Prince George is home to three times the national average number of parolees on a per capita basis - something officials say is a reflection of the city's status as a regional centre for Northern B.C.
As of Oct. 2010, there were 79 parolees per 100,000 people living in the city, a look at Correctional Services Canada numbers showed, compared to the national average of 25 and the provincial average of 28 for communities with more than 25,000 people.
The total also means Prince George has the fourth highest number of parolees in British Columbia and the eighth highest in Canada on a per capita basis. Victoria topped both lists at 187 and, at 167, New Westminster was second while Chilliwack, at 94, was third provincially and seventh nationally.
The statistics are based on data obtained by the Vancouver Sun through the federal Access to Information Act.
Correctional Services Canada spokesperson Sara Parkes told the newspaper there is "a definite parallel" between the number of parolees and the number of halfway houses and parole offices in a city.
Prince George has six halfway houses and the only parole office in Northern B.C.
The numbers come as no surprise to Prince George RCMP Const. Craig Douglass.
"We are the regional centre for all of Northern B.C.," Douglass said and added police keep an eye on convicts out on parole and probation.
"We monitor those with conditions," he said. "For instance curfew checks are part of our program. If they have curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., there's a good chance we're going to knock on those doors two or three times a night and they're aware of it."
There are roughly 8,500 former federal inmates in Canada on day parole, full parole or statutory release.
While some are required to live in a halfway house, most are free to live on their own but they must report their current address to their parole officer, who then records it in the government's Offender Management System.
Parolees must continue to report their address until the end of their sentence. Those sentenced to life in prison, such as murderers, must check in with a parole officer until they die.
Inmates can apply for day parole six months before they become eligible for full parole. On day parole, offenders are required to come back to a designated facility, such as a halfway house, each night.
Once an offender graduates to full parole, they are more or less free to live where they wish.
