The case of Miles Sanderson, one of the men accused of killing 10 people in Saskatchewan over the weekend, has brought scrutiny to a commonly misunderstood tenet of the Canadian prison system that is almost as old as Canada itself. According to parole documents, Mr. Sanderson, who died after his arrest Wednesday, had won statutory release from prison in August 2021. His parole was suspended three months later before the Parole Board of Canada reinstated it in February . Facing public backlash and scrutiny from Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, the Probation Board of Canada is convening a joint board of inquiry to analyze the circumstances surrounding the case and make recommendations, said Correctional Service of Canada spokeswoman Roxane Braun in an e-mail. The composition of the board was not determined, but usually consists of outside experts. While conservative politicians and commentators have framed statutory release as a modern invention of progressive criminologists, the concept has roots in the 1800s, when government authorities realized that prolonged institutionalization often had negative effects on a prisoner’s ability to adjust to life beyond prison walls. For much of the 20th century, Canadian prisoners could receive early release based on complex good behavior calculations. In 1992, the Corrections and Parole Act formalized the system, calling it statutory release, where inmates would be released under close supervision once they served two-thirds of their sentence. In most cases, statutory release is automatic, as opposed to parole, where inmates must appear before a hearing and apply for early release. But statutory parole cases can be referred to the parole board if the offender violates the terms of his parole, as happened with Mr. Sanderson, who lied to his parole officer about living with his ex-wife, according to documents. The idea is that almost all offenders will eventually have to reintegrate into society, and it is safer to do so under the supervision of a parole officer than without. “If you have someone in custody, particularly for a long period of time, it can be very difficult to reintegrate them into society if they leave prison, cold turkey,” said Howard Sappers, who was vice president of the Board’s Prairie Region in authorities. 2000s before serving as Canada’s federal corrections ombudsman from 2004 to 2016. “We know that periods of supervision and support in the community dramatically increase their chances of success.” The Correctional Service released 4,356 people from custody in 2019-20 on statutory release – around 60 per cent of all releases made that year. Of those statutory releases, 1.1 per cent were revoked for violent offences, up from 1.6 per cent in 2015-16. “I realize the statistics are no comfort at a time like this, but the statistics are generally positive,” said Mary Campbell, former director general of the government’s corrections agency, who helped write the Corrections and Parole Act. release from prison. “It saddens me to see, time and time again, that the prison system is expected to be full of miracle workers who are criticized when they fail. Let’s go back and ask the schools, the social services, the courts why they failed.” We remember the lives lost in the mass shooting in Saskatchewan. Killed woman remembered as ‘hero’ and ‘true matriarch’ Public Safety Minister Promises Parole Board Review After Saskatchewan Stabbings In 2015, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government proposed ending statutory release for violent repeat offenders. Under a proposed law, anyone convicted of a second federal crime who was previously sentenced to five or more years for a violent offense would not be eligible for statutory release. Instead, those inmates would remain incarcerated until the last six months of their warrants. The bill died when the election was called that year, but not before criminal justice scholars denounced the proposal. While community supervision is central to legal release, the nature of this supervision varies from country to country. In remote, rural communities, government agencies and parole officers can be hours away. The closest parole office on the James Smith Cree Nation, where Mr. Sanderson lived, is in Prince Albert, an hour’s drive away. Still, the parole board’s February 2022 decision to return Mr. Sanderson to the James Smith Cree Nation noted that his prospects had improved with legal release. He had found a job, a home and a therapist. He participated in cultural ceremonies and stayed away from alcohol. “Parole board members are often portrayed as bleeding-heart liberals who want to open the prison doors, but that’s not right. They have a lot to consider,” said Doug Hackbert, a former parole and probation officer. The parole board member who signed the decision, Betty Ann Pottruff, is known as a tough judge. “She is not kind to criminal justice,” Ms Campbell said. “He often takes the right side of the debates. She’s very bright, very smart and very dignified.” Within months Mr. Sanderson would stop reporting to his parole officer and was deemed illegally free. At that point, it was up to provincial police agencies to track him down. “Parole board members deal with human weaknesses and strengths,” Mr. Hackbert said. “Most of the time their decisions are good. You can bet there’s a lot of soul-searching going on about this.” Premier Justin Trudeau says his government is focused on helping those in Saskatchewan overcome the crisis after Sunday’s knife attack that left 10 dead and 18 injured. The Canadian Press Our Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
