Becoming a Parole Board of Canada Board Member
Information You Should Know

The Parole Board of Canada (PBC or the Board) is an independent administrative tribunal that contributes to the protection of society by facilitating, as appropriate, the timely reintegration of offenders and the sustained rehabilitation of individuals into society as law-abiding citizens. The Board makes independent, quality conditional release, record suspension and expungement decisions, as well as clemency recommendations, in a transparent and accountable manner, while respecting diversity and the rights of offenders and victims. The work of the Board is primarily guided by the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) and the Criminal Records Act (CRA).

It has a National Office (Ottawa) and five (5) regional divisions (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairies and Pacific). Regional offices are located in Moncton (NB), Montreal (QC), Kingston (ON), Saskatoon (SK), Edmonton (AB) and Abbotsford (BC).

PBC Board members are Governor in Council (GIC) appointees. GIC appointments are made on the recommendation of the Minister responsible for the PBC and approved by Cabinet. Following Cabinet approval, the Governor General signs an Order in Council to formalize the appointment.

PBC Board members are appointed for a set number of years to either a full-time or a part-time position and are assigned to one of the Board’s five regions or to its National Office. Full-time Board members must reside near their regional office, while part-time Board members usually travel when performing their Board duties. Board members’ appointments may be renewed after their mandate ends, but it is not guaranteed. Becoming a Board member is an opportunity to make an important contribution to public safety.

In Canada, most offenders are serving a fixed-length sentence. This means they will eventually be released back into the community. Parole is a carefully constructed bridge between incarceration and return to the community, which allows some offenders to serve part of their sentence in the community under the supervision of a Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) parole officer, and subject to conditions required by law and imposed by Board members.

PBC Board members are the decision-makers in conditional release decisions and are independent in their decision-making. Their task is challenging and complex. They are required to make decisions that are consistent with the protection of society. Board members must consider all relevant information and conduct a thorough risk analysis while adhering to law and policy.

The PBC is a community board. The CCRA requires that Board members be chosen from diverse groups to represent community values and views. The Government of Canada is committed to building a diverse Board membership that is reflective of the diversity of the Canadian population. Board members come from various professional backgrounds including criminology, law, police, social work, medicine, education, business, and private and public service management.

All Board members receive initial and ongoing training in risk assessment and how to make quality decisions. In all cases, Board members complete a thorough assessment of the risk an offender may pose to the community. This assessment considers all relevant information from a wide range of sources. Protection of society is the paramount consideration for the Board in the determination of all cases.

Interested in becoming a Board member? Here are 10 things to consider.

1. Quality decision-making – your core responsibility

Research clearly shows that parole contributes to public safety through the gradual, structured, and supervised release of offenders into the community, where there are a range of community-based organizations to support them. Quality conditional release decision-making is therefore a cornerstone of public safety in Canada. The PBC is recognized internationally for its leadership in conditional release decision-making.

The PBC makes decisions on the conditional release of offenders serving federal sentences of two years or more. It also makes parole decisions for offenders serving sentences of less than two years in all provinces and territories except Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, which have their own provincial parole boards.

The PBC uses evidence-based practices. When making conditional release decisions, Board members follow a structured decision-making framework. In their role, they review key documents in an offender’s file that are central to making a quality decision (e.g., risk assessments provided by correctional authorities, police reports, court and sentencing information, pre-sentence reports, victim statements, criminal profiles, psychological risk assessments, community assessments, and previous Board decisions). Board members are responsible for resolving any uncertainties and reconciling discordant information when faced with inconsistencies.

A Board member’s responsibility is to consider all relevant information, make an informed decision and provide clear reasons in writing in support of that decision. These written decisions are available to the public through a Decision Registry.

The CCRA and the PBC’s Decision-Making Policy manual for Board Members are a Board member’s main guides in decision-making. Board members are expected to fully know and own their authorities.

2. Board Member’s Code of Professional Conduct

Board members are held to a high standard of behaviour. The Board Members' Code of Professional Conduct (the Code)  applies to all full-time and part-time Board members of the PBC and sets out the standards of conduct of PBC Board members. It outlines how they are expected to act honestly and in good faith, in a professional and ethical manner, and in a manner consistent with the PBC's Vision, Mission and Values. They must be respectful to their colleagues, staff, victims, offenders, and the criminal justice system. Board members are accountable for their conduct to the Board, the Code, the law, Parliament and the Canadian public. Vice-Chairpersons are responsible to the Chairperson for the professional conduct of the Board members assigned to their division/region.

