155. For the purposes of sections 116 and 117 of the Act, the releasing ault1ority may authorize an unescorted temporary absence of an offender

for medical reasons to allow the offender to undergo medical examination or treatment that cannot reasonably be provided in the penitentiary;

for administrative reasons to allow the offender to attend to essential personal affairs or legal matters or to matters related to the administration of the sentence that the offender is serving;

for community service purposes to allow the offender to undertake voluntary activity with a non-profit community institution, organization or agency or for the benefit of the community as a whole;

for family contact purposes to assist the offender in maintaining and strengthening family ties as a support to the offender while in custody and as a potential community resource on the offender's release;

for parental responsibility reasons to allow the offender to attend to matters related to the maintenance of a parent-child relationship, including care, nurture, schooling and medical treatment, where such a relationship exists between the offender and the child;

for personal development for rehabilitative purposes to allow the offender to participate in specific treatment activities with the goal of reducing the risk of the offender re-offending, and to allow the offender to participate in activities of a rehabilitative nature, including cultural and spiritual ceremonies unique to Aboriginal peoples, with the goal of assisting the reintegration of the offender into the community as a law-abiding citizen; and

for compassionate reasons to allow the offender to attend to urgent matters affecting the members of the offender's immediate family or other persons with whom the offender has a close personal relationship.

156. (1) An offender may apply in writing to the releasing authority for an unescorted temporary absence for a purpose described in section 155.

    (2) An application referred to in subsection (1) shall not be submitted prior to the twelve-month period preceding the offender's eligibility date for unescorted temporary absence.

    (3) Subject to subsection (4), the releasing authority shall review the case of an offender who applies for an unescorted temporary absence within six months after receiving the application, but in no case is the releasing authority required to review the case before the two months immediately preceding the offender's eligibility date for unescorted temporary absence.

    (4) The releasing authority may postpone an unescorted temporary absence review with the consent of the offender.

    (5) The releasing authority may adjourn an unescorted temporary absence review for a period of not more than two months where the releasing authority requires

further information relevant to the review; or

further time to render a decision.

    (6) The releasing authority is not required to conduct more than one review of an application referred to in subsection (1) every six months in respect of an offender, except an application for an unescorted temporary absence for medical reasons.