Evidence of meeting #4 for Public Safety and National Security in the 43rd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was offenders.
A video is available from Parliament.
Commissioner, Correctional Service of Canada
The direct supervision was done by a clinical worker at one of the CRCs. The way it works is that the clinical worker works with a liaison officer, who is a parole officer, from CSC, as well as a parole supervisor from CSC.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
However, the parole supervisor and the liaison wouldn't be the ones providing direct face-to-face supervision of this individual.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
So there's a third party that does this, not the parole officer.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
This is contrary to your evidence, by the way, which says that when they are in the community, “the community supervision is carried out by community parole officers who monitor the offender's behaviour and compliance with release conditions”. That's not the case in this particular situation, is it?
Commissioner, Correctional Service of Canada
Although.... Again, they work very closely with—
NDP
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
You have community parole officers. You mentioned their role here and how they operate. They are the ones who are assigned the task of....
I think it's in the notes provided by the Library of Parliament that it's suggested their role is very specific, that they are the ones who conduct the risk assessments. They are the ones who report back the response for monitoring, supporting and managing offenders in the community. They connect officers with programs and services to help them safely integrate, and they make recommendations of special conditions. They meet their clients in the community at an offenders' home, a residential facility or a CCC.
However, in this case, that's not done by CSC parole officers at all, is it?
Commissioner, Correctional Service of Canada
It's done by the clinical worker at the community residential facility, but there are ongoing case conferences with the parole officer from CSC. Mr. Tousignant worked in the Quebec region, so he can probably add to what I'm saying.
NDP
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
No. Can I ask you this, though? This is very important because you're talking about a community correctional facility, so this is not operated by the Correctional Service of Canada. This is privately operated by a third party, correct? Also, this is an offender who is still serving a sentence, and the community parole officers employed by CSC, the ones who are trained in this work, are not dealing directly face to face with people like Mr. Gallese, despite the high risk to reoffend that's evident from what happened on January 22. Is that correct?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John McKay
Again, Mr. Harris has asked an important question. Unfortunately, he's left you no time to answer it. I'm sure we'll have some time to circle back in on the answer.
With that, Mr. Morrison, you have five minutes.
Conservative
Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The Parole Board members wrote in their decision of September 19 on the Gallese file, which I will quote, that the “commission extends day parole for a period of six months since the board is of the opinion that recidivism before the statutory expiration of your sentence will not present an unacceptable risk to society and this release will contribute to its protection....”
This question is for the Parole Board chairperson.
Do you find it worrisome that a board member would write that a repeat offence before the statutory expiration of the Gallese sentence will not represent an unacceptable risk to society?
Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada
No, I don't, because it's actually in the law, section 102. There are two elements in terms of how board members are going to make their decision. One is the offender will not, by reoffending, present an undue risk to society. That's where that comes in, and that reflects the law.
Conservative
Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Would you say an experienced board member would make the same decision?
Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada
I will not go there. Each board member's decisions are independent, so the question is actually quite irrelevant.
Conservative
Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Well, there were some board members who spoke to the media who said they wouldn't have done that. That's why I asked that question.
Conservative
Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
The daily newspaper La Presse reported that the two board members adjourned for a few moments during the September 19 hearing when they learned that Gallese was meeting women. They went to ask for an opinion of a supervisor, the interim vice-chair, Francine Cantin.
Does that indicate maybe there's a lack of experience?
Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada
Absolutely not. We actually encourage our board members—and it's not an unusual happening—to have an adjournment, to take a break to ask questions of policy. There might be a question of law they want to consider. They can reach out to their own staff in their regions. From time to time, they'll reach out to our legal staff at the national office to get a clarification. It's not unusual at all. We encourage them before they make a decision, if they need to adjourn to get a second opinion on a policy or law, to do that.
Conservative
Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Here's another question on that. Why did neither of the board members or the acting vice-chair realize that Gallese had repeatedly violated the Criminal Code of Canada by purchasing sexual services? They could have at least suspended day parole, correct?
Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada
Yes, they have a number of options in terms of their decision-making.
Conservative
Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
This is a little bit of a different question. On what date did CSC inform the Parole Board for the first time of the existence of a strategy allowing Gallese to have sexual intercourse with women?
Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada
I do not have an exact date, other than I'm quite certain that it was presented as part of the release plan at his hearing on September 19.