The new information that will be provided with the legislation will trigger a review by the board, as is currently the case when any new information regarding an offender is provided to the Parole Board of Canada prior to an offender's release, which we obtain from CSC. The board would assess whether the criteria for granting parole is met.
We make in the area of 27,000 decisions; approximately 85 board members make about 27,000 decisions every year, reviewing about 19,672 cases.
In addition to that, the use of the special condition to abstain from drugs and alcohol was used in 2013-14 on 15,683 occasions, which again ties in with the large number of offenders in the institutions who have come into the institutions, or had a drug or alcohol criminogenic factor in committing criminal offences prior to being institutionalized, prior to being convicted.
I think it is important legislation. It touches on the majority of offenders, as the minister mentioned, 75% in the institutions. As we move forward, the opportunities for rehabilitation are in the institutions.
They're also noted in the correctional plan, which the offenders are responsible for working with CSC in developing, to prepare themselves for their release back into the community. As they prepare to come before the Parole Board, they're preparing themselves. We take note of all the programming that they've taken in the institution, which would include alcohol and drug prevention programs, in preparing themselves. Obviously, if they haven't, if they've tested positive, those are taken into consideration.