NOTE: This is a personal blog, any views or opinions represented in this blog belong solely to the FedPhoneLine staff. WE ARE NOT Psychologists or Therapy Professionals, all data and information on these blogs is for informational purposes ONLY.
Frequently Asked Questions by the Parole Board of Canada
A Parole Hearing can be very stressful. It does not guarantee the inmate will be released, but it does give the inmate an opportunity to show that they have changed and are not a threat to the community.
Preparation is the key to a successful Parole Hearing. Here is a list of common questions asked during a Parole Hearing. Each Parole Hearing is different and questions can be different, however this list is a great start.
- Why are you in prison?
- What led you to this crime?
- Can you explain your institutional charges (if any)?
- Do you think the sentence you received fits your crime?
- Why should you be granted parole?
- Do you feel remorse for your actions?
- What guarantees do we get that you will not reoffend?
- What support systems do you have in the community?
- What makes you think you can cope in the community?
- Where do you plan to live?
- What will you do if you are not allowed to go back to your hometown?
- What is a halfway house going to do for you?
- Why did you pick the halfway house you picked?
- What programs have you taken within the institution?
- How did these programs help you?
- How have you applied what you have learned in these programs in your daily life?
- Did you learn anything about yourself during your incarceration?
- Do you consider yourself a criminal? (Are you proud of it?)
- How do you think your victims feel about your offence?
- What have you done to address the “need” areas in your correctional plan?
- If you could go back in time, what would you do different?
- Have you addressed the issues that caused you to offend?
Preparation:
It is very important that the inmate be prepared to answer these questions. Answer should not be generic responses.
Do not answer what you (the inmate) believe the Parole Board wants to hear, they are experienced enough to know who is being false. Think about yourself, tell a story about how your crimes have impacted the surrounding community (not only you and your family).
How have you addressed the issues in your life? Are you “okay” with how things are going in your life? Are you committed to staying out of prison and how are you going to do it? Take time to re-evaluate your world and how you are approaching it.
Communication:
When preparing for a Parole Hearing, communication with friends and family is critical. It is important that the inmate get perspective about how thier crimes have affected others. Phone calls usually add up in the time before the Parole Hearing because the inmate is preparing.
It is best to go to the FedPhoneLine website and register for a FedPhoneLine number so that you can save money on phone calls.
Please see the video below which outlines how FedPhoneLine works: