Deck 12: Release and Reentry

Question 1

Parole is most accurately viewed as an event rather than as a process.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Day parole is only available to federal inmates.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Statistics indicate that the numbers of inmates released on provincial parole and federal parole have been declining in recent years.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Federal offenders are more likely than provincial/territorial offenders to apply for conditional release.

Question 5

Parole is a statutory right.

Question 6

The process of determining inmate parole eligibility is predictive and future-based.

Question 7

Statutory release is a decision made by the Parole Board of Canada.

Question 8

All federal inmates are eligible to apply for full parole after serving one-third of their sentence.

Question 9

Most federal inmates are automatically released on statutory release after serving two-thirds of their sentence if they have not already been released on parole.

Question 10

All offenders serving a life sentence must serve 25 years in custody before being eligible to apply for parole.

Question 11

A life sentence means that the offender will spend the rest of his or her life in prison.

Question 12

In Canada, victims are not allowed to attend parole hearings in any of the provinces.

Question 13

Parole board members are not required to have special training in law, criminology, psychology, or corrections.

Question 14

The Corrections and Conditional Release Act sets out very specific criteria to be followed by parole boards in determining whether an inmate should be released from custody.

Question 15

The grant rates for federal parole in Canada have increased by nearly 20 percent since 2007.

Question 16

Maximum-security inmates are not eligible for unescorted temporary absences.

Question 17

The pains of reentry are most likely to be felt most acutely by offenders who have been incarcerated for lengthy periods of time.

Question 18

The majority of provincial/territorial and federal offenders released on parole successfully complete day parole and full parole.

Question 19

Parole board members are limited in the types of questions they can pose to parolees.

Question 20

Key components of the release plan are the community assessment, evaluating the feasibility of the release plan, the level of supervision required, and the availability of community resources.

Question 21

When does the parole process begin?

A) at sentencing
B) while the inmate is confined
C) at the parole hearing
D) when the inmate is released on parole

Question 22

Which one of the following document types, prepared by a probation officer or parole officer, evaluates the feasibility of the inmate's proposed release plan?

A) release plan
B) community assessment
C) biographical report
D) criminal history report

Question 23

Which statement is MOST accurate regarding statutory release?

A) It is a form of conditional release granted by the Parole Board of Canada.
B) It is granted only to those federal inmates serving life sentences.
C) It is no longer used by the Parole Board of Canada.
D) It is granted by the Correctional Service of Canada.

Question 24

Tyson is an inmate who has elected not to apply for parole while serving his institutional sentence. He is released without parole supervision at the end of his sentence. What form of release is this?

A) cold turkey release
B) one-chance statutory release
C) conditional release
D) statutory release

Question 25

Which statement is MOST accurate regarding day parole?

A) It is available only for inmates in federal prisons.
B) It is granted by the parole board.
C) It can be applied for after inmates have served one-eighth of their sentence.
D) It is granted by the institution.

Question 26

In which Canadian provinces do provincial parole boards operate?

A) British Columbia and Ontario
B) Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta
C) Ontario and Quebec
D) Quebec and Alberta

Question 27

Lena is an inmate who has decided not to apply for parole while serving her institutional sentence. She is released without parole supervision at the end of her sentence. What is this release date called?

A) the statutory release date
B) the sentence expiry date
C) maximum time served
D) the warrant expiry date

Question 28

Bernie is an inmate who has served two-thirds of his custodial sentence. The parole board denies Bernie's release and detains him in the institution until the end of his sentence. What is this decision called?

A) detention during the period of statutory release
B) discretionary detention
C) transitory detention
D) detention following warrant expiry

Question 29

Claire is an inmate who has been granted a release to attend a family member's funeral. She will be accompanied by several family members and will return to the institution after the funeral. What form of release is this?

A) day parole
B) one-chance statutory release
C) unescorted temporary absence
D) escorted temporary absence

Question 30

Which statement is MOST accurate regarding the release of inmates who are designated by the sentencing judge as "long-term offenders"?

A) They are not eligible for parole for 25 years.
B) They can be placed under supervision for up to 10 years at their warrant expiry date.
C) They are not eligible for parole for 15 years.
D) They are eligible for parole after serving two-thirds of their sentence.

Question 31

After serving one-sixth of her sentence Carol has been granted the opportunity to leave the institution to obtain and maintain employment. She will be required to spend nights and non-working hours in a community residential facility outside of the prison. What type of release is this?

A) unescorted temporary absence
B) escorted temporary absence
C) one-chance statutory release
D) day parole

Question 32

Crime victims have certain rights in relation to conditional release. Which of the following are included in these rights?

A) the right to upon their request be advised of their offender's parole eligibility dates, parole board decisions about the offender, and release status
B) the right to attend parole hearings and make oral statements
C) the right to appeal the decision made by the parole board
D) the right to view and approve or disapprove the offender's release plan

Question 33

Which statement best describes the members of the Parole Board of Canada?

A) They are selected from a pool of candidates nominated by provincial corrections authorities.
B) They must have a university degree and have experience working in the criminal justice system.
C) They do not need to have previous experience working in the criminal justice system.
D) They are often psychologists.

Question 34

Which statement is MOST accurate regarding the decision making of members of the Parole Board of Canada?

A) They must follow very specific decision making guidelines set out in the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.
B) They are not required to follow any specific guidelines or use any specific criteria in determining whether an inmate should be released.
C) They are required to take into account the findings of risk assessments that have been completed on the inmate applicant.
D) They use a statistical scoring scale to determine whether an inmate should be released.

Question 35

Which statement is MOST accurate regarding the decisions of parole boards?

