ARCHIVED - Government of Canada’s Abolition of Early Parole Act receives Royal Assent
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Today, the Government of Canada announced that legislation to abolish Accelerated Parole Review has received Royal Assent.
This legislation, the Abolition of Early Parole Act (Bill C-59), abolishes the current system of Accelerated Parole Review, which allows those convicted of non-violent offences to obtain day parole after serving one-sixth of their sentence and full parole after serving one-third.
In December 2007, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) Independent Review Panel released its final report outlining recommendations for the Government of Canada. The panel was assigned the task of completing a review of CSC’s operational priorities, strategies, and business plans.
Today’s announcement will move Canada one step closer to a system of earned parole.
Under the current system, Accelerated Parole Review allows first time, non-violent offenders to access day parole at one-sixth of their sentence and full parole at one-third of their sentence if the Parole Board of Canada is satisfied that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the offender, if released, is likely to commit an offence involving violence before the expiration of their sentence.
This legislation will come into force on a date to be set by the Governor in Council.
This government continues to demonstrate its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities.
For more information on the legislation, visit www.parl.gc.ca.
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