It can be helpful for prisoners to provide support letters to the Parole Board of Canada or Ontario Parole Board, as the case may be. Support letters can be helpful because they give the Board insight into what the prisoner's life will look like if the prisoner is granted parole. Having letters can help show the Board that the prisoner's release plan has enough structure and support to reduce the prisoner's risk of offending. Support letters are...
Provincial prisoners (those serving two years or less) are eligible for parole after serving one-third of their sentences. If a prisoner is serving 6 months or longer, a parole hearing is automatically scheduled prior to their prisoner's parole eligibility date. Prisoners serving less than 6 months need to apply for a parole hearing, as there may not be enough time for a parole hearing to be held prior to their release. Before a parole hearing,...
Libraries can be an important way for prisoners to access legal and non-legal reading materials. Below are some things to know: Not all provincial jails have libraries. In provincial jails where there is a library, prisoners generally get weekly access to reading materials at a particular location or through library parades. If there is no library program, prisoners can submit request forms to ask for particular books or special reading...
Most prisoners in provincial jail have been charged with or convicted of a criminal offence, but individuals can also be imprisoned for failing to pay child and/or spousal support arrears. Imprisonment can be different for individuals who have not paid arrears, opposed to those convicted of criminal offences. Judges can order a debtor be imprisoned continuously or intermittently for up to 180 days. However, this can be avoided or shortened by...
Mail can be an important way for provincial prisoners to maintain contact with their loved ones. Below are some things to know about mail in the provincial system: Prisoners receive a limited amount of free supplies to send letters. On admission, prisoners receive paper to send one letter at no cost. After that, prisoners receive paper to send two letters weekly at no cost. Prisoners can send more letters, but they need to buy the paper,...
The provincial jail population is large and diverse, and diet is one of the areas where the Ministry tries to accommodate in some cases. Below are a few things to know about special diets: Special diets are offered for those with particular needs. Prisoners can receive special diets if it is needed due to medical treatment/a medical condition (e.g. pregnancy, diabetes, etc.), religious requirements (e.g. Halal, Kosher, etc.), or Lifestyle...
Provincial prisoners typically need to serve one-third of their sentence before they are eligible for parole. However, parole can be granted "at any time where, in the opinion of the Board, compelling or exceptional circumstances exist that warrant the inmate’s parole". Unfortunately, there is no clear guidance in the Ministry of Correctional Services Act or its regulations as to what constitutions "compelling or exceptional circumstances"....
In the federal correctional system, each prisoner receives a security classification (minimum, medium, or maximum). Legislation and regulations set out how security classifications are assigned, and the exact criteria is set out in the Commissioner's Directives. The criteria that are used to classify provincial prisoners are far less clear. In the provincial correctional system, a prisoner may be placed in a maximum or medium security custody...
Provincial prisoners who are granted parole by the Ontario Parole Board are generally not released immediately. A parole hearing may be held prior to the prisoner's parole eligibility date. If the prisoner is granted parole, then the Ontario Parole Board will generally order that the prisoner be released on parole at some point following their parole eligibility date. Even if a hearing is held after the prisoner's parole eligibility date, the...
The Ontario Parole Board is required to consider all relevant information that is reliable and persuasive. The Board can receive information from a range of sources, including correctional staff, the prisoner seeking parole (including the prisoner's friends and family), victims, etc. Before a parole or temporary absence hearing, correctional staff will compile and submit various documents to the Board. The Board is provided with general...
