Federal inmates are eligible for several different types of release:
| Escorted temporary absences (“ETAs”) | Allow inmates to leave the institution for a set period of time with guards and/or other supervisors for medical, administrative, community service, family contact, parental responsibility, personal development (rehabilitation), or compassionate reasons. |
| Unescorted temporary absences (“UTAs”) | Allow inmates to leave the institution for a set period of time without supervision for medical, administrative, community service, family contact, parental responsibility, personal development (rehabilitation), or compassionate reasons.
Not available for offenders classified as maximum security. |
| Work release | Allows an offender to work or volunteer outside a penitentiary during specified periods (under supervision). |
| Day parole | Allows offenders to participate in activities in the community during the day and report nightly to a halfway house or institution. Special conditions may also be ordered by the Parole Board of Canada. |
| Full parole | Allows offenders to serve part of their sentence in the community, under supervision. Offenders generally live in private residences and do not need to report nightly to a halfway house or institution, but they are required to report regularly to a parole officer or (possibly) the police. |
| Statutory release | If parole has not been granted after an offender has served 2/3 of his or her sentence, the offender is released into the community under supervision.
However, the Parole Board of Canada can issue detention orders to keep inmates past their statutory release date if there are reasonable grounds to believe the offender is likely to commit certain kinds of offences. Those with life or indeterminate sentences are ineligible. |
Often, inmates are granted a more restrictive or structured form of release initially. After demonstrating they can comply with their release conditions, they may then be considered for less restrictive forms of release.
Note that inmates become eligible for these types of release at different points throughout their sentences.