2008 Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview

2008 Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview PDF Version (3.3 MB)

Erratum
A correction has been made to Table D7 (p. 92). The 2007-08 statistic for successful completions of accelerated day parole should read 84.6% rather than 11.4%.

Section A: Context - Crime and the Criminal Justice System

Police-reported crime rate has been decreasing since 1991

Enlarge image

• The crime rate increased during the 1980's and has steadily decreased since.
• The property crime rate in 2007 was 41% lower than in 1983 and 46% lower since peaking in 1991.
• Violent crime peaked in 1992, gradually decreased until 2004. After two years of small increases, the violent crime rate decreased 2.5% last year.

Note:
Violent crimes include homicide, attempted murder, assault, sexual offences, abduction and robbery.
Property crimes include break and enter, motor vehicle thefts, other thefts, possession of stolen goods and fraud.
These crime statistics are based on crimes that are reported to the police. Since not all crimes are reported to the police, these figures underestimate actual crime. See Figure A6 for rates based on victimization surveys (drawn from the General Social Survey), an alternative method of measuring crime.

Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
Rates are based on incidents reported per 100,000 population.
Due to rounding, rates may not add to Totals.

Crime Rates are Higher in the West and Highest in the North

Click to enlarge image.

• Crime rates are higher in the west and highest in the Territories. This general pattern has been stable over time.
• The Canadian crime rate dropped from 7,543 in 2006 to 6,984 in 2007.

Note:
The crime rate represents all Criminal Code incidents excluding traffic violations and other federal statutes, such as drug offences.

Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
Rates are based on 100,000 population.
The crime rate represents all Criminal Code incidents excluding traffic violations and other federal statutes, such as drug offences.

Canada's Incarceration Rate is High Relative to most Western European Countries

Click to enlarge image.

Source: World Prison Brief, International Centre for Prison Studies, retrieved October 2008 from www.prisonstudies.org.

• Canada's incarceration rate is higher than the rates in most Western European countries but much lower than the United States, which had an incarceration rate of 762 per 100,000 general population in 2007-08.
• The incarceration rate in Canada has decreased 18% from 131 per 100,000 in 1996 to 108 per 100,000 in 2007-08, whereas most Western European rates have remained stable or increased during the same time period.

Note:
The incarceration rate, in this figure, is a measure of the number of people (i.e., adults and youth) in custody per 100,000 people in the general population. Incarceration rates available from the World Prison Brief are based on the most recently available data from 2007 or 2008. Different practice and variations in measurement in different countries limit the comparability of these figures.

Source: World Prison Brief, International Centre for Prison Studies, retrieved October 2008 from www.prisonstudies.org.

Note:
*Incarceration rates available from the World Prison Brief are based on the most recently available data from 2007 or 2008.
Rates are based on 100,000 population.
-- Figures not available.

The Rate of Adults Charged has Declined Since 1982

Click to enlarge image.

Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

• The rate of adults charged declined steadily from 1991 to 1999, and has fluctuated since. 
• The rate of women charged with violent crimes rose almost fourfold between 1981 and 2001, and then leveled off at approximately 150 women charged per 100,000 women in the population. In comparison, the rate of men charged with violent crime increased almost 2.5 times between 1982 and 1993 when it peaked at 930 men charged per 100,000 men in the population. The rate for men has since decreased to approximately 800 in 2007. 

Note:
Violent crimes include homicide, attempted murder, assault, sexual offences, abduction and robbery.
Property crimes include break and enter, motor vehicle thefts, other thefts, possession of stolen goods and fraud.
Total charged includes adults charged under the Criminal Code as well as adults charged under other Federal Statutes such as the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Fisheries Act, the Customs Act, the Indian Act and the Employment Insurance Act but excludes provincial statute offences and municipal by-laws.

Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
*Examples of other Federal Statutes include: the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Fisheries Act, the Customs Act, the Indian Act and the Employment Insurance Act.
**Total charged excludes provincial statute offences and municipal by-laws.
Rates are based on 100,000 population, 18 years of age and older.
Due to rounding, rates may not add to Totals.

Administration of Justice Charges Account for 24% of Charges in Adult Courts

Click to enlarge image.

Source: Adult Criminal Court Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

• Administration of justice charges (offences related to case proceedings such as failure to appear in court, failure to comply with a court order, breach of probation, and unlawfully at large) account for almost one quarter of charges before the courts. 
• Apart from charges of administration of justice, impaired driving, which has decreased in each of the last three years, is the most frequent federal statute charge in adult courts.

