Conditional release data was extracted from CRIMS and OMS.
The Clemency and Pardons Division provided pardon and clemency information.
Financial information was provided by Financial Services.
The Human Resources Division provided human resources information on staff and the Chairman's Office provided information on Board members.

Minor variances may occur when presenting percentage statistics as a result of rounding.

HIGHLIGHTS

The following are highlights from the National Parole Board's 2007-2008 Performance Monitoring Report.

CONDITIONAL RELEASE

PROGRAM DELIVERY CONTEXT in 2007/08:

The federal incarcerated population increased 3.1% in 2007/08 to 13,582 while the conditional release population remained relatively stable at 8,434 ( 15);
Federal admissions to institutions decreased ( 1.0% to 8,531). Warrant of committal admissions decreased ( 2.2%), while the number of revocation admissions remained relatively stable ( 22).
Federal releases from institutions increased 3.1% to 8,273;
The Board's workload decreased 3.1% to 34,535 reviews. A comparison of the reviews for workload revealed that, between 2006/07 and 2007/08, the Board's workload decreased at the federal level ( 4.2%) while it increased 48.9% at the provincial level. The increase at the provincial level is due to the Board assuming responsibility for parole administration for provincial offenders in the Pacific region on April 1, 2007 when the British Columbia Board of Parole was disbanded.
The number of panel reviews with an Aboriginal Cultural Advisor decreased 22.4% to 532.

DECISION TRENDS in 2007/08:

The approval rate for escorted temporary absences remained unchanged at 91%;
The authorization rate for unescorted temporary absences decreased ( 1% to 79%);
The federal day parole grant rate increased ( 1% to 71%);
The provincial day parole grant rate increased ( 6% to 72%);
The federal full parole grant rate remained unchanged at 43%;
The provincial full parole grant rate decreased ( 6% to 65%);
The number of referrals for detention increased ( 6.4% to 266), and the detention referral rate increased slightly ( 0.1% to 4.5%);
The detention rate increased ( 4.4% to 93.2%);
The initial decision was affirmed in 92% of federal appeal cases;
The initial decision was affirmed in all 20 provincial appeal cases.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IN 2007/08

Between 1996/97 and 2006/07, violent offences committed by offenders on conditional release dropped 33%;
Between 1996/97 and 2006/07, offenders on statutory release accounted for 69% of all violent offences committed by offenders on conditional release, while offenders on full parole accounted for 16% and offenders on day parole accounted for 15%;
The federal day parole successful completion rate increased ( 1.6% to 83.5%);
The provincial day parole successful completion rate increased ( 6.4% to 78.4%);
The federal full parole successful completion rate increased ( 1.9% to 72.9%);
The provincial full parole successful completion rate remained relatively stable ( 0.4% to 73.0%);
The statutory release successful completion rate remained relatively stable ( 0.4% to 58.8%).

INFORMATION AND SERVICE TO VICTIMS AND THE PUBLIC

VICTIMS AND OBSERVERS IN 2007/08

Contacts with victims decreased ( 5% to 20,457);
Victims made 244 presentations at 139 hearings;
The number of observers at hearings decreased ( 4% to 1,974);
The number of decisions sent from the decision registry increased ( 4% to 6,098).

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CLEMENCY AND PARDONS

PARDONS IN 2007/08

The number of pardon applications received increased ( 14.6% to 30,398), the highest number of applications received since the inception of the pardon program;
The pardons' grant/issue rate remained stable at 99%.

CLEMENCY IN 2007/08

24 clemency applications were received, two were granted.

SUMMARY

This section provides an overview of the National Parole Board's 2007-2008 Performance Monitoring Report with a focus on the program delivery context, decision trends and performance indicators for the conditional release and clemency and pardons business lines.

CONDITIONAL RELEASE

PROGRAM DELIVERY CONTEXT

Offender Population Trends:

Source: CSC and NPB

Over the last eighteen years, the federal offender population has steadily increased, then steadily decreased and is now once again on an upward trend. The offender population increased until March 1995, then decreased until March 2004, except for a minor increase in March 1999, and has increased in each of the last four years. The offender population is at its highest level since March 1999.

While the number of warrant of committal admissions has varied since 1994/95, there was a downward trend between 1999/00 and 2003/04 with a slight increase in 2002/03. The number of warrant of committal admissions increased between 2004/05 and 2006/07, and decreased slightly in 2007/08 to 5,007, the second highest number in the last 14 years. The number of offenders who reached warrant expiry has been on an upward trend since March 2005 and was 4,611 in 2007/08. As the number of offenders who reached warrant expiry has been less than the number of warrant of committal admissions, the total federal offender population has increased in each of the past four years.

