ARCHIVED - RPP 2007-2008
National Parole Board

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Section III - Supplementary Information

.1 Organizational Information

The National Parole Board is an agency within the Portfolio of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. The Board works in partnership with Portfolio agencies in pursuit of priorities such as safer communities, but NPB is unique in many ways. It is an independent administrative tribunal responsible for conditional release decisions for federal offenders and for provincial offenders in provinces and territories without their own parole boards, and for pardon decisions and clemency recommendations. Board members work within a legislative framework involving the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Criminal Records Act, and related policies, but are independent in their decision-making responsibilities.

Structure for Program Delivery

The Board carries-out its work through six offices across the country, and a national office in Ottawa. The national office makes clemency recommendations and pardon decisions and develops related policies. It is also responsible for a range of activities related to conditional release, including: investigations of tragic incidents in the community; appeal decisions; and coordination of Board member training. As well, the national office provides leadership and coordination for corporate management activities such as strategic and operational planning, resource management, communications, performance reporting, human resource services, security, and information management.
Conditional release decisions are made by Board members in the regions (except appeal decisions). Board members are supported by staff who schedule hearings, provide access to information for decision-making, ensure sharing of information with the offender, provide policy advice, and communicate conditional release decisions to the offender, CSC representatives, and others as required. Regional staff also provide information for victims, make arrangements for observers at NPB hearings, and manage requests for access to the Board's decision registry.

Program Accountability

* The Chairperson and the Executive Vice-Chairperson work as a team, sharing roles and responsibilities.
The Executive Vice-Chairperson has been shown separately in this chart to illustrate management responsibility
for pardons and clemency.

.2 Departmental Links to the Government of Canada Outcomes

2007-08
	Budgetary Operating	Total Main Estimates	Adjustments (planned spending not in Main Estimates)	Total Planned Spending
Strategic Outcome: Conditional release decisions which contribute to public protection through safe reintegration of offenders into the community.
Program Activity: conditional release decisions	33,314	33,314	1,171	34,485
Strategic Outcome: Open and accountable conditional release processes that ensure active involvement and engagement of victims of crime and the public before and after conditional release decisions are made.
Program Activity: conditional release openness and accountability	7,954	7,954	963	8,917
Strategic Outcome: Pardon decisions and clemency recommendations which contribute to public protection and support the process of rehabilitation.
Program Activity: pardon decisions/clemency recommendations	1,931	1,931	14	1,945

All NPB program activities contribute to the achievement of the Government of Canada's "Safe and Secure Communities" outcome area.

Table 1: Departmental Planned Spending and Full Time Equivalents 

($ thousands)	Forecast Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009	Planned Spending 2009-2010
Conditional Release Decisions	33,131	33,314	33,314	33,314
Conditional Release Openness and Accountability	7,669	7,954	7,954	7,954
Pardon Decisions/Clemency Recommendations	2,257	1,931	1,931	1,931
Total Main Estimates	43,057	43,199	43,199	43,199
Adjustments:
Supplementary Estimates
Operating budget carry forward	1,300	-	-	-
Funding related to the transfer of responsibility for parole administration from the Province of British Columbia to the federal government	627	1,697	1,767	1,677
Incremental funding for the processing of pardon applications	410	-	-	-
Transfer from Correctional Service - For the transfer of an administrative support position	47	-	-	-
Budget 2006 Announcement
Funding for the new federal victims strategy to give victims of crime a more effective voice in federal corrections and justice system and greater access to services	-	450	440	440
Other
TB vote 15 - Compensation for Collective bargaining	464	-	-	-
Expenditure Review Exercise - Procurement Savings	(50)	-	-	-
Total Adjustments	2,798	2,147	2,207	2,107
Total Planned Spending	45,855	45,346	45,406	45,306
Less: Non respendable revenue	700	700	700	700
Plus: Cost of services received without charge	5,603	5,603	5,603	5,603
Total Departmental Spending	50,758	50,249	50,309	50,209
Full-time Equivalents	424	478	478	478

Table 2: Voted and Statutory Items listed in Main Estimates

($ thousands)

Vote or Statutory Item	Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording	2007-2008 Main Estimates	2006-2007 Main Estimates
50	Operating expenditures	37,884	37,660
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	5,315	5,397
	Total Department	43,199	43,057

Table 3: Services Received Without Charge

($ thousands)	2007-2008
Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada	2,734
Contributions covering employers' share of employees' insurance premiums and expenditures paid by Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (excluding revolving funds). Employer's contribution to employees' insured benefits plans and associated expenditures paid by TBS	2,089
Salary and associated expenditures of legal services provided by the Department of Justice Canada	778
Worker's Compensation coverage provided by Social Development Canada	2
Total 2007-2008 Services received without charge	5,603

Table 4: Non-Respendable Revenue

($ thousands)	Forecast Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009	Planned Spending 2009-2010
Pardon Decisions/Clemency Recommendations
Pardon user fees	700	700	700	700
Total Non-respendable Revenue	700	700	700	700

Table 5: Upcoming Internal Audits and Evaluations

Subject	Status	Expected Completion Date	Electronic Link to Report
Evaluation of NPB initiatives related to the unique needs and circumstances of Aboriginal offenders, women offenders and ethno-cultural groups of offenders in the context of conditional release	Planned	March 31, 2009	will be provided when available
Evaluation of NPB's Board member training program	Planned	March 31, 2009	will be provided when available
Evaluation of initiatives related to outreach to Aboriginal communities	Planned	March 31, 2009	will be provided when available
Evaluation of the impacts and effects of the strategic framework for citizen engagement, including expansion of the framework for citizen engagement to include rural, Aboriginal and culturally diverse communities	Planned	March 31, 2009	will be provided when available
Audit of NPB practices with respect to procurement and contracts	Planned	March 31, 2009	will be provided when available

Table 6: Horizontal Initiatives

The National Parole Board is involved as a partner in the ongoing implementation of Firearms legislation.

Introduction of the Firearms legislation and related changes to the Criminal Code created longer sentences for offences involving the use of a firearm or an imitation firearm. Longer sentences generate the need for more conditional release reviews which, in turn, increase NPB's program delivery costs (salary and non-salary).

As a result, the Board received a permanent increase to its funding base. The increase was incremental, rising from $437,000 in 1999-2000 to $858,000 per year in 2004-2005 and future years, consistent with projected workload growth. Workload data indicate that the Board now carries-out 1,800 to 2,000 reviews annually for offenders with firearms convictions. The estimated total cost for these reviews is $1.6 million, of which $858,000 is covered by funding provided specifically as a result of changes in Firearms legislation.

 

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