Ontario Parole Board

Ministry of Correctional Services Act
Adjudicative Tribunals Accountability, Governance and Appointments Act, 2009

Function

The Ontario Parole Board is dedicated to the process of promoting public safety by making responsible decisions regarding the return of offenders to the community through supervised conditional release (parole and unescorted temporary absences).

The Board derives its authority from the federal Corrections and Conditional Release Act, the federal Prison and Reformatories Act and the Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services Act and Regulations.

The board, responsible to the Minister, provides in-person parole hearings automatically for offenders who are serving sentences six months or longer. Those serving sentences of less than six months or offenders interested in a temporary absence must apply to the parole board in order to receive a hearing. Inmates are eligible for release on parole after having served one-third of their sentence. They may, however, apply for early parole consideration under exceptional or compelling circumstances.

A quorum of two board members, reviews all available information on an individual case prior to the in-person hearing. Additionally, the board conducts case reviews, in quorum, and undertakes a wide scope of administrative functions and decisions.

The primary goal of the board is to assess an offender's risk to society by reoffending and to help protect society by assisting in the offender's reintegration into the community.

The Ontario Parole Board is designated as part of an adjudicative tribunal cluster by regulation made under the Adjudicative Tribunals Accountability, Governance and Appointments Act, 2009.

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