ) Regional Ethnocultural Advisory Committees. Meetings are held regularly throughout the year and serve as a forum to discuss areas of concern and initiatives to address the needs of ethnocultural/racial offenders from a regional perspective. Committee membership also includes CSC staff, representatives from diverse non-governmental agencies, professionals and academics. There is also representation on CSC 's National Ethnocultural Advisory Committee. The Minutes from the various meetings are widely shared within the Board as a means of sharing ideas and best practices.

Aboriginal Offenders and Communities

The Aboriginal Perceptions Training pilot was held in mid-February. Feedback from the pilot will assist the Working Group and co-facilitators with finalizing the training material for delivery to Board members, nationally, as well as to staff.

In June, a meeting was held with the Elders who assist at hearings for Aboriginal offenders. The meeting was held at Wanuskewin in Saskatchewan and served to provide the Elders, from across the country, with the opportunity to discuss a variety of issues, as well as to share their views on a number of topics of relevance to the Board and decision-making processes in particular. The Chairperson was also able to meet with the Elders. The feedback from the Elders was very positive.

The annual Aboriginal Circle meeting was hosted by the Quebec regional office in November. Participants had the opportunity to meet with staff, offenders, and Elders at the Waseskun Healing Lodge. There were also presentations by CSC staff on the various Aboriginal initiatives in the region and a presentation by the NPB Regional Manager, Community Relations and Training on the profile of the Aboriginal nations in the province.

A review of the effectiveness of the Aboriginal Circle was undertaken by Sussex Circle . The review served to gather participant views on the mandate, the content of proceedings, meeting modus operandi, logistics, and membership in order to assess the operations, efficiency and effectiveness of the Aboriginal Circle . The report and recommendations will be discussed at the September 2008 meeting of the Executive Committee.

In support of celebrations relating to Louis Riel Day (the third Monday in February) and National Aboriginal Day (June 21 st ), the Prairie region is no longer scheduling Elder-assisted hearings on these dates. This decision was taken to allow Elders, Board members and staff, as well as others who are interested, to attend provincial celebrations on those days.

The Regional offices have undertaken a number of activities such as sessions to inform Aboriginal offenders and CSC institutional staff about hearings for Aboriginal offenders including Community hearings. These sessions are of particular importance in the Prairie region.

The Quebec region has been actively engaged in a number of initiatives with their CSC partners including the Aboriginal Forum held in November and collaboration with the Waseskun Healing Lodge in the training of newly appointed Board members.

Several additional Community hearings were held in the Atlantic, Prairie and Pacific regions over the year.

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