PBC QuickStats

Parole, Pardons and Clemency

(Note: Unless otherwise noted, the following statistics are for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.)

1. Approximate Number of Offenders under Federal Custody

Incarcerated - 14,419

(Incarcerated includes offenders serving federal sentences in penitentiaries and in provincial facilities, those housed as inmates in Community Correctional Centres (as distinguished from conditionally released offenders, and those temporarily absent from the institution on some form of temporary absence (Temporary Absence or Work Release).

Conditional Release - 8,737

(Conditional Release includes those federal offenders conditionally released on day parole, full parole and statutory release and those on long term supervision orders including those paroled for deportation and temporary detainees whether detained in a penitentiary or a provincial jail.)

2. Federal Conditional Release Population

  • Canada: 8,737
  • Atlantic region: 873
  • Quebec region: 2,250
  • Ontario region: 2,351
  • Prairies region: 1,939
  • Pacific region: 1,324

3. Number of Reviews

15, 595 (both pre- and post-release)

This number represents both federal level reviews (14,748) and provincial level reviews (847) where the PBC is responsible to hear provincial cases.

Note: A review could be by way of a file review in the office or by way of a panel hearing with the offender in the institution.

4. Number of Elder Assisted Hearings Conducted

The number of Elder Assisted Hearings: 470

Note: The purpose of Elder-Assisted Hearings is to create an environment that facilitates a culturally sensitive hearing process for Aboriginal offenders, and for non-Aboriginal offenders who are committed to an Aboriginal way of life.

5. Parole Grant Rate

Federal day parole: 64%

Federal full parole: 23%

6. Number of Appeal Decisions by the Appeals Division of the PBC

Federal cases: 571 decisions were rendered with the initial decision being affirmed in 91 percent

Provincial cases: 54 decisions were rendered with the initial decision being affirmed in 96 percent

7. Successful Completion Rates for Federal Conditional Release

Day parole: 88,4%

Full Parole: 78,8%

(Includes only those offenders serving determinate sentences as offenders serving indeterminate sentences can only successfully complete full parole by dying.)

Statutory Release: 62,2% (Note: SR is a release by law and is not a PBC decision)

Offenders released on statutory release were far more likely to have had their releases revoked because of a breach of condition than federal offenders on day parole or full parole during each of the last five years.

8. Number of PBC Contacts with Victims

In 2011-2012: 21,449

Last five years: 106,609

9. Number of Victim Statements Presented at Hearings

In 2011-2012: 223 presentations at 140 hearings.

Last five years: 1127 presentations at 655 hearings

10. Number of Observers at Hearings

In 2011-2012: 2,791

Last five years: 11,214

11. Number of Decisions Sent from the Decision Registry

In 2011-2012: 5,426

Last five years: 29,074

12. Number of Pardons Granted

In 2011-2012: 3,270 with a grant rate of 92%

Last five years: 103,969

On June 29, 2010, Bill 23A amended the Criminal Records Act by extending the ineligibility periods for certain applications for pardon. Additionally, the bill resulted in significant changes to program operations which increased application processing times.

On March 13, 2012, Bill C-10 amended the Criminal Records Act once again. It replaced the term pardon with record suspension and increased the waiting periods to five years for all summary convictions and to ten years for all indictable offences. It also identified those individuals who were ineligible for a record suspension.

Note: Since 1970, more than 450,000 Canadians have received pardons. 96 percent of these are still in force, indicating that the vast majority of pardon recipients remain crime-free in the community.

13. Number of Royal Prerogative of Mercy Granted

In 2011-2012: 32 requests received, 2 granted.