Renouncing parole in Quebec: between the constraints of a measure and the expression of a power to act

For several decades, a number of scholars have highlighted the prominence of empowerment-oriented approaches in the field of social intervention, particularly with respect to the most vulnerable members of society (Parazzelli, Bourbonnais, 2017; Bourbonnais, Parazelli, 2018). Quebec’s correctional services, including the Quebec Parole Board, are no exception: the notions of accountability and personal commitment to change constitute central pillars of the parole decision-making process. Yet, annual statistical data reveal that nearly half of incarcerated individuals forgo submitting an application for parole, thereby relinquishing the possibility of an early release.

This article seeks to examine this phenomenon through the lens of empowerment, and more specifically the degree to which incarcerated individuals do – or do not – possess the capacity to exercise agency within the framework of correctional supervision. Our findings indicate that they are confronted with a host of constraints: limited choice and suitability of follow-up programs; restricted access to resources and means of action; and insufficient recognition of their capacities. These barriers generate conditions of powerlessness, which stand in stark contradiction to approaches intended to enhance agency. We conclude that the decision that the waiver of parole should be interpreted as an expression of this powerlessness, and perhaps even as the only available means by which an incarcerated person can retain a measure of control over their own life.