Note:
The concept of a case has changed from previous editions of this report to more closely reflect court processing. Statistics from the Adult Criminal Court Survey used in this report should not be compared to those in previous editions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.

Source: Adult Criminal Court Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
Weapons have been included under "Crimes Against the Person" in this report. The Adult Criminal Court Survey groups these offences under "Other Criminal Code". Table excludes Youth Criminal Justice Act/Young Offenders Act offences. The Adult Criminal Court Survey groups these offences under "Other Federal Statutes". Due to rounding, percentages may not add to 100 percent. Data from this survey are not nationally comprehensive as they do not include Manitoba for years prior to 2005-06, or Northwest Territories in 2003-04. In addition, Superior Court data are not reported to the Adult Criminal Court Survey for Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan. The concept of a case has changed from previous editions of this report to more closely reflect court processing. Statistics from the Adult Criminal Court Survey used in this report should not be compared to those in previous editions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.

Victimization Rates for Theft of Personal Property Have Increased

Enlarge image.

Source: General Social Survey, Statistics Canada, 1999 and 2004.

• Victimization rates for theft of personal property were higher in 2004 than in 1999.
• Rates of victimization for assault were slightly lower in 2004 than in 1999.

Note:
*Assault data includes incidents of spousal violence. In previous editions of this document, the victimization data excluded incidents of spousal violence.
The next General Social Survey is in 2009.
Rates are based on 1,000 population, 15 years of age and older.

Source:  General Social Survey, Statistics Canada, 1999 and 2004.

Note:
*Assault data includes incidents of spousal violence. In previous editions of this document, the victimization data excluded incidents of spousal violence.
The next General Social Survey is in 2009.
Rates are based on 1,000 population, 15 years of age and older.

The Majority of Victims of Violent Crime are Under 30

Click to enlarge image.

Source: Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

• More than half (54.3%) of all victims of violent crime reported in 2007 were under the age of 30, whereas 37.5% of the Canadian population is under the age of 30.
• Females aged 20 to 44 years were more likely than males of that age to be victims of a violent crime.
• Canadians aged 65 and older who account for 13.5% of the general population, represent 1.9% of victims.

Note:
Violent crimes include homicide, attempted murder, assault, sexual offences, abduction, robbery and traffic offences causing bodily harm and death.
The data do not represent 100% coverage. As of December 31, 2007, there were 951 police departments and detachments reporting full-year data to the Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey and they represented approximately 93.8% of the population of Canada. The data excludes 4,236 cases where age was unknown, 2,428 cases where sex was unknown and 475 cases where both age and sex were unknown.
Due to rounding, totals may not add to 100 percent. 

Source: Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
The data do not represent 100% coverage. As of December 31, 2007, there were 951 police departments and detachments reporting full-year data to the Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey and they represented approximately 93.8% of the population of Canada. The data excludes 4,236 cases where age was unknown, 2,428 cases where sex was unknown and 475 cases where both age and sex were unknown.
Due to rounding, totals may not add to 100 percent.  

Most Adult Custodial Sentences Ordered by the Court are Short

Click to enlarge image.

Source: Adult Criminal Court Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

• Over half (54.6%) of all custodial sentences imposed by adult courts are less than one month.
• Prison sentences for men tend to be longer than for women. Over two-thirds (69.9%) of women and just over half of men (52.9%) who are incarcerated upon conviction receive a sentence of one month or less, and 92.1% of women and 85.1% of men receive a sentence of six months or less.
• Of all convictions that result in custody, only 4.2% result in federal jurisdiction (i.e., a sentence of two years or more).

Note:
Due to rounding, totals may not add to 100 percent.
Excludes cases where length of prison sentence was not known.
Data from this survey are not nationally comprehensive as they do not include Manitoba for any years prior to 2005-06, Northwest Territories for 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 and Nunavut for 2001-02. In addition, Superior Court data are not reported to the Adult Criminal Court Survey for Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan. The concept of case has changed in the Adult Criminal Court Survey to more closely reflect court processing. As a result, these figures should not be compared to the court statistics reported in previous editions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.

Source: Adult Criminal Court Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
Due to rounding, totals may not add to 100 percent.
Excludes cases where length of prison sentence was not known.
Data from this survey are not nationally comprehensive as they do not include Manitoba for any years prior to 2005-06, Northwest Territories for 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 and Nunavut for 2001-02. In addition, Superior Court data are not reported to the Adult Criminal Court Survey for Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan. The concept of case has changed in the Adult Criminal Court Survey to more closely reflect court processing. As a result, these figures should not be compared to the court statistics reported in previous editions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.

