Tribunal Being Discussed
The Ontario Parole Board (OPB) is an impartial, investigative organization. It belongs to the 13 Tribunals Ontario (Bosma et al., 2021). For candidates incarcerated for less than two years in a provincial prison, the OPB makes parole decisions (Bosma et al., 2021). The OPB also makes decisions on requests for extended temporary absences from a correctional facility. Therefore, the Board’s main objectives are to evaluate a criminal’s risk of offending and to defend society by facilitating his or her reintegration into society.
Purpose and Functions of Ontario Parole Board Tribunal
The Ontario Parole Board’s mission is to promote the gradual, controlled and supported reintegration of criminals into society as law-abiding residents with limitations. Parole also helps to increase public safety. Nonetheless, Canada’s Parole Board members represent the country’s diversity (Fitzgerald et al., 2022). They come from various fields, such as criminology, law, military police, human services, medicine, education, commerce, and management in the federal and state governments. Decision-making for conditional releases and risk assessment are taught to board members.
In addition, the Ontario Parole Board tribunal is committed to enhancing public safety by making wise judgments on offenders’ supervised conditional release back into the community parole and unescorted temporary absences. The Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services Act, the Prison and Reformatories Act and its regulations, and the federal Corrections and conditional release act grant the board jurisdiction (Puddister, 2021). For defendants serving terms of six months or more, the Board, which reports to the Minister, automatically holds in-person parole hearings. Criminals seeking a temporary leave of absence or those facing sentences of less than six months must apply before the parole board may hold a hearing. Inmates are eligible for release after completing one-third of their sentence (Puddister, 2021). However, in rare or compelling circumstances, they may ask for consideration of an early release. Before the in-person hearing, a quorum of two board members evaluates all pertinent material on each case. The Board also makes a wide range of administrative decisions and evaluates cases when there is a quorum.
Powers the Tribunal
The tribunal has the authority to impose parole restrictions that it deems necessary. The permit allows prisoners to see the outside world or another facility for reasons such as medical care, administrative needs, parental responsibilities, compassion, community service, family interaction, personal growth, and rehabilitation (Antonov et al., 2019). The goal of the federal correctional system is to maintain an equitable, secure, and safe society by enforcing court-ordered punishments and keeping offenders in safe, compassionate care and under close monitoring. In addition, providing programs in jails and the general public to aid in fenders’ rehabilitation and help them reintegrate into society as law-abiding individuals.
Furthermore, the tribunal has the authority to deny parole absence. This means the candidate may not be allowed to leave the institution alone for a certain amount of time, for up to sixty days. Therefore, a temporary absence allows a candidate to be ready for release into society (Antonov et al., 2019). It may be allowed to aid in the candidate’s rehabilitation and effective reintegration into society, as well as for medical or humanitarian reasons. However, a candidate may ask for a temporary leave of absence whether he filed for parole or not.
However, they can revoke a parolee’s release and order their return to custody. A candidate can be given a preliminary hearing date for parole revocation if the alleged parole infractions are severe enough. Therefore, one can be sent to prison for a hearing while still on parole and under community supervision (Link et al., 2021). A warrant for temporary custody allows your parole officer to place you under arrest. Consequently, one could also be held on a detainer or warrant if under the interstate compact’s supervision.
Last but not least, they have the authority to end the parole suspension, revoke parole, and end the temporary absence that has been given. In such a scenario, a parole detainer will be placed behind the bond if you are arrested and charged with a new crime. In certain situations, the Parole Board will initiate the revocation procedure and provide one with a hearing for the initial revocation of the parole (Link et al., 2021). The Board will issue a parole warrant and place it against the bail if it provisionally revokes the parole. If one is granted a bail release, this warrant will be executed. On the other hand, a parole warrant cannot be released on bond. Additionally, the parolee’s failure to stay in touch with the parole officer, eluding monitoring, and going to unknown whereabouts are the most frequent grounds for revoking parole (Link et al., 2021). Maintaining touch with the parole officer is crucial for the candidate. One Tribunals must take extra action after calling and leaving a message. Speak with the Parole Board of tribunals if you cannot reach them.
Use of Ontario Parole Board Tribunal to Helping the Client
Ontario Parole Board tribunal is the tribunal that could apply to a client who has committed a crime. For this reason, the OPB will encourage the victim’s involvement and the victim’s opinion while deciding whether to grant parole. The OPB thinks that the victim has a significant role in the decision-making process for early release because it acknowledges the importance of the victim in the criminal justice system (Bosma et al., 2021). The OPB encourages information from the offender’s victim to aid in making judgments in addition to the information it receives from the police, courts, and prisons. This data will be taken into account along with all the other data that the OPB has access to.
Moreover, victims may submit a written statement or may appear in person at the parole hearing and speak orally. If victims appear at a parole hearing, they may but are not obligated to make an oral statement. The OPB Case Management Officer will ensure the OPB members obtain the information before reaching a judgment. Victims may also send information to the OPB Case Management Officer (Bosma et al., 2021). The victim can inform the OPB of the offence’s physical, financial, and emotional effects on them, theoffense’sir family, and their community through a victim submission. The victim may also share with the OPB any suggestions they or their family may have on whether parole should be granted and, if so, what requirements the OPB should consider placing on the applicant.
Finally, after being notified of the hearing date, victims who intend to attend or participate in hearings must get in touch with a Case Management Officer as soon as possible to request permission to attend the hearing. Every in-person hearing is held at a local jail facility, and everyone attending must pass security screening to be allowed in. The institution can refuse entrance for security concerns even if the OPB has permitted attendance at the hearing. In order to get automated voicemail messages anytime an applicant’s status changes, such as notice of parole hearings and release from jail, victims need to register with VNS.
References
Antonov, I., Verin, A., Klyukova, M., & Nechaeva, E. (2019). Improvement of the institution of parole release and its implementation practices. Journal of Educational and Social Research. Web.
Bosma, A. K., Groenhuijsen, M. S., & de Vries, M. (2021). Victims’ participation rights in the post-sentencing phase: The Netherlands in comparative perspective. New Journal of European Criminal Law, 12(2), 128-145. Web.
Fitzgerald, R., Freiberg, A., Dodd, S., & Bartels, L. (2022). Building public confidence in parole boards: Findings from a four-country study. The British Journal of Criminology, 62(6), 1395-1413. Web.
Link, N. W., Powell, K., Hyatt, J. M., & Ruhland, E. L. (2021). Considering the process of debt collection in community corrections: The case of the monetary compliance unit. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 37(1), 128–147. Web.
Puddister, K. (2021). How the Canadian sentencing system impacts policy reform: An examination of the Harper era. Law & Policy, 43(2), 149-169. Web.