| Day parole, which generally requires that an offender reside in a halfway house, has been used in Canada for over 25 years. However, there have been few studies on the impact of day parole on success after release to the community. Day parole is one step in the gradual release process that provides opportunities for offenders to adjust to life outside of prison, to complete treatment programs and to find employment prior to taking up residence in the community. Day parole may be granted early in the sentence, prior to one-third of the sentence being served, or late in the sentence prior to two-thirds of the sentence being service. Results from a number of studies will be presented to show how day parole contributes to the increased likelihood of success on parole and after statutory release for both low risk offenders released early and for higher risk offenders released later. Factors associated with day parole success will also be examined. Results of a study comparing offenders who had a day parole release with those who were released directly to the community will be used to demonstrate the impact halfway house placement can have on successful sentence completion. |
Updated 05/20/2006