NCJ Number
165055
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: September 1996 Pages: 19-21
Date Published
September 1996
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Correctional Service of Canada offers gradual release programs to facilitate the safe and effective reintegration of offenders into the community.
Abstract
Gradual release programs range from supervised temporary absences which last only a few hours to full parole and statutory release which allow offenders to serve a portion of their sentence in the community under supervision. In addition, offenders may be placed on day parole before full parole or statutory release to permit them to work and learn in the community while living at a halfway house or a correctional institution. The purpose of day parole is to prepare offenders for eventual full release on parole or statutory release, and success on day parole should indicate potential for success on full release. To assess day parole outcomes, data were collected on several factors associated with day parole success and failure as part of a 1992 review of the Correctional Service of Canada's day parole program. Follow-up data were then collected for offenders to determine whether day parole performance was associated with offender performance after full release. Approximately 80 percent of offenders released on day parole before their full parole eligibility date completed their day parole successfully. This figure dropped to 70 percent for offenders released on day parole after their full parole eligibility date. Most offenders released after their full parole eligibility posed a greater risk to the community, which partially accounted for their higher failure rate. About 45 percent of offenders were released on full parole after completing day parole, while another 19 percent reached their statutory release date during or immediately after completing day parole. About 6 percent of offenders were given at least one additional day parole before release on either full parole or statutory release. Most offenders who returned to custody after day parole remained incarcerated for more than 2 months. Offenders who were not successful on day parole were twice as likely to fail on full release due to technical violations and three times more likely to commit a new offense than offenders who completed day parole successfully. Only 3 percent of offenders who completed day parole successfully committed a violent offense before the end of their sentence, while about 8 percent of offenders who failed on day parole committed a violent offense later in their sentence. Motivation at the time of release on day parole was highly related to day parole success. The authors conclude that day parole provides an effective way of determining whether an offender's behavior has been affected by various types of programming and that day parole outcome is associated with offender outcomes after day parole. 8 notes and 4 tables