Public Safety committee  Yes, most definitely. As the committee is probably aware, we increased the rate of urinalysis testing among the incarcerated inmate population, and we've started to see a decrease in the positive tests. Now, we still do have positive results, which are of concern to us. Our goal

Public Safety committee  There is a bit of a change. Some of the harder core drugs that we saw earlier have diminished because it's a little harder to get those in. So, as far as I'm concerned, any drug in an institution is dangerous, but some of the more significantly serious drugs have started to decli

Public Safety committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. The $119 million that the minister mentioned earlier is a result of the amount of moneys that were placed in the fiscal framework for us based on the earlier forecasts that were done back in 2008. When we started to review those forecasts, we found that the

Public Safety committee  I think the short answer is the Parole Board's position is that if they have no authority any more, they don't want to be inundated with any additional information. That is the short answer.

Public Safety committee  That's right. Almost half the individuals, particularly those who have been convicted of first- and second-degree murder, have better records in avoiding readmission, if they have completed the successful ETA as part of their gradual release plan.

Public Safety committee  If you were to define the system in very simplistic terms, a period of incarceration, whatever length that would be, followed by some escorted temporary absences, maybe even using unescorted temporary absences as a part of the regime, leading to less structured direct supervision

Public Safety committee  Most of the personal development temporary absences are in relation to individuals attending various community-based programs, AA groups, NA groups. They are activities of that nature meant to help the offender establish some community-based contacts that will eventually assist w

Public Safety committee  Yes. There is no question in terms of the bill here. As I said, we have no issue in terms of where the decision ends up being, but there are some gaps. Work releases are one of them. What will happen with the bill being passed the way it stands right now is my wardens will still

Public Safety committee  Only from the perspective of rather than the parole officers presenting to the warden through the case management team; in those cases that would be going through a board review, a panel review by the PBC, they would have to present there, which takes a little more time than a no

Public Safety committee  I'm not sure that the debate, from my perspective anyway, is around whether public safety is enhanced or not. As I say, the success rates for both the PBC decisions and ours are almost identical. The challenge that you have is how do you want those systems being managed in a more

Public Safety committee  Thank you for the question. It really is a historical issue, one that predates the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and goes back to the old penitentiary and parole acts when they were in place. There's nothing magical about three years. I think, as was pointed out by t

Public Safety committee  Yes. Very simply, the difference between parole and a temporary absence is just in the nature of the name. A temporary absence is meant for very short periods of time. Parole is meant for an individual going out into the community with some very specified conditions, with the und

Public Safety committee  Yes. Many times we'll get day parole decisions from the Parole Board whereby they'll deny day parole for an individual, with the understanding that we would use the temporary absence regime to test the offender so they in turn can make a subsequent decision about parole the next

Public Safety committee  The supervision for an escorted temporary absence is constant. If you're using it in comparison to parole—

Public Safety committee  Or day parole. Day parole has an individual usually staying at a halfway house or one of our community correctional centres, so there's more engagement with staff. If we're talking about full parole, the individual is out in the community. They would have a designated schedule of