NCJ Number
146823
Date Published
1992
Length
145 pages
Annotation
The value of temporary absences (TAs) -- brief, authorized absences from custody for offenders who are serving sentences of imprisonment -- had been questioned in Canada as a result of several high-profile failures of the program. As a result, a panel was created to report on the problem and provide recommendations to the the Solicitor General, the Commission of Corrections, and the National Parole Board.
Abstract
Following an introductory section, the report provides an historical summary of the use of TAs and outlines the current framework of law and process under which escorted and unescorted TAs can be granted to inmates. The observations and findings presented in this report focus on the success of TAs and the consequences of failure, how TAs are defined and how terminology will change under Bill C-36, how risk is managed in the decisionmaking process, and whether TAs have been adequately administered. A separate chapter discusses entitlement, that is, what types of offender should be eligible for, and receive, TAs. The panel addressed several issues: whether sex offenders should be disentitled to TAs, whether immigration status should affect entitlement, and whether serious or repeat offenders should be disentitled. Issues related to special categories of inmates, including aboriginals, inmates serving life sentences, and women, were also examined. The final section provided a detailed commentary on the impact Bill C-36 will have on TAs. 5 appendixes