Previous Headline
July 2009
Supervised releases
The inmate detained in a penitentiary
- The inmate may ask for permission to be released without supervision for a given amount of time after having served 1/6 of his sentence. He must have passed at least 6 months behind bars. For example, the inmate may wish to accomplish some volunteer work or visit a family member.
- The inmate may ask for "day parole":
- 6 months or less before being eligible for "full parole"; or
- After serving 1/6 of his sentence if he was convicted of a non-violent crime and it is his first time in a penitentiary.
In both cases, the inmate must have served at least 6 months of imprisonment. “Day parole” allows the inmate to leave the penitentiary during the daytime but obliges him to return every night to his cell or halfway house.
- Normally, an inmate can ask for “full parole” after serving 1/3 of his sentence. It is also possible to make this request after 7 years of imprisonment. In some cases, such as when an inmate is convicted of murder, the waiting period to make this type of request is longer.
- After serving 2/3 of his sentence, an inmate is admitted to "statutory release". When that is the case, release is no longer considered a privilege but a right. As such, the inmate must have committed a very serious crime or there must be a very good reason for statutory release to be refused.
For more information on the subject, visit the websites of the Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles and of the National Parole Board.
|
|