The trends in the federal offender population usually mirror the trends in the crime rate in Canada, with the effect being seen in the federal offender population two years later, after the offender has had his/her case heard in court. As the crime rate in Canada decreased slightly in 2005, it was expected that the federal offender population was going to either stabilize or decrease slightly in 2007/08. However, the federal offender population actually increased by 1.8% in 2007/08.

This can be explained, in part, by the increase in the past two years in the violent crime rate along with public demand that the “system” get tough on violent criminals, as well as to changes in police enforcement practices. For example, for the last few years police have focused efforts on those involved in the drug trade and the establishment of police units which specifically target drug, gun and gang related crimes resulting in an increase in the number of charges being laid.

Aboriginal over-representation in the federal offender population has steadily increased since 1998/99. In 2007/08, the number of Aboriginal offenders in the federal offender population increased 3.5%. Aboriginal offenders represented 17.3% of the total federal offender population in 2007/08 compared to the 3.8% of the Canadian population who identified themselves as Aboriginal in the 2006 census.

Black offenders represented 6.8% of the total federal offender population in 2007/08 compared to their 2.5% proportion of the Canadian population in 2006, while Asian offenders represented 3.5% of the federal offender population compared to 9.4% of the Canadian population.

Female offenders remained under-represented in the federal offender population, however, their proportion of the federal offender population has increased over the last five years from 3.9% to 4.8%.

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Federal Admissions:

Source: CSC and NPB

*Total admissions includes the category "Other". This includes transfers from foreign countries, supervision terminated, exchange of services, etc.

Federal admissions to institutions decreased 1.0% in 2007/08. During the same period, warrant of committal admissions decreased 2.2%, while the number of revocation admissions remained relatively stable ( 22).

Federal Releases:

Federal releases from institutions increased 3.1% in 2007/08 to 8,273. The number of offenders released on day parole and statutory release increased, while the number released on full parole and at warrant expiry decreased.

While only 159 offenders were released on full parole directly from institutions during 2007/08, a total of 1,402 full parole supervision periods actually started during the year because 1,243 full parole supervision periods started after the offender had completed day parole. This is an example of how the Board uses gradual release to reintegrate offenders back into the community slowly and safely.

Reviews for Workload Purposes:

In 2007/08, the number of reviews for workload purposes (both pre and post-release) conducted by the Board decreased 3.1% to 34,535. The Board's workload decreased at the federal level ( 4.2%), while it increased at the provincial level ( 48.9%). The federal workload is at its lowest level in at least five years. The increase at the provincial level is due to the Board assuming responsibility for parole administration for provincial offenders in the Pacific region on April 1, 2007 , when the British Columbia Board of Parole was disbanded.

DECISION TRENDS

Release Decisions:

In 2007/08, the number of temporary absence decisions made by the Board decreased 10.8% compared to last year (678 compared to 760).

Source: NPB CRIMS

The number of federal day and full parole release decisions both decreased in 2007/08. Federal day parole release decisions decreased 1.7% ( 77), while the number of full parole release decisions decreased 3.1% ( 115).

Timing of First Parole Release in Sentence:

The average proportion of sentence served before first federal day parole release remained unchanged at 33% in 2007/08, while the average proportion of sentence served prior to first federal full parole release, for those serving determinate sentences, decreased 1% to 39%.

Over the last five years, Aboriginal offenders served more of their sentences prior to first federal day and full parole release than either Asian, Black or White offenders. This is probably, at least partially, due to the fact that Aboriginal offenders tend to have more violent offence histories.

Over the last five years, female offenders served an average of 5% less of their sentences before first federal day parole release than male offenders (29% to 34%) and 3% less of their sentences prior to first federal full parole release (37% compared to 40%).

Grant Rates :

The approval rate for escorted temporary absences remained unchanged in 2007/08 at 91%, while the authorization rate for unescorted temporary absences decreased 1% to 79%.

Source: NPB CRIMS

The federal day parole grant rate increased 1% in 2007/08 (to 71%). The federal grant rate decreased by 3% for accelerated day parole review cases (to 66%), while it increased by 2% for regular day parole cases (to 73%).

The federal full parole grant rate remained unchanged in 2007/08 (at 43%). The federal grant rate for accelerated full parole review decreased 1% to 99% in 2007/08. This high grant rate is because offenders who are directed to day parole are almost always automatically directed to full parole. The grant rate for regular full parole decreased 1% in 2007/08 (to 20%).