3. Conflict of Interest and Reporting

PBC Board members are subject to the Conflict of Interest Act. The Act's general conflict of interest and post-employment rules apply to both full-time and part-time Board members.  Public office holders​ (part-time Board members), are subject only to those general rules. Full-time Board members are referred to as reporting public office holders, and are subject not only to the Act's general conflict of interest and post-​employment rules, but also its reporting and public disclosure provisions, and its prohibitions against engaging in outside activities and holding controlled assets​.  They must be able to put personal and professional biases aside, avoid the apprehension of bias, and not take any actions that call their impartiality, or that of the Board in general, into question. They must arrange their private affairs in a manner that will prevent any conflict of interest, which may include ceasing involvement in some organizations.

Board members need to be mindful of any potential conflicts of interest during and after their appointment and must share this information promptly. Conflicts of interest – real, potential or perceived – may affect a Board member’s ability to review and render a decision on certain types of files or for certain offenders.

4. Embrace the training

Upon appointment to the PBC, Board members participate in a robust orientation training program, with sessions held in Ottawa and in the region to which they are appointed. This orientation lasts several weeks, during which Board members are introduced to the science of risk assessment.

The orientation training covers topics such as risk assessment, interviewing techniques, decision writing, recognizing bias, the legal and policy frameworks of decision-making, cultural awareness, and obligations as a GIC appointee.

Board members learn about background and systemic factors that contribute to the over-representation of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized and marginalized offenders within the criminal justice system. They also learn about the unique needs and experiences of women, Indigenous Peoples, and persons living with mental illness or addictions, and how to conduct trauma-informed hearings.

Through high-quality training, Board members learn to conduct culturally sensitive hearings with the guidance of an Indigenous Elder or a Cultural Advisor, when requested by offenders. Elder-assisted hearings vary in format and require an open mind, cultural sensitivity and active participation. They can be a very powerful experience for all participants.

In addition to the formal training PBC Board members receive, they are also provided with extensive mentoring and coaching by experienced Board members and key personnel. No Board member is assigned any decision-making responsibilities until they have the support of their Vice-Chairperson.

Quality Board member training contributes to quality decision-making. In 2022-23, 98% of federal full parole supervision periods for offenders serving determinate sentences were completed without reoffending, and 99% of federal day parole supervision periods were completed without reoffending.

5. Schedule – be prepared for the unexpected!

The work schedule of a Board member is predetermined, but unexpected changes do occur (e.g., offenders may waive their right to a hearing or postpone it; missing key information may prevent a hearing from taking place or a decision from being made at a hearing).

Part-time Board members must be available to work a minimum of five days per month, preferably consecutively. They will generally work during core business hours to support the work of the Board and while other employment is permitted, it is expected that they will be available to perform this role during business hours on weekdays.

When conducting hearings, the number and type of cases assigned will vary: a typical day of hearings will be comprised of three (3) to four (4) hearings. Allowing for some regional differences, Board members typically study cases one day and conduct hearings the next. In some regions or due to travel demands, arrangements may vary (e.g., two days of study followed by two days of hearings). Board members make their decision and inform the offender verbally at the hearing and, in most cases, complete the written decision to be shared with the offender a day or two later. The schedule is built to ensure that Board members have sufficient time to conduct hearings and complete the written decisions.

Sixty percent (60%) of decisions are made in the absence of a hearing and the number of file reviews assigned will vary depending on the type of decision required.

All the file documentation to be reviewed is accessible from a work-assigned computer or tablet. The length of time required to review a file is determined by the complexity of the case and length of an offender’s sentence. Thus, the number of cases assigned to Board members may vary but will be taken into account by those who are responsible for scheduling hearings and in-office reviews.

6. Quorum - part of a team

While a Board member may be the sole decision-maker for some cases, making them a quorum of one, most reviews require a quorum of two Board members. Both Board members in this quorum of two are independent decision-makers who will study the file individually. For hearings, the two Board members will interview the offender and deliberate together.