Relativly few crimes result in sentences to federal Penitentiaries

Click to enlarge image

• There were about 2.7 million crimes reported to police in 2007.
• During 2007-08, 5,007 offenders were sentenced to federal jurisdiction (i.e., two years or more).

Note:
*This figure only includes provincial court convictions and partial data from Superior Court. The concept of case has changed in the Adult Criminal Court Survey to more closely reflect court processing. As a result, these figures should not be compared to the court statistics reported in previous editions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.
Police data are reported on a calendar year basis whereas court and prison data are reported on a fiscal year basis (April 1 through March 31).

Source: ¹Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Adult Criminal Court Survey and Adult Corrections Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada; ²Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
^*This figure only includes provincial court convictions and partial data from Superior Court. The concept of case has changed in the Adult Criminal Court Survey to more closely reflect court processing. As a result, these figures should not be compared to the court statistics reported in previous editions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.
Police data are reported on a calendar year basis whereas court and prison data are reported on a fiscal year basis (April 1 through March 31).

The Rate of Youth Charged Peaked in 1991 and has Declined Steadily Since

Click to enlarge image

• The rate of youth* charged has decreased since 1991.
• In 2003, there was a notable decrease in all major crime categories, in part attributable to the implementation of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) in April 2003, which places greater emphasis on diversion. In 2007, there was a 2% increase in the rate of youth charged by police. However, the rate of youth cleared by other means, such as diversion programs, declined 4%.

Note:
*For criminal justice purposes, youth are defined under Canadian law as persons aged 12 to 17 years.
Violent crimes include homicide, attempted murder, assault, sexual offences, abduction and robbery.
Property crimes include break and enter, motor vehicle thefts, other thefts, possession of stolen goods and fraud.
In 2007, 42% of all youths charged with violent crimes were charged with assault level 1 (minor assault).

Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
*For criminal justice purposes, youth are defined under Canadian law as persons aged 12 to 17 years.
Rates for "Total" are based on 100,000 youth population (12 to 17 years).
Rates for "Females" are based on 100,000 female youth population (12 to 17 years) and rates for "Males" are based on 100,000 male youth population (12 to 17 years).

The Most Common Youth Court Case is Theft

Click to enlarge image

• Following the enactment of the Youth Criminal Justice Act in 2003, fewer youth are in court.
• Theft is the most common case in youth court.
• Homicides and related offences account for 0.1% of all youth cases.
• Females account for 22% of all cases, but they account for 35% of common assaults.

Note:
*Youth Criminal Justice Act offences include failure to comply with a disposition or undertaking, contempt against youth court, assisting a youth to leave a place of custody and harbouring a youth unlawfully at large. Also included are similar offences under the Young Offenders Act, which preceded the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
**"Administration of Justice" category includes the offences failure to appear, failure to comply, breach of recognizance, escape and unlawfully at large.
The concept of a case has changed in the Youth Court Survey to more closely reflect court processing. As a result, these figures should not be compared to the youth court statistics reported in previous editions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.

Source: Youth Court Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
*"Other Administration of Justice" includes the offences failure to appear, failure to comply, and breach of recognizance.
**Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) offences include failure to comply with a disposition or undertaking, contempt against youth court, assisting a youth to leave a place of custody and harbouring a youth unlawfully at large. Also included are similar offences under the Young Offenders Act, which preceded the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The concept of a case has changed in the Youth Court Survey to more closely reflect court processing. As a result, these figures should not be compared to the youth court statistics reported in previous editions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.  

Fewer youth are receiving custodial sentences under the YCJA

Click to enlarge image

• Consistent with the objectives of the YCJA, fewer youth are sentenced to custody. In 2006-07, about 17% of all guilty cases resulted in the youth being sentenced to custody. This compares to 27% of all guilty cases in 2002-03.
• In 2006-07, 59% of youth found guilty were given probation, down from 70% in 2002-03, the last year of the Young Offenders Act.
• Of the new YCJA sentences, deferred custody and supervision orders were handed down the most frequently. In 2006-07, 3.3% of all guilty cases received such an order.  

Note:
*"Other" includes absolute discharge, restitution, prohibition, seizure, forfeiture, compensation, pay purchaser, essays, apologies, counseling programs and conditional discharge. Commencing in 2003-04, it also includes conditional sentence, intensive support and supervision, attendance at non-residential program and reprimand.
The concept of a case has changed in the Youth Court Survey to more closely reflect court processing. As a result, these figures should not be compared to the youth court statistics reported in previous editions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.