The provincial day parole grant rate increased 6% in 2007/08 (to 72%), while the provincial full parole grant rate decreased 6% (to 65%).

Comparison between Aboriginal, Asian, Black and White offenders over the last five years shows that:

Aboriginal offenders were the most likely to be approved for an escorted temporary absence and Asian offenders were the least likely;
White offenders were the most likely to be authorized for an unescorted temporary absence and Black offenders were the least likely;
Asian offenders were the most likely to be granted both federal and provincial day parole while Black offenders were the least likely to be granted either federal or provincial day parole, and
Asian offenders were the most likely to be granted both federal and provincial full parole and Aboriginal offenders were the least likely to be granted federal full parole, while Black offenders were the least likely to be granted provincial full parole.

Comparison between male and female offenders over the last five years shows that female offenders were:

more likely to be approved for escorted temporary absences and equally likely to be authorized for unescorted temporary absences, and
more likely to be granted any kind of parole.

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Residency Conditions:

The number of pre-release residency conditions imposed on full parole cases decreased by 4.3% in 2007/08 to 266.

Ninety-one percent (91%) of all residency conditions imposed on full parole pre-release decisions during the last five years were on accelerated parole review cases ( APR ), while APR cases accounted for just 63% of all federal full parole grant decisions. This would seem to indicate that Board members often feel that offenders released on full parole based on the APR criteria are not ready for a full return to the community.

The number of residency conditions imposed on statutory release at the pre-release level remained relatively stable in 2007/08 at 1,445. Of the 5,920 releases and graduations to statutory release in 2007/08, 24% had a residency condition imposed, which is a decrease of 1% from the previous year.

Aboriginal offenders accounted for 24.7% of all pre-release decisions to impose residency conditions on statutory release in 2007/08 (357 of 1,445) compared to their 19.9% proportion of the total incarcerated population serving determinate sentences. White offenders also had a slightly larger proportion of pre-release residency conditions imposed on statutory release than their proportion of the incarcerated population (67.7% to 64.8% of the incarcerated population serving determinate sentences).

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Detention:

In 2007/08, the number of referrals for detention increased 6.4% to 266, as did the detention referral rate which increased slightly to 4.5%. The detention rate increased (to 93.2%) as did the number of offenders detained ( 11.7% to 248).

Aboriginal offenders continue to be over-represented as a proportion of offenders referred for detention and detained. Aboriginal offenders accounted for 34.2% of all offenders referred for detention and 34.3% of offenders detained in 2007/08, compared to their 19.9% proportion of the federal incarcerated population serving determinate sentences.

Black offenders were also over-represented but not to the same extent. Black offenders accounted for 8.6% of offenders referred for detention and 8.9% of offenders detained, while they represented 7.6% of the federal incarcerated population serving determinate sentences.

Appeal Decisions:

The Board received 483 federal applications for appeal and 28 provincial applications in 2007/08, and the Appeal Division rendered 529 decisions (509 federal and 20 provincial). The initial decision was affirmed in 92% of federal appeal cases processed in 2007/08 (a decrease of 3% from the previous year), while the decision was altered in one case, a new review was ordered in 6% of the federal cases processed (32) and the special conditions were changed in 1% (6) of the federal cases processed. The decision was affirmed in all 20 of the provincial cases processed in 2007/08.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Time Under Supervision

Source: NPB CRIMS

The average supervision period for all federal full parole completions over the last five years was almost 4 times longer than the average for offenders on statutory release and over 5½ times longer than the average for offenders on day parole.

Compared to the average supervision period length over the last five years, the full parole average was 24.2 months in 2007/08, while statutory release averaged 6.5 months and day parole averaged 4.6 months.

Convictions for Violent Offences While On Conditional Release

Source: NPB CRIMS

Note : The year 2007/08 is shown but not used in calculations or the text because the number of convictions for violent offences will often fluctuate higher during the 12 to 18 months after a fiscal year ends because charges for violent offences often take that long to proceed through the courts.

The chart above demonstrates that between 1996/97 and 2006/07:

Violent offences by offenders on conditional release dropped 33%; and,
Offenders were far more likely to be convicted of violent offences while on statutory release than on day or full parole.

However, looking at the number of violent offences alone does not provide a full appreciation of how offenders are doing on conditional release or how often they are convicted of violent offences. To provide a relevant comparison across supervision types the Board calculates a rate per 1000 offenders on day parole, full parole and statutory release. The chart below shows that on average, in the period between 1996/97 and 2006/07, offenders on statutory release were:

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Over six and a half times more likely to be convicted of a violent offence than offenders on full parole; and
Over two times more likely to be convicted of a violent offence as offenders on day parole.

