NCJ Number
211295
Date Published
2002
Length
42 pages
Annotation
This information guide for crime victims in Canada provides information on Federal corrections and conditional release procedures, explains ways in which crime victims can obtain specific information about offenders, and describes how crime victims may provide input for decisions made by the Correctional Service of Canada and the National Parole Board.
Abstract
Canada's Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) allows victims to obtain certain information on offenders that would usually be kept confidential under the Privacy Act. The CCRA contains definitions of persons who may be given this information. For the purposes of CCRA provisions, a "crime victim" is defined as "someone to whom harm was done or who suffered physical or emotional damage as the result of an offense." Victims may authorize someone to act for them. This booklet provides information for crime victims who have been harmed by an offender who has received a sentence of 2 years or more or who is under the jurisdiction of the Correctional Service of Canada or the National Parole Board. One section of the report outlines victims' rights. In addition to the disclosure of offender information, victims have the right to provide information to appropriate authorities relevant to their cases, attend National Parole Board hearings, present an oral statement at such hearings, obtain a copy of the Parole Board decision, to not be contacted by inmates, and to request victim-offender mediation/dialog. The guide also provides information on the implementation of an offender's sentence from the time of sentencing to the completion of the sentence. One section focuses on aspects of community corrections, followed by a list of contacts for obtaining additional information and appended proposed changes relating to victims.