Source: Youth Court Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
*"Other" includes absolute discharge, restitution, prohibition, seizure, forfeiture, compensation, pay purchaser, essays, apologies, counseling programs and conditional discharge. Commencing in 2003-04, it also includes conditional sentence, intensive support and supervision, attendance at a non-residential program and reprimand.
The concept of a case has changed in the Youth Court Survey to more closely reflect court processing. As a result, these figures should not be compared to the youth court statistics reported in previous editions of the Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview.

Section B: Corrections Administration

Federal Expenditures on corrections increased in 2006-07

Click to enlarge image

• In 2006-07, expenditures on federal corrections in Canada totaled about $1.91 billion.
• Federal expenditures on corrections, in constant dollars, increased 11.3% from 2002-03 to 2006-07.
• The per capita cost adjusted for inflation was lower in 2002-03 than in 2006-07.
• Federal correctional expenditures represent less than 1% of the total federal government budget.
• Provincial/territorial expenditures totaled just over $1.39 billion in 2005-06 (see Adult Correctional Services Survey, Statistics Canada). 

Note:
Federal expenditures on corrections include the spending by the Correctional Service Canada (CSC), the National Parole Board (NPB) and the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI). The expenditures for the CSC include both operating and capital costs. CSC expenditures exclude CORCAN (a Special Operating Agency that conducts industrial operations within penitentiaries).
Constant dollars represent dollar amounts calculated on a one-year base (2002) that adjusts for inflation allowing the yearly amounts to be directly comparable. Changes in the Consumer Price Index were used to calculate constant dollars.

Source: Correctional Service Canada; National Parole Board; Office of the Correctional Investigator; Statistics Canada Consumer Price Index.

Note:
Due to rounding, constant dollar amounts may not add to "Total".
Per capita cost is calculated by dividing the total expenditures by the total Canadian population and thus represents the cost per Canadian for federal correctional services.
Constant dollars represent dollar amounts calculated on a one-year base (2002) that adjusts for inflation allowing the yearly amounts to be directly comparable. Changes in the Consumer Price Index were used to calculate constant dollars.

CSC employees are concentrated in custody centres

Click to enlarge image

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

• The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has a total staff of about 15,400.**
• Approximately 77% of CSC staff work in institutions.
• Staff employed in community supervision account for 8% of the total.

Note:
*These parole officers are situated within institutions, with the responsibility of preparing offenders for release.
**CSC has changed its definition of employee. Previously the total number of employees included casual employees, employees on leave without pay and suspended employees. These categories have been removed from the total as of 2005-06. These numbers represent active employees as of March 31, 2008.  

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
*These parole officers are situated within institutions, with the responsibility of preparing offenders for release.
**The "Other" category represents job classifications such as trades and food services.
***CSC has changed its definition of employee. Previously the total number of employees included casual employees, employees on leave without pay and suspended employees. These categories have been removed from the total as of 2005-06. These numbers represent active employees as of March 31, 2008. Due to rounding, percentages may not add to 100.

The cost of keeping an inmate incarcerated has increased

Enlarge image

• The federal average daily inmate cost has increased from $222 in 2002-03 to $255 in 2006-07. 
• In 2006-07, the annual average cost of keeping an inmate incarcerated was $93,030 per year, up from $81,206 per year in 2002-03. In 2006-07, the annual average cost of keeping a male inmate incarcerated was $90,744 per year, whereas the annual average cost for incarcerating a woman was $166,830. 
• It costs substantially less to maintain an offender in the community than to keep that individual incarcerated ($23,076 per year versus $93,030 per year).

Note:
The average daily inmate cost includes those costs associated with the operation of the institutions such as salaries and employee benefit plan contributions, but excludes capital expenditures and expenditures related to CORCAN (a Special Operating Agency that conducts industrial operations within penitentiaries).
In 2001-02, the cost allocation methodology was refined to better reflect expenditures directly related to offenders. In addition, the cost of keeping a woman incarcerated includes the cost of maximum security units for women co-located within institutions for men.

Source: Public Accounts of Canada, Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
Exchange of Services Agreements are agreements that the Correctional Service of Canada has with the provinces and territories to cover costs associated with the provinces and territories providing services to federal offenders.
The Average Cost per Offender is calculated by dividing the total costs for the year by the average number of offenders in the institutions over the year. The total cost includes money received from the provinces for maintaining provincial offenders in federal facilities. The average number of offenders includes the number of provincial offenders maintained in federal facilities.

