Public Accounts Committee on April 29th, 2015

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Mr. Woodworth, go ahead, sir.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to go back to paragraph 6.24 in chapter 6 again and the statement that “new admissions into federal custody have not increased”. Can you tell me over what time period that observation was made?

[Frank Barrett]

Yes, Mr. Chair, I would be happy to answer that question. It was between 2010-11 and 2013-14.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you very much.

I understand from paragraph 6.46 that about 7% more medium- and high-risk offenders have been referred to corrections programs since the department updated them. Is that correct?

[Frank Barrett]

Sorry, could you repeat the question?

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Yes. I'm looking at a statement here in paragraph 6.46 that there's been an increase of 7 percentage points from the 2011-12 fiscal year. It looks to me like that's referring to the number of medium- and high-risk offenders who have been referred to correctional programs. That's increased by 7% since 2013-14. Is that correct?

[Frank Barrett]

That's correct.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Okay, good, and in fact that paragraph confirms that 90% of medium- and high-risk offenders have been referred to a correctional program in the most recent year, correct?

[Frank Barrett]

Correct.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

I also understand that there were some programs in specific regions where correctional programs were updated and, where those were delivered, 23% more offenders completed their correctional programs before their full parole eligibility date. That's in paragraph 6.47. Is that all correct?

[Frank Barrett]

Yes, that's all correct, with a plan to roll it out to other regions as well.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

I have one other statistic I just want ask about if I can find it in the short time I've left here.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

You actually have no time left, sorry. If you had kept on going, you would have gotten it on the floor, but as it is, I'm afraid you are done.

That concludes the formal rotation as we have it, colleagues.

I see Mr. Allen seeking the floor.

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Before you wish our guests a good day and thank them very much, which I'm sure you're going to do, looking at the clock and the votes being at 5:37 now, I hear, rather than at 5:15 as my whip's desk originally said, hopefully there'll be some time after we have wished our guests well to maybe sit down and think about what we intend to do over the next week or two. Maybe we can work something out that will meet with my colleagues' approval.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Excellent. Thank you for reminding me, yes.

I will, of course, thank our guests very much for being here.

Mr. Auditor General, you know how much we appreciate the work that you do, and it's reflected in the opening comments of virtually every member, because the work you do is so important to the people of Canada and to our Parliament. We very much thank you and your staff for the work that you do, for this report, and for being here today. So with that, you are free to leave with our thanks.

[Michael Ferguson]

Thank you.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Colleagues, I had mentioned at the end of our last meeting that, if we could, we were looking for a date.

Mr. Albas.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

If we're going to be discussing planning, we usually do that in camera.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

I just need a date, a chapter for the 4th, but if you want to go in camera, we can.

I need a motion.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

I so move.

[The Chair, NDP, David Christopherson]

Moved by Mr. Albas that we go in camera.

(Motion agreed to)

[Proceedings continue in camera]