Canada Reviews Early-Release System
OTTAWA — The Correctional Service of Canada prison review panel recommended scrapping the system that grants virtually automatic release to federal inmates who have served two-thirds of their sentences.
The five-member panel headed by former Ontario cabinet minister Rob Sampson recommended replacing statutory release with a system that puts the onus on prisoners to earn their release and show why they warrant a return to society. The panel, which was commissioned by the Canadian government, also recommended a multimillion-dollar funding increase for the federal prison system.
Under the current law, federal prisoners that are not serving life or indeterminate sentences are considered for release once they have served two-thirds of their sentence. Prisoners who do not qualify for statutory release are required to serve the remainder of their sentence under supervision in community settings.
Early release can be denied if a correctional board hearing determines that a prisoner is a threat to society and likely to commit more serious crimes.
However, a study released earlier this year by the Correctional Service of Canada questioned the wisdom of tightening early-release practices.
The study reported that the majority of federal offenders granted early release between 2004 and 2005 posed little risk and caused few problems. Only 3 percent of early release offenders were returned to prison for committing a violent offense, according to the study.
In other news, Canada’s prison system requires a significant increase in funding to address fundamental problems that are contributing to increasing rates of violence within the system and recidivism among offenders, according to an annual report by the federal correctional investigator.
Despite an annual budget of $2 billion, too few prisoners have access to the rehabilitation and education programs necessary to reintegrate into society, according to the report, which identifies barriers to improved corrections performance and enhanced public safety.
The report calls for a comprehensive expansion of educational, training and treatment programs to enhance rehabilitation, facilitate re-entry, and reduce recidivism among federal offenders.
The CSC operates 58 facilities, housing approximately 12,700 prisoners, throughout Canada. An additional 8,400 offenders are currently serving the remainder of their sentences under supervision in the community, according to the CSC.
The federal prison system is housing more prisoners with histories of excessive violence, gang affiliations, infectious diseases, and mental health problems, and CSC staff lack the adequate training to deal with the evolving and more challenging prison population, according to the report.
Staff also lack the necessary training and cultural sensitivity to serve the increasing aboriginal prison population, according to the report. Aboriginal groups account for approximately 19 percent of the federal prison population despite representing only 3 percent of Canada’s population.
Aboriginal offenders are more likely to serve longer sentences, to be placed in segregation and to be housed in maximum-security units, according to the report.
The report calls for the government to implement a comprehensive strategy to address aboriginal issues, treatment and rehabilitation within the criminal justice system.