A) They generally receive feedback on the ultimate outcomes of their decisions.
B) They are not provided with any training, resulting in disparities in parole decisions.
C) They cannot exercise discretion because of the specific guidelines in place for parole board decision making.
D) They do not receive feedback on the ultimate outcomes of their decisions.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT a frequently mentioned problem facing offenders upon reentry, as found in a survey of federal and provincial correctional personnel?

A) an inability to apply for jobs online
B) a lack of education
C) a lack of job skills
D) the absence of family support

Question 37

What do statistics indicate regarding parole in Canada?

A) The majority of federal offenders do not successfully complete full parole.
B) The majority of provincial/territorial offenders successfully complete day parole and full parole.
C) Most failures on full parole are for new offences.
D) Most failures on day parole are for new offences.

Question 38

After serving one-third of his sentence in prison, Nelson has been permitted to serve the remainder of his sentence in the community. He will be supervised and expected to abide by conditions. What form of release is this?

A) day parole
B) full parole
C) statutory release
D) cold turkey release

Question 39

Which statement is MOST accurate regarding the practice of community notification?

A) It is used only in the U.S.
B) It is prohibited by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
C) It is used primarily for sex offenders.
D) It is used primarily for Aboriginal offenders.

Question 40

Norman has recently been released on parole. His parole certificate indicates that he must obey the law, keep the peace, and be on good behaviour. What type of conditions are these?

A) legislative conditions
B) quality-of-life conditions
C) additional conditions
D) mandatory conditions

Question 41

Emma has recently been released on parole. Her parole certificate indicates that she must abstain from alcohol and drug use. What type of condition is this?

A) an additional condition
B) a legislative condition
C) a mandatory condition
D) a quality-of-life condition

Question 42

Garrett has been released on parole and is having trouble adjusting to the pace of life outside of the institution. He has very little family support and feels socially isolated. What is Garrett experiencing?

A) the pains of society
B) the pains of reentry
C) the pains of prisonization
D) the pains of institutionalization

Question 43

Melinda has recently been released from an institution after serving a lengthy sentence. Since release she has been suffering from severe anxiety and bouts of depression, which has made it very difficult for her to adjust to life in the community. What is Melinda experiencing?

A) institutionalization
B) prisonization
C) post-traumatic stress disorder
D) post-incarceration syndrome

Question 44

Dylan has recently been released from an institution after serving two-thirds of his sentence. He has a history of violence and has been in and out of institutions since age 15. He is at high risk of re-offence. Which program is Dylan a good candidate for?

A) one-chance statutory release
B) intermittent supervision
C) intensive supervision
D) accountability release

Question 45

Identify and discuss the two most important principles of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act that parole boards are to follow in making conditional release decisions.

Question 46

A current trend in parole board appointments is the appointment of retired police officers to the Parole Board of Canada. What are some potential strengths associated with this decision? What are some concerns that have been raised about this trend?

Question 47

Is day parole an effective conditional release option? Why or why not? What are the success rates for provincial/territorial and federal day parole in Canada?

Question 48

What are the most frequent problems raised by offenders facing reentry to the community?

Question 49

Identify and discuss the most commonly voiced criticisms of parole board decision making.

Question 50

What are the "pains of reentry" and why is this concept important in the study of corrections and conditional release?

Question 51

What are the specific challenges for women who are released on parole?

Question 52

What is meant by the "dual role" of parole officers?

Question 53

Note the points and counterpoints that are often raised with respect to the practice of community notification.

Question 54

What is "cold turkey release" and why is it important to our study of release from prison?

Question 55

Griffiths argues that declines in parole grant rates may be, in part, due to a shift toward a punitive penology. Why is this shift occurring? What does this mean for the future of parole in Canada?

Question 56

What are your views on victims appearing before the parole board when their perpetrator is being considered for conditional release? Do you agree that crime victims should a) be allowed to attend parole hearings; b) submit written or videotaped statements to the board; and/or c) speak to the board during the hearing? In your view, is there any potential for using restorative justice approaches in parole hearings?

Question 57

What suggestions do you have as to how the criticisms that are directed toward parole board decision making can be addressed? Should, for example, parole board members be required to have experience in the criminal justice or social service system and in working with specialized populations?

Question 58

What were your impressions of the description of the parole hearings in the Ontario region presented in Box 11.3? Critique the process as described and offer suggestions for how the parole hearing process could be improved.

Question 59

Currently, parole board members are required to follow only very general guidelines in determining whether an inmate should be released from confinement. Do you feel that specific criteria should be developed that parole board members must consider in making conditional release decisions? Some U.S. state parole boards are required by law to use statistical assessment models that indicate whether the offender is likely to reoffend and to base their decision on the results of a statistical analysis. In your view, what are the positive features, and drawbacks, of such models?

Question 60

One of the critiques of parole board decision making is that boards may be subject to political and public influence. What does this mean? Why might this be problematic? How might the system adequately address this critique?

Question 61

Griffiths stresses that the term "reintegration" should not be used too literally. Why not? Which aspects of reintegration contribute to this concern?

Question 62

Consider the issues surrounding the use of community notification. Would you support putting the names and detailed information on serious offences, including sex offenders, on the Internet? Why or why not?

Question 63

Discuss the effectiveness of conditional release based on statistics found in the textbook. Discuss the impact of negative stories, such as the Clinton Suzack case, on the public's perception of the effectiveness of conditional release. What do you suggest criminal justice personnel do to correct public misperceptions about the success and failure of offenders on conditional release?

Question 64

Identify and discuss the unique challenges the following offender groups face on conditional release: mentally disordered offenders and sex offenders. Brainstorm programming ideas to address the unique challenges these special offender groups face on conditional release. Additionally, consider the challenges of implementing such initiatives, considering criminal justice system support and public support.