The number of National Parole Board employees

Enlarge image

• The total number of full-time equivalents used by the National Parole Board increased since 1998-99.

Note:
Section 103 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act limits the National Parole Board to 45 full-time members.

Source: National Parole Board.

Note:
*As of 2006-07, the Receiver General and Treasury Board Secretariat reporting requirements have been changed from Business Line to Strategic Outcome. Consequently, data regarding Conditional Release Openess and Accountability is unavailable prior to 2006-07.
**The National Parole Board transferred the Information Technology function to Correctional Services of Canada effective April 1st, 2007. This represented a reduction of 23 full-time equivalents.
Section 103 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act limits the National Parole Board to 45 full-time members.

The number of employees in the Office of the Correctional Investigator

Enlarge image

• The total number of full-time equivalents at the Office of the Correctional Investigator has remained stable over the past four years.
• In 2007-08, close to 6,400 complaints/inquires* were received by the Office of the Correctional Investigator. 

Note:
*The Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) may commence an investigation on receipt of a complaint by or on behalf of an offender or on its own initiative. Complaints are made by telephone, letter and during interviews with the OCI's investigative staff at federal correctional facilities. The dispositions in response to complaints involve a combination of internal responses (where the information or assistance sought by the offender can generally be provided by the OCI's investigative staff) and investigations (where, further to a review/analysis of law, policies and documentation, OCI investigative staff make an inquiry or several interventions with Correctional Service Canada and submit recommendations to address the complaint). Investigations vary considerably in terms of scope, complexity, duration and resources required.

Source: Office of the Correctional Investigator.

Health care is the most common area of offender complaint received by the Office of the Correctional Investigator

Enlarge image

• There were 6,398 complaints/inquires* received at the Office of the Correctional Investigator in 2007-08.
• Health care (13.3%), institutional transfers (8.7%), and cell property (8.1%) accounted for 30% of all complaints.

Note:
*The Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) may commence an investigation on receipt of a complaint by or on behalf of an offender or on its own initiative. Complaints are made by telephone, letter and during interviews with the OCI's investigative staff at federal correctional facilities. The dispositions in response to complaints involve a combination of internal responses (where the information or assistance sought by the offender can generally be provided by the OCI's investigative staff) and investigations (where, further to a review/analysis of law, policies and documentation, OCI investigative staff make an inquiry or several interventions with Correctional Service Canada and submit recommendations to address the complaint). Investigations vary considerably in terms of scope, complexity, duration and resources required.

Source: Office of the Correctional Investigator.

Note:
*The Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) may commence an investigation on receipt of a complaint by or on behalf of an offender or on its own initiative. Complaints are made by telephone, letter and during interviews with the OCI's investigative staff at federal correctional facilities. The dispositions in response to complaints involve a combination of internal responses (where the information or assistance sought by the offender can generally be provided by the OCI's investigative staff) and investigations (where, further to a review/analysis of law, policies and documentation, OCI investigative staff make an inquiry or several interventions with Correctional Service Canada and submit recommendations to address the complaint). Investigations vary considerably in terms of scope, complexity, duration and resources required.
**Other refers to other types of complaints not specified in the table and includes Claims Against the Crown, Community Programs/Supervision, Correspondence, Death or Serious Injury, General Decision/Implementation, Diet, Discipline, Discrimination, Food Services, Harassment, Health and Safety/Worksite, Ion Scan/Drug Dog, Mental Health, Methadone, Official Languages, Operation/Decisions of the OCI, Release Procedures, Request for Information, Search and Seizure, Sentence Administration/Calculation, Temporary Absence Decision, Urinalysis and Use of Force. 

Section C
Offender Population

Federal offenders under the jurisdiction of Correctional Service of Canada

Enlarge image

Definitions:

Total Offender Population includes male and female federal offenders who are incarcerated (serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions and those on temporary absence), offenders who are temporarily detained, actively supervised, on bail, escaped, unlawfully at large and those that have been deported.

Incarcerated includes male and female federal offenders serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions.

On Bail includes offenders on a judicial interim release; they have appealed their conviction or sentence and have been released to await the results of a new trial.

Actively Supervised includes federal offenders on day parole, full parole or statutory release, as well as those who are in the community on long-term supervision orders.

Community Supervision includes federal offenders on day parole, full parole, statutory release, or in the community supervised on a long term supervision order, as well as those who are temporarily detained or paroled for deportation.

