Ontario Parole Board (Tribunals Ontario)

Ministry

Ministry of the Attorney General

URL

http://tribunalsontario.ca/opb/

Address

Box 250
TORONTO
M7A1N3

Phone

416-325-4480

Background

Ministry of Correctional Services Act (opens a new window)

Adjudicative Tribunals Accountability, Governance and Appointments Act, 2009 (opens a new window)

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.

Membership

The Lieutenant Governor in Council appoints the number of full- and part-time members considered necessary and may designate one of the members as chair. 

In accordance with the governance structure of the clusters, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may appoint: an executive chair to be responsible for all of the adjudicative tribunals included in a cluster; an associate chair for each adjudicative tribunal that is included in a cluster; one or more of the associate chairs as alternate executive chairs of the cluster; one or more vice-chairs for each adjudicative tribunal that is included in a cluster. The executive chair and each alternate executive chair must also be members of each of the adjudicative tribunals in the cluster, and the associate chair and each vice-chair must also be members of the tribunal to which they are appointed as associate chair and vice-chair.

Term

Members are appointed for a term specified by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Meetings

Hearings are scheduled as required at various correctional facilities across the province. Some travel time is necessary to fulfill the legal mandate of the board. Part-time community members attend approximately four hearing days a month.

Remuneration

Appointees are remunerated according to Schedule B of the Agencies and Appointments Directive

Appointments & Vacancies