Statutory Release Michel Vautour (Cox)
Date: August 12, 2020
Classification: Not Classified
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch / Agency: Parole Board of Canada
Issue: On August 8th, 2020 an offender on Statutory Release, (Michel Vautour (Cox)) was charged with kidnapping and robbery. The Offender’s Statutory Release had been suspended by Correctional Service Canada and referred to PBC for decision. On June 2nd, 2020, the Board rendered the decision to cancel the statutory release suspension with a reprimand to the offender.
Proposed Response:
- First, Mr. Speaker, I would like the members to know that our thoughts are with the offender’s current and past victims, their families and friends
- Under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA), all federal offenders serving determinate (fixed-term) sentences are eligible to serve the final one-third of their sentence in the community under supervision, on what is known as Statutory Release.
- Statutory Release is mandated by law and the release is not a decision of the Parole Board of Canada.
- Under the law, the Parole Board of Canada is limited to imposing conditions on an offender’s Statutory Release period.
- In certain circumstances, Correctional Service Canada may recommend to the Parole Board of Canada that an offender be detained until the end of their sentence if it believes the offender is likely to commit:
- An offence causing death or serious harm to another person;
- A sexual offence involving a child;
- Or a serious drug offence before the end of the sentence
- This offender was not referred to the Parole Board for detention. In this case, the Parole Board had previously denied day and full parole.
- Upon his Statutory Release, the Parole Board of Canada imposed a number of conditions including residing at a halfway house, informing his parole officer of any relationships with women and prohibiting him from being in the presence of a minor unless accompanied by an adult who is aware of his criminal record.
- Offenders on Statutory Release may have their release suspended and be returned to the penitentiary if they fail to abide by the conditions imposed by the Parole Board, or if there is a concern that the risk presented is no longer manageable in the community.
- In making decisions to impose conditions on Statutory Release, or whether to revoke an offender’s Statutory Release, the Parole Board of Canada takes into account all relevant and available information. In this case, the offender’s Statutory Release was suspended following the breach of a special condition. The Board’s decision following a hearing, was to cancel the suspension and to impose additional special conditions. In it’s decision, the PBC reprimanded the offender with a clear warning that any further breaches of his conditions would result in negative consequences on his release. He continued to reside at a Community Residential Facility under the supervision of CSC.
Background:
Michel Vautour (Cox) was released from a penitentiary in 2017 on Statutory Release after serving two-thirds of a 21-year sentence. A psychologist determined in 2016 that Cox was still “a risk of reoffending sexually” and the risk was sufficiently high, according to the psychologist, to justify keeping Cox behind bars. CSC did not refer the case to PBC for a detention order at this time.
The PBC imposed several conditions on Cox upon his release, including that he reside at a halfway house until his sentence expires in 2023. He is also required to inform his parole officer of any relationships he has with women and is not allowed to be in the presence of a minor unless accompanied by an adult who is aware of his criminal record. Cox was declared a Long-Term Offender in 2005, which means conditions can be imposed on him for 10 years after his prison term expires.
History:
DP and FP denied in January 2017.
SR on October 2017.
Decision for change of conditions in December 2019:
A request to add an exception to the special condition to not be in presence of minors was recommended by CSC in order to allow the offender to go to a school for adults, where there could be minors. The PO and CSC’s psychologist were favorable to the modification of this special condition. The Board agreed to the request, and authorized the offender to be in presence of young girls aged 16 and 17, but only at an adult school and with the PO’s authorization.
March 20, 2020: SR suspension
Following a complaint made to Child protection services, the offender confirmed that he had been in the presence of his girlfriend’s daughter twice in the last months, in presence of an adult, but the Parole officer had not authorized this adult as a responsible adult. As a result, the SR was suspended.
During the hearing, the BM noted that the offender realizes the importance of respecting his conditions. The release plan was considered realistic and the offender was open to the interventions since the beginning of his SR. At that time it was agreed that the offender will not have any further contact with his girlfriend and her children, limiting the risk of being in a risky situation. The Suspension was cancelled on June 2, 2020.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Mark Montreuil, A/Director, Public Affairs and Partnerships, (343) 542-5996
Approved by: Daryl Churney, Executive Director General, (613) 954-1153
- Date modified: