Victims Portal Help Centre

The Victims Portal is a secure online service that allows victims of an offender and/or their named representative to access specific information and services online, as defined in law, from the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC).

A valid email account is required to access all Government of Canada secure services, including the Victims Portal. There are numerous providers of free email accounts including, but not limited to, Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail, should you require one.

Once registered, victims can request and access specific information concerning the offender who harmed them and manage their preferences for receiving information.

If a victim has named a representative to receive information on their behalf, the representative can access specific information concerning the offender who harmed the victim and manage the victim's preferences for receiving information.

Victims can also:

• Request to observe a Parole Board of Canada (PBC) hearing and/or present a victim statement
• Request copies of PBC decisions
• Submit a victim statement to the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and/or the PBC
• Submit a court order to CSC

No — Offenders do not have the right to be notified when a victim registers with the Correctional Service of Canada or the Parole Board of Canada.

Note: If you choose to submit information (such as a victim statement), the law requires that we provide the offender with a copy as they are entitled to see all information that will be used in decision-making. However, no personal information about the victim who provided the information, other than the victim's name, is shared with the offender.

The personal information you provide during the Victims Portal registration process will be used to:

• confirm your status as a victim of the offender(s)
• contact you with any questions regarding your registration request
• provide you with offender updates and/or any additional information you have requested

Note: If you have named a representative to receive offender information on your behalf, we will contact your representative with any questions regarding your registration request.

Upon request, registered victims have the right to receive the following information about the offender who harmed them:

• the offender's name
• the offence for which the offender was convicted and the court that convicted the offender
• the date of commencement and length of the sentence that the offender is serving
• any eligibility dates and review dates applicable to the offender relating to escorted and unescorted temporary absences, day and full parole, statutory release and long term supervision orders.

Registered victims may, upon request, receive additional information if we determine that the victim's interest clearly outweighs the compromise of the offender's privacy resulting from the disclosure.

Additional information may include:

• the offender's age
• the location of incarceration
• the date of any release of the offender the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) has approved
• the date of any PBC review
• any conditions imposed
• the reason for an unescorted temporary absence
• the reason why an offender waived a hearing (if a reason was given)
• the destination of the offender when released and whether the offender will be near the victim while travelling to that destination
• whether the offender is in custody and, if not, the reason why
• any appeal of a PBC decision by the offender and the outcome

For more details on the types of information registered victims may receive, see Victims of Crime - Staying Informed.

Additionally, the PBC can provide a copy of their decisions to victims upon request. For more information on PBC decisions, see Parole Board Decisions.

For more information, see Victim Notification - Correctional Service of Canada, Victims: Receiving Information - Parole Board of Canada or call us at the numbers below.

Agency	Phone
Correctional Service of Canada	1-866-806-2275
Parole Board of Canada	1-866-789-4636

No — As mandated by the Government of Canada, offender updates cannot be transmitted by email as they contain sensitive personal information about the offender. Offender updates can only be provided by mail, to a secure fax number, directly to a victim or a victim representative over the phone, or through the Victims Portal.

Yes — Victims of crime may name a representative to receive information about the offender on their behalf. Representatives fall into two categories:

• Individual Representative — an individual, such as a family member or friend
• Agency Representative — an agent from a government, police or community victim services agency

Note: Victims may name a representative when registering for a Victims Portal account. Once named, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and/or the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) will contact the named representative using the contact information you provided to confirm their participation and contact preferences. Once confirmed, CSC and/or PBC will contact your representative directly to provide offender information.

For more information on victim representatives, see Victim Representatives.

Once registered as a victim, you can change your representative preferences in your Victims Portal account profile or by contacting the Correctional Service of Canada and/or the Parole Board of Canada at the numbers below.

Agency	Phone
Correctional Service of Canada	1-866-806-2275
Parole Board of Canada	1-866-789-4636

Yes — Registered victims can request that an offender have no contact with them at various times during the criminal justice process. In order of sequence:

Role of courts

Anytime during the court process, the sentencing judge can issue an order prohibiting the offender from communicating, directly or indirectly, with any person, victim or witness. This order comes to an end when the offender is sentenced.

Role of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)

Anytime during the incarceration of an offender under CSC jurisdiction, a victim can submit a written request to CSC requesting that an offender be prevented from communicating with them and/or their family. As well, an offender may be prevented from communicating with members of the public by mail or telephone when:

• The Institutional Head or designate believes, on reasonable grounds, that the safety of any person, both in the institution and the community would be jeopardized; or
• The Institutional Head or designate is satisfied that the intended recipient of the communication, or the parent or guardian of an intended recipient who is a minor, does not want to receive communications from the inmate.

Role of the Parole Board of Canada (PBC)

A victim can submit a written victim statement to the PBC at any time. Your victim statement can help Board members appreciate the circumstances and seriousness of the offence. It may also help Board members assess the offender's release plan, the likelihood of the offender committing another offence, or of re-offending violently. Your victim statement may also assist members in deciding if special conditions are necessary to further manage the risk that the offender may present.

No contact at Warrant Expiry (End of full sentence)

Under the law, an offender must be released at the warrant expiry date (WED) of their sentence. An offender release at WED means that the offender has served the full length of their sentence and that their sentence has come to end. At this time, CSC and the PBC no longer have the authority to impose a release condition. If CSC has reasonable grounds to believe that the offender may pose a threat to someone in society, CSC can inform the police of the offender's release. With the information given by CSC, police services can apply to the courts to ask for a "peace bond" under section 810 of the Criminal Code. A "peace bond" can include various conditions, including a "no contact" condition. A "peace bond" is a court order that allows the police to protect the public by requiring an individual who poses a threat to society to abide by specific conditions for up to one year. Victims can contact their local police services or victim services to find out more about Peace Bonds.

For more information, please contact CSC or PBC at the numbers below.

Agency	Phone
Correctional Service of Canada	1-866-806-2275
Parole Board of Canada	1-866-789-4636

Yes — Victims already registered with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and/or the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) can request a Victims Portal account by signing in to the Victims Portal using your GCKey or through your secure Sign-In Partner, selecting "I am already registered with CSC and/or PBC as a victim and would like to view information on this secure website." and entering your information.

Once received, a CSC or PBC representative will confirm your existing account and will create a new Victims Portal account. Once completed, you will receive notification that your new Victims Portal account is available.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact CSC or PBC at the numbers below.

Agency	Phone
Correctional Service of Canada	1-866-806-2275
Parole Board of Canada	1-866-789-4636

If you have consulted the Help Centre and cannot find a suitable answer to your question, please contact the Correctional Service of Canada or the Parole Board of Canada at the numbers below.

Agency	Phone
Correctional Service of Canada	1-866-806-2275
Parole Board of Canada	1-866-789-4636

If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please contact Victims Portal Help Desk between 8AM and 4PM ET, Monday to Friday at 1-866-806-2275 and press “6”. You may leave a message outside of our office hours and your call will be returned within two business days.