9 Conditions federal prisoners on parole and statutory release must abide by
- Kate Mitchell
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Prisoners released on parole or statutory release have to abide by certain conditions. Some conditions are imposed at the discretion of the Parole Board of Canada, but others are standard conditions imposed on all prisoners on parole and statutory release.
All federal prisoners on parole or statutory release must abide by the following standard conditions, unless varied:
- on release, travel directly to the offender’s place of residence, as set out in the release certificate respecting the offender, and report to the offender’s parole supervisor immediately and thereafter as instructed by the parole supervisor;
remain at all times in Canada within the territorial boundaries fixed by the parole supervisor;
obey the law and keep the peace;
inform the parole supervisor immediately on arrest or on being questioned by the police;
at all times carry the release certificate and the identity card provided by the releasing authority and produce them on request for identification to any peace officer or parole supervisor;
report to the police if and as instructed by the parole supervisor;
advise the parole supervisor of the offender’s address of residence on release and thereafter report immediately
(i) any change in the offender’s address of residence,
(ii) any change in the offender’s normal occupation, including employment, vocational or educational training and volunteer work,
(iii) any change in the domestic or financial situation of the offender and, on request of the parole supervisor, any change that the offender has knowledge of in the family situation of the offender, and
(iv) any change that may reasonably be expected to affect the offender’s ability to comply with the conditions of parole or statutory release;
not own, possess or have the control of any weapon, as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code, except as authorized by the parole supervisor; and
in respect of an offender released on day parole, on completion of the day parole, return to the penitentiary from which the offender was released on the date and at the time provided for in the release certificate.
Prisoners can request relief from these standard conditions. For example, a prisoner may wish to attend a family member’s funeral abroad, which would require varying the condition to remain in Canada at all times.
However, the Board’s policy is that it should not relieve a prisoner from the conditions to obey the law and keep the peace, report to their parole officer immediately and thereafter as instructed, and to report to their parole officer any change of address.
If a prisoner applies to have these conditions varied, a decision is to be made within 3 months from when the application is received.