Source: NPB CRIMS

Source: NPB CRIMS and CSC

* Note: Supervised offenders include those offenders on parole or statutory release, temporarily detained in a federal penitentiary and unlawfully at large.

Note : The year 2007/08 is shown but not used in calculations or text because the number of convictions for violent offences will often fluctuate higher during the 12 to 18 months after a fiscal year ends because charges for violent offences often take that long to proceed through the courts.

Outcome Rates for Conditional Release

Outcome Rates for Federal Conditional Release:

Source: NPB CRIMS

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Federal offenders released on day parole had significantly higher successful completion rates than offenders released on full parole or statutory release during each of the last five years.

Offenders serving sentences for non-scheduled offences continue to be far less likely to successfully complete their day and full parole supervision periods than any other offence type in 2007/08. Moreover, offenders serving sentences for non-scheduled offences and for schedule I-non sex offences were equally less likely to successfully complete their statutory release than any other offence type in 2007/08. The successful completion rate for non-scheduled offenders on day parole was 75.4%, compared to the 85.4% average for all the other offence types, while their rate on full parole was 58.6%, compared to the 77.6% average for all the other offence types and the rate on statutory release was 56.6% compared to 59.7% for all other offence types.

Comparison between the outcome rates for Aboriginal, Asian, Black and White offenders on federal conditional release, in 2007/08, shows that Asian offenders were most likely to successfully complete day and full parole as well as statutory release, while Aboriginal offenders were the least likely to successfully complete day or full parole or statutory release.

Comparison between the outcome rates for female and male offenders on conditional release, in 2007/08, shows that female offenders were less likely to successfully complete federal day parole but more likely to successfully complete full parole and statutory release.

Source: NPB CRIMS

Offenders released on statutory release were far more likely to have had their releases revoked because of a breach of condition than federal offenders on day parole or full parole during each of the last five years.

Source: NPB CRIMS

The total revocation with offence rate (revocation with violent and non-violent offences) for full parole and statutory release has been two to three times the revocation with offence rate for day parolees during each of the last five years.

Source: NPB CRIMS

The revocation with violent offence rate was significantly higher for offenders on statutory release than for offenders on day or full parole during each of the last five years.

Outcome Rates for Provincial Parole:

Source: NPB CRIMS

The successful completion rate was higher for provincial offenders on day parole for four of the past five years. In 2006/07, the opposite was true and the successful completion rate was slightly higher for provincial offenders on full parole.

Source: NPB CRIMS

Provincial offenders on full parole were more likely to have had their paroles revoked because of a breach of condition in four of the past five years. The rate was slightly higher for provincial offenders on day parole in 2006/07.

Source: NPB CRIMS

The total revocation with offence rate (revocation with violent and non-violent offences) for provincial offenders on day parole ranged from 1.4% to 4.7% over the last five years, while the full parole rate ranged from 2.1% to 3.3%.

Source: NPB CRIMS

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This chart demonstrates that very few provincial offenders have had their paroles revoked because of violent offences. The revocation with violent offence rate for provincial day and full parole was at or below 1.0% during each of the last five years. Only 2 provincial day parolees and 2 provincial full parolees were convicted of violent offences during the last five years.

Outcomes of Full Parole for Offenders Serving Indeterminate Sentences:

Source: NPB and NPB CRIMS

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The chart above shows that over the last fourteen years offenders serving indeterminate sentences on full parole were:

26% less likely to have had their supervision periods revoked for breach of condition than federal full parolees with determinate sentences;
28% less likely to have had their supervision periods revoked because of an offence; and,
60% more likely to have had their supervision periods revoked because of a violent offence than federal full parolees with determinate sentences.

In making these comparisons it is important to remember that offenders serving indeterminate sentences have been on full parole for an average of 11.1 years compared to the average supervision period length of 24.8 months for federal offenders serving determinate sentences on full parole.

Source: NPB

Post-Warrant Expiry Readmission on a Federal Sentence

Note : The numbers for full parole and statutory release, prior to 1994/95, may be understated as a data conversion completed in 1993/94 did not convert the type of release in all cases. If the type of release is not indicated, it is assumed that the release was at WED.

