Quebec’s Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, defends the conditional release system currently in place in the province, despite strong criticism raised by a recently retired seasoned commissioner.
Monday in The PressJean Dugré, who was parole commissioner for 33 years in the federal and provincial systems, affirmed that the offender assessment tool used since 2017 by Quebec correctional services does not make it possible to identify criminogenic factors and to determine the risks of recidivism, and said he believed that this endangers the safety of the population.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Former parole commissioner Jean Dugré.
“In 2022-2023, 97.1% of inmates who were granted parole did not reoffend. The commissioners of the Quebec Parole Commission use a multitude of tools, including actuarial tools, to make decisions that ensure the social rehabilitation of inmates while ensuring the safety of Quebecers. In a process of continuous improvement, our experts analyze all means to improve the procedures and evaluation tools,” responded the office of the Minister of Public Security of Quebec to questions from The Press regarding the inmate assessment tool.
An aberration
Mr. Dugré also described as “an aberration” the fact that an offender who renounces his parole is automatically released after two thirds of his sentence without a commissioner being able to impose conditions on him until the end of it. .
“The legislative framework surrounding the addition of conditions to two-thirds of the sentence arises from the Act federal government on prisons and reformatories. Note, for a very large proportion of prison sentences of two years less a day, the courts already add probation orders which begin upon release from prison. These inmates are therefore subject to conditions,” responded Minister Bonnardel’s office regarding releases at two-thirds of the sentence.
In an interview, Mr. Dugré indicated that not all convicts in the provincial system are necessarily subject to a probation order and that those who are are subject to almost no supervision.
To contact Daniel Renaud, call 514 285-7000, ext. 4918, write to [email protected] or write to the postal address of The Press.