NATIONAL PAROLE BOARD Performance Report

Performance Report

For the period ending March 31, 2003

Wayne Easter, P.C., M.P.
Solicitor General of Canada

Table of Contents

Section III: The Strategic Framework

1. The Environment

The Board works in a complex and challenging environment demanding effective support for government priorities, careful assessment of pressures within the justice system, thoughtful consideration of public issues and concerns, and ongoing pursuit of innovation and improvement to meet urgent resource challenges and emerging management initiatives.

External Factors

Government Priorities: Successive Speeches From The Throne, and major policy initiatives, have established a broad federal agenda to promote the health and well-being of Canadian communities, and strengthen the foundation for inclusion of all citizens.  Public safety is a key element of community well-being.

Consistent with efforts for public safety, the Government introduced the Effective Corrections initiative which is a broad strategy for enhancing the effectiveness of corrections and conditional release. Measures to address the unique needs and circumstances of Aboriginal offenders are a priority, as are measures to address the growing diversity within the federal offender population and the community.

Two initiatives are underway to support Effective Corrections. The first involves the development of the Conditional Release System (CRS), NPB's component of the Offender Management System, the information system shared by CSC and the Board for managing the delivery of federal corrections and conditional release. NPB received $4.6 million over four years for development of CRS.  Work on CRS also comprises an important aspect of the government`s Integrated Justice Information initiative.  The second is Citizen Engagement. Conditional release evokes strong public reaction and vigorous public debate. The Board is in the third year of a five year citizen engagement strategy designed to produce timely, relevant public information, meaningful, opportunities for public involvement in discussion of parole and public safety, and effective community partnerships for the safe reintegration of offenders.

The federal government has also made a strong commitment to good governance and quality service to clients through an aggressive service improvement initiative. Strategies for service improvement include "Government on Line" (GOL), a broad initiative to provide on-line access for Canadians to government information and service; and modern comptrollership to promote effectiveness and greater accountability in spending throughout government.

Legislative Review: The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights completed its report for the review of the CCRA in May 2000. The report entitled "The Corrections and Conditional Release Act - A Work in Progress", made numerous recommendations with important implications for corrections and conditional release in Canada. The government response endorsed most recommendations and called for concrete action to address the concerns of the Committee.  In June 2003, the government tabled Bill C-40 in the House, which represented the legislative response to the Standing Committee's work.  With CSC and the Department of the Solicitor General, the Board also made progress in areas which did not require legislative reform.  For example, important steps were taken to establish more inclusive processes for victims of crime.  Measures were introduced to allow victims to read statements at NPB hearings, and a small national office (CSC/NPB) was created to provide better coordination and response to victims' issues.  Continued support for directions set in the government response to the CCRA review will be an important priority for NPB.

In addition, the Board is working with the Department of the Solicitor General on a review of the Criminal Records Act which will examine the Act in the context of the purpose and value of a pardon, the quality of service provided for pardon applicants, and emerging trends for technological advancement, and integrated justice information.

Public Attitudes: Concerns for safety and security persist and have deepened amidst widespread reports of global terrorist threats.  There also appear to be heightened concerns about crime and violence, particularly violent reoffending by individuals in the community on various forms of conditional release.  These concerns are manifest in frequent calls for a comprehensive review of correctional law, policy and operations, and growing mistrust of corrections and paroling authorities.

Aboriginal People: There is growing recognition that the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the justice system has reached crisis proportions, and could worsen, as increasing numbers of Aboriginal youth approach the most crime prone years. There is also evidence of increased involvement of Aboriginal youth in gangs and gang-related activities. These trends could influence Aboriginal crime rates, and exacerbate Aboriginal over-representation in the justice system. Through a recent Speech From The Throne, the government recognized the seriousness of the situation and called federal departments and agencies to action to address this situation.

Internal Factors

Workload Pressures: The Board continues to experience heavy and complex workload demands. The increasingly violent offence profile of federal offenders, growing involvement with victims of crime, and heavy demands for conditional release reviews and pardons clearly demonstrate this trend. In addition, the Board must respond to numerous management improvement initiatives such as modern comptrollership, and more rigorous program evaluation. Collectively, these pressures create significant challenges for the Board, demanding careful review of priorities and resource allocation which supports effective contribution to public safety.

Information Management and Technology: Quality information is essential for quality decision-making in the areas of conditional release and pardons. Productive use of technology is critical for the collection and transfer of quality information. The Board faces the constant challenge of identifying the resources necessary to develop and refine essential information systems, and provide ongoing maintenance and support. New information initiatives such as the GOL and Integrated Justice Information create new demands.  In order to derive maximum benefits from technology, the Board has developed a comprehensive information technology strategy which will emphasize interoperability and long-term affordability.

Human Resource Management: More than 35% of NPB staff are 50 years or older, with the potential for significant numbers of departures over the next five years. Replacement of these employees will be difficult, given the Board's human resource environment. The classification levels in the Board are lower than the levels for similar positions in than many other organizations, and limited opportunities for career development and advancement. To add complexity to the human resource challenge, NPB is committed to having a work force profile which reflects Canadian diversity.

2. The Vision  (HL)*      

In the late 1990’s, the Board recognized the complex and dynamic nature of its environment, the challenging demands of its labour-intensive program responsibilities, and the need for continuous improvement in public safety and public service.  In this context, the Board developed its Vision For The Year 2000 And Beyond.  The Vision positions the Board to meet ongoing and emerging challenges. It sets strategic direction by describing the Board in an ideal state. The Vision sets a course for continuous improvement based on:

• a modern, relevant legislative framework;
• better risk assessment and better decision-making;
• more inclusive processes for victims or crime;
• more effective response to the needs of Aboriginal offenders and Aboriginal communities;
• greater understanding of, and response to Canadian diversity;
• more effective public information to build understanding of conditional release as a strategy for public safety;
• better partnership with the community to support effective conditional release;
• more timely and effective processing of pardon applications; and
• a resource strategy, including a technology strategy, which sustains effective operations and continuous improvement.

(HL)* denotes a hyperlink to NPB's web-site

3. Strategic Outcomes

The following chart presents the Board's strategic outcomes for 2002-03, the manner in which progress toward these outcomes is assessed, and expenditures associated with efforts to achieve these outcomes. 

Last Updated: 03/11/19

Important Notices