Temporarily Detained includes offenders who are physically held in a provincial detention centre or a federal institution after being suspended for a breach of a parole condition or to prevent a breach of parole conditions.

Deported includes offenders for whom a deportation order has been issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Escaped includes offenders who have absconded from either a correctional facility or while on a temporary absence and whose whereabouts are unknown.

Unlawfully at Large includes offenders who have been released to the community on day parole, full parole, statutory release or a long term supervision order for whom a warrant for suspension has been issued, but has not yet been executed.

(as of April 13, 2008)

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
It is possible for an offender under federal jurisdiction to serve his or her sentence in a provincial institution. The data presented include these offenders as they are still under federal jurisdiction.  

The number of incarcerated federal offenders increased in 2007-08

Enlarge image

• Following consecutive decreases in the federal incarcerated offender population from 1998-99 to 2003-04, there were small increases in each of the last four years.
• The provincial/territorial sentenced offender population in custody decreased from 1997-98 to 2005-06 while the remand population increased during this period. Since 2005-06, the number of remanded inmates exceeded the number of sentenced inmates in provincial/territorial custody.

Note:
*The data reflect the number of offenders incarcerated at the end of each fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.
The term "incarcerated federal offenders" refers to those offenders serving a sentence of two years or more who are currently serving their sentence in a federal or provincial correctional facility. These numbers include those offenders who are in the community on some form of temporary absence at the time of the count. These numbers do not include those offenders who have had their supervision period suspended and are temporarily detained, those offenders who are on bail, or those offenders who have escaped and have not yet been recaptured at the time of the count.

Source: ¹Correctional Service Canada; ²Adult Correctional Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
Incarcerated includes male and female federal offenders serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions.
The figures for federal offenders reflect yearly snapshots as of the last day of each fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year. The figures for provincial and territorial offenders reflect annual average counts.
-- Data not available.

The number of admissions to federal jurisdiction has increased over the past decade

Enlarge image

• The number of admissions increased 9.2% in the last 10 years from 7,815 to 8,531. During the same time period, the total federal offender population increased 3.3% from 22,108 to 22,831.
• Following increases in the number of warrant of committal admissions of 5.1% and 7.0% in 2005-6 and 2006-07, there was a decrease of 2.2% in 2007-08. 

Note:
*"Other" includes transfers from other jurisdictions (exchange of services), terminations, transfers from foreign countries, and admissions where a release is interrupted as a consequence of a new conviction.
These numbers refer to the federal jurisdiction admissions during each fiscal year and may be greater than the actual number of offenders admitted, since an individual offender may be admitted more than once in a given year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.   

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
*"Other" includes transfers from other jurisdictions through exchange of services, terminations, transfers from foreign countries, and admissions where a release is interrupted as a consequence of a new conviction.
These numbers refer to the federal jurisdiction admissions during each fiscal year and may be greater than the actual number of offenders admitted, since an individual offender may be admitted more than once in a given year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.

The number of women admitted from the courts to federal jurisdiction increased over the past decade

Enlarge image

• In the last ten years, the number of women admitted to federal jurisdiction increased 32.3% from 232 in 1998-99 to 307 in 2007-08. During the same time period, there was an increase of 6.6% in the number of men admitted to federal jurisdiction.   
• The number of women admitted to federal jurisdiction under warrant of committal decreased from 318 in 2006-07 to 307 in 2007-08.
• Overall, women continue to represent a small proportion of the total number of admissions (i.e., 6.1% in 2007-08).
• As of April 13, 2008, there were 495 women incarcerated in Canada under federal jurisdiction.

Note:
A warrant of committal is a new admission to federal jurisdiction from the courts.

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
A warrant of committal is a new admission to federal jurisdiction from the courts.

Offender age at admission to federal jurisdiction is increasing

Enlarge image

• In 2007-08, 36.8% of offenders admitted to federal jurisdiction were between the ages of 20 and 29, and 28.1% were between 30 and 39 years of age. 
• The distribution of age upon admission is similar for both men and women.
• The median age of the population upon admission has increased from 31 in 1998-99 to 33 in 2007-08.
• The number of offenders between the ages of 40 and 49 at admission has increased from 694 (15.0%) in 1998-99 to 1,062 (21.2%) in 2007-08, whereas the number of offenders between the ages of 30 and 34 decreased from 827 (17.8%) in 1998-99 to 718 (14.3%) in 2007-08.

Note:
A warrant of committal is a new admission to federal jurisdiction from the courts.

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
A warrant of committal is a new admission to federal jurisdