The association appreciates the opportunity to share knowledge and experience with the committee and speak on behalf of probation and parole officers in Ontario.
POAO would like to thank Mr. Jowhari for bringing the bill forward and to paraphrase Mr. Jowhari, while the bill is a small change to legislation, it may have considerable impact on our work and on some portions of the justice system. The bill is a necessary first step toward addressing the lack of resources and gaps in the system for clients with mental health needs.
As an association, we're committed to ongoing communication and consultation regarding this bill as the committee sees fit, in an effort to support this change to the Criminal Code. We are committed to supporting our membership and colleagues as one component of the criminal justice system and to continuing to do the best work possible through professional development and advocacy.
I have a couple of points to add. The pre-sentence report is generally when it's ordered at court, at least in Ontario. We're provided four to six weeks to complete the report. If they're asking us to get the mental health information, a four- to six-week window may not be enough, based on the hospital or doctors getting the records required. This may extend that for a six-week period.
The report itself takes about 10 to 15 hours to complete, at least in Ontario. That includes all the interviewing, gathering the records, and then the actual writing of the report. Depending on the office—some offices are very busy; there's a shortage of probation officers in the province. They are overburdened and with multiple reports on top of the other duties they are currently assigned, it's a difficult process.
On the last point, and you touched on it, there are cases in the province where information about mental health records is being suppressed. There's a fee for that, and it adds to the burden of budgets for these costs.
We'll turn it over to any questions.