Creating an Alberta Parole Board

Overview

Bill 18: Corrections (Alberta Parole Board) Amendment Act, 2020 came into force on February 1, 2021 to create an Alberta Parole Board that provides a fairer, faster and more responsible justice system that helps end the ‘revolving door’ that enables repeat offenders to target Albertans, particularly in rural areas.

The Alberta Parole Board was established and started operating on February 1, 2021.

The board aims to ensure parole decisions reflect crime trends and local priorities to better protect communities and address Albertans’ concerns that repeat offenders are increasing crime.

Key changes

Bill 18 amended the Corrections Act to:

• establish an Alberta Parole Board
• allow the lieutenant-governor the power to appoint board members

The Alberta Parole Board

• consists of members with specific knowledge of crime trends and resources in their area – while there is no cap on the number of board members, the term of appointment would not exceed five years.
• determines parole eligibility for people serving a sentence of less than two years in provincial correctional facilities – the Parole Board of Canada would continue making parole decisions for inmates in federal institutions, which are for sentences of two years or more
• is responsible for imposing conditions on provincial offenders
• supervises provincial parolees
  • community probation officers, with localized knowledge and ties to the community in which they work, will closely monitor offenders released on parole
  • provincial correctional centre caseworkers will continue to do much of the same work for the Alberta Parole Board that they already do for the federal parole board

News

• An Alberta First: The Alberta Parole Board (January 28, 2021)
• Protecting Albertans from repeat offenders (June 1, 2020)