The chart above shows that over the long-term (10 to 15 years after sentence completion):

Offenders released at warrant expiry are between 3 and 4 times more likely to be re-admitted on a federal sentence than offenders that completed their sentences on full parole; and,
Offenders that completed their sentences on statutory release are between 2½ and 3 times more likely to be re-admitted on a federal sentence than offenders that completed their sentences on full parole.
Schedule I-sex offenders who completed their sentences on full parole or statutory release or were released at WED were the least likely to be re-admitted on a federal sentence, followed by schedule II offenders.
Offenders in the Pacific region, who completed their sentences on full parole or were released at WED were the least likely to be re-admitted on a federal sentence. Offenders in the Ontario region, who completed their sentences on statutory release, were the least likely to be readmitted on a federal sentence.

As of March 31, 2008 , 7% to 14% of federal offenders who completed their sentences on full parole between 1992/93 and 1997/98 have been re-admitted on a federal sentence. In comparison, between 31% and 33% of offenders who completed their sentences on statutory release during the same period have been re-admitted and 27% to 45% of offenders who were released at warrant expiry have returned.

INFORMATION AND SERVICE TO VICTIMS AND THE PUBLIC

The National Parole Board recorded 20,457 contacts with victims in 2007/08 ( 5%). The number of observers at hearings decreased 4% (to 1,974) and the number of hearings with observers decreased 11% (to 774).

In 2007/08, victims made 244 presentations at 139 hearings. Of these presentations, 88% were in person, 10% were on audiotape and 2% were on videotape.

The number of decisions sent from the decision registry increased 4% in 2007/08 (to 6,098).

CLEMENCY AND PARDONS

Pardon Program

The number of pardon applications received increased by 14.6% in 2007/08, to 30,398, the highest number of applications received since the inception of the pardon program.

All applications that were received in 2007/08 were reviewed for eligibility and completeness. In addition, the backlog of applications remaining from the previous fiscal year was also reviewed for eligibility and completeness. In total, the Clemency and Pardons Division reviewed 38,594 applications for eligibility and completeness of which 28,239 were accepted.

There was an increase of 68.5% in the number of pardon decisions recorded in 2007/08 (to 25,021). The grant/issue rate for pardons was 99% in 2007/08.

The Board revoked 34 pardons in 2007/08, a decrease of 74.4% from 2006/07, while the number that ceased to exist decreased significantly ( 75.8% to 547). In previous years, while the pardons had ceased to exist and the files had been reopened by the RCMP, the NPB had experienced a delay in notifying the agencies it contacted at the time of the grant of the pardon. This backlog was eliminated in 2006/07 and notifications of cessations (RCMP Authority) in 2007/08 were processed as soon as they were received from the RCMP.

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The average processing time for pardon applications decreased to 10 months in 2007/08 from 13 months in 2006/07. Additional streamlining measures implemented in 2007/08, combined with enhancements to the PADS-R system, and additional resources obtained by the removal of the cap on revenues allowed the Division to greatly reduce processing times. In the case of summary offences, applications were processed on average within 1.5 months. Furthermore, measures were implemented to treat the applications for indictable offences which made up the bulk of the backlog. Although processing times remained high in the first half of the fiscal year (up to 18 months) for those applications containing indictable offences, the delay in processing time was greatly reduced in the latter half of the fiscal year (to 9 months of less).

The sustained efforts of the Division, as well as enhancements to the PADS-R system provided net improvement in the processing of pardon applications.

Clemency Program

The clemency program received 24 requests in 2007 and clemency was granted in two cases.

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Performance Monitoring Report 2007-2008

Table of Contents

Acronyms Used In This Report

HIGHLIGHTS

CONDITIONAL RELEASE

PROGRAM DELIVERY CONTEXT in 2007/08:

DECISION TRENDS in 2007/08:

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IN 2007/08

INFORMATION AND SERVICE TO VICTIMS AND THE PUBLIC

VICTIMS AND OBSERVERS IN 2007/08

CLEMENCY AND PARDONS

PARDONS IN 2007/08

CLEMENCY IN 2007/08

SUMMARY

CONDITIONAL RELEASE

PROGRAM DELIVERY CONTEXT

Offender Population Trends:

Federal Admissions:

Federal Releases:

Reviews for Workload Purposes:

DECISION TRENDS

Release Decisions:

Timing of First Parole Release in Sentence:

Grant Rates :

Residency Conditions:

Detention:

Appeal Decisions:

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Time Under Supervision

Convictions for Violent Offences While On Conditional Release

Outcome Rates for Conditional Release

Outcome Rates for Federal Conditional Release:

Outcome Rates for Provincial Parole:

Outcomes of Full Parole for Offenders Serving Indeterminate Sentences:

Post-Warrant Expiry Readmission on a Federal Sentence

INFORMATION AND SERVICE TO VICTIMS AND THE PUBLIC

CLEMENCY AND PARDONS

Pardon Program

Clemency Program