Exercising independence may result in disagreement. If after a fulsome review, both Board members cannot agree, they may split their vote, and share the reasons behind their decision. In this situation, a new review will be convened at a later date by different Board members.

Board members are provided with excellent support in their decision-making responsibilities. This includes assistance from staff to ensure they have the information they require for each case and that the information has been shared appropriately.  In-house policy expertise or legal advice can also assist Board members.

7. Hearings – keep an open mind!

A parole hearing offers the offender a chance to be heard. It also provides PBC Board members with the opportunity to explore the offender’s progress during the course of their incarceration, their institutional conduct, any program achievements and the quality of the offender’s proposed release plans.

Parole hearings occur in correctional institutions, by videoconference, or a mix of both. For videoconferencing, Board members normally participate from a regional office.

For hearings with a quorum of two, one Board member leads the hearing, while the other is responsible for drafting the decision which will be reviewed and signed by both decision-makers. This distribution of work allows both members to hold active and equal roles in the decision-making process.

The Board member responsible for leading the writing of the decision is still actively involved in the hearing. Board members are independent of each other, and both are free to ask questions as needed. However, they must respect the flow of the hearing and interject with that in mind.

The conditional release decision-making process is open and transparent. This affords registered victims the right to attend and present statements at hearings. Written victim statements can be read by the victim or by someone acting on the victim’s behalf. Board members have access to the written victim statements in advance of the hearing as they are a key document to consider in the offender’s file. Victims have a voice, and their experience serves to inform the hearing process.

An offender may have an approved assistant attend a hearing. An assistant could be anyone from a lawyer to a family member, provides support to the offender during the hearing, and has an opportunity to share written remarks in advance and make a presentation at the conclusion of the hearing. Other observers such as offender support persons, members of the public and media representatives may also apply to attend a hearing.

It is important to remember that the Board is an inquisitorial administrative tribunal bound by administrative law. It is not a courtroom, where cases are generally adversarial in nature. It is the Board members’ responsibility to manage the hearing and ensure it proceeds smoothly.

8. In-office File Reviews – decision-making still required

Many of PBC’s conditional release decisions do not require a hearing – these cases are referred to as in-office file reviews. In these instances, Board members study a case and follow up with a written decision, which includes the reasons for their decision.

During an in-office file review, a Board member may determine that a hearing would be beneficial to the case and can order that a hearing be scheduled.

9. Quality Assurance – the Board’s commitment to excellence

The Board has a strong commitment to continuous improvement and works constantly to improve its decision-making. Quality assurance is one way to provide feedback to Board members. Review of individual decisions, or thematic reviews, ensure Board members adhere to law and policy. 

Quality assurance is a cornerstone of excellence, so Canadians can be confident that parole decisions respect policy, legislation, and adhere to the rules of fundamental justice.

10. Be ready to travel

As GIC appointees, PBC Board members are appointed on a full-time or part-time basis to a PBC division.

Both full-time and part-time Board members are required to regularly travel to correctional institutions within their region and attend learning events in various regions of the country.

Full-time Board members must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of the PBC office to which they are appointed. When relocation is warranted, organizational and financial assistance is provided upon the appointment start date, according to the National Joint Council Relocation Directive.

The residency requirement does not apply to part-time Board members, who are compensated in accordance with the National Joint Travel Directive for any work-related travel (i.e., to attend parole hearings, learning events, and more).

Becoming a Board member

Board members need to have an open mind, be fair and inquisitive, be able to put personal and professional biases aside, be able to read, analyze and synthesize large amounts of information, and be proficient at using technology and communicating verbally and in writing. Written decisions and reasons need to be understood by the offender and withstand legal and public scrutiny.

The role of Board members requires them to read and listen to distressing content at times and witness the effects of suffering. This may have an impact on their own mental health. While the Board provides training and support on vicarious trauma, Board members also need to have coping strategies for the difficult aspects of the work and healthy outlets for stress.  

Conditional release decision-making can be daunting at first but is an exceptionally rewarding role. Our Board members take great pride in contributing to the PBC’s mission. In sum, public safety is the primary consideration in all PBC conditional release decisions. As a Board member, you will be privileged with the opportunity to make an important contribution to public safety in Canada, by facilitating, through appropriate decision-making about the timing and conditions of release, the rehabilitation and social reintegration of offenders as law-abiding citizens.