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For purposes of parole, prisoners fall into two categories:
• Prisoners serving determined sentences
• Prisoners serving undetermined sentences
Prisoners who are serving determined sentences can further be divided
into two categories namely:

• Sentenced prisoners without a non-parole period - no
prescribed period that the offender must spend in prison before
parole is considered - are eligible for parole after serving half of
their sentence.
• Sentenced prisoners with a non-parole period – serving a
sentence to which a period for not being eligible for parole has
been attached - can only be considered for parole after serving
the non-parole period or half of the entire sentence depending
on which one is the lowest. The non-parole period also cannot
be more than two-thirds of the entire sentence or 25 years,
whichever period is shorter.

Should a prisoner believe that he is eligible for parole, the prisoner must
apply to the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (“Board”) to
be placed on parole. The Board, based on appropriate reports and
recommendations from correctional officers, will consider and decide
whether the prisoner should be granted parole. Should the Board dismiss
the application, the prisoner or an interested party may request that the
Review Board overturn the decision of the Board. Our courts may also be
approached should a prisoner feel aggrieved by the decision of a Board
or Review Board to deny him parole. Our courts may not order the Board
to grant parole but may evaluate whether the decision to deny parole
was properly considered and refer the matter back for reconsideration.

Prisoners serving sentences for serious offences, or for which mandatory
minimum sentences are prescribed by legislation, have determinable
sentences, and the nature and seriousness of these offences result
in these sentences being treated as similar to a sentence of life
Litigation imprisonment and only a court can determine whether such prisoners
may be placed on parole. These prisoners must serve at least four-fifths
of their entire sentence or 25 years whichever period is the shorter, for
them to be considered for parole, although a court can be approached
to order that a prisoner be placed on parole after serving two-thirds of
the entire sentence. The maximum amount of years that a prisoner can
serve however without being considered for parole is 25 years. Lastly one
should note that although prisoners have been granted parole it does
not mean that the period of their sentence is over. Should a paroled
prisoner break his parole conditions, parole may be revoked and the
prisoner will have to serve the remainder of his sentence. Parole is a
complex aspect of our corrections system and many considerations

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