The legislators envisioned a very powerful organization, with considerable discretionary authority and a much broader mandate than the old Remission Service had.

To ensure their immunity from political interference or influence, the five Board members were appointed for 10-year terms, with the possibility of renewal.

The head of the PBC is a Chairperson who reports to Parliament through the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs.

[7] The process of a pardon underwent significant changes in the application in June 2010 as a result of amendments to the Criminal Records Act, through Bill C-23B.

Additional information was now required for indictable applications, which would detail why they are applying for a pardon, what benefit it would provide and how it would assist their rehabilitation.

Any person convicted of one of these offences is no longer eligible to apply for a pardon or record suspension, unless they meet some very stringent exceptions.

The fee at this time increased substantially in an effort to create a cost recovery model, raising to the current amount of $631.

He also had a criminal history dating back decades, including multiple convictions for assault, attempted rape and armed robbery.

Pierre Etoile, Clement's son-in-law, criticized the parole board, stating that "They tell us in this report that everything is wonderful, no one did anything wrong.

"[11][12][13] Larry Takahashi received three concurrent life sentences in 1984 for sexually assaulting seven women (he was subsequently dubbed the Balaclava Rapist[14]).

Randy White, an MP from the Canadian Alliance party, criticized the board for releasing Takahashi, stating that "Is there something I don’t understand about protection of the public?"

He was serving a 1987 life sentence for multiple armed robberies and had a total of 36 criminal convictions, including three attempted murders and three escapes from prison.

[20] A subsequent investigation by the Parole Board concluded that there was a "sound basis" for his conditional release from prison and that "It is unnecessary to offer any specific direction on change or amendment to policies, practices or procedures."

When testifying in court, Moyes "happily admitted that he lied repeatedly to parole and corrections officials for the past 30 years."

[21] Allan Craig MacDonald was paroled in late-1989 after serving 12 years for murdering a police officer and a taxi driver.

In October of that year, Humphrey stabbed Richard Kent multiple times with a folding knife and then slit his throat in a crack house.

[24] Denis Lortie was granted full parole in 1996 after serving 12 years in prison for murdering three people and injuring 13 others.

He had been sentenced to life in prison for rape and attempted murder and previously violating parole by sexually assaulting a young boy.

[30][31] In early 2011 a convicted Quebec fraudster, Vincent Lacroix was released after serving 18 months of his 13-year sentence for stealing over $100 million.

Sections 125 and 126 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act allow a narrow set of non-violent offenders access to parole after serving one sixth of their sentence.

As a response to extensive media coverage and public outcry, the Conservative Party of Canada, at the urging of the Bloc Québécois tabled Bill C-59, a law which end early parole for non-violent offenders.

[citation needed] Although Correctional Service of Canada insist incidents like those above are rare, a report by the Canadian Police Association revealed that between 1998 and 2003, 66 people have been killed by convicts out on early release.