Thank you very much, Mr. Richards and Mr. Chair.
The Parole Board of Canada has done additional work these last years in relation to ensuring there is a balance between offenders' rights and victims' rights. We work looking closely at what other agencies are doing, both nationally and internationally, throughout Europe, the United States, Australia, New Zealand. We work closely with our partners regarding parole, regarding other work they're doing with victims. We want to, again, be leaders internationally in relation to ensuring the protection of Canadians and society, but as well, ensuring that victims are provided with the services they require and the services they need, ensuring, again, that there is a balance under law in relation to an offender's rights in an institution and the victim's rights to attend a hearing and/or provide information.
In doing the research behind this and preparing for this presentation, I noted that at present there are 1,782 offenders serving an indeterminate or life sentence and there are 4,062 victims registered with the board for those lifers. Our total number of registered victims at the board is 7,585. It shows you that two-thirds of the victims registered with the Parole Board of Canada are for 1,782 offenders, when we have 15,000 offenders in institutions across the country and another 8,000 offenders on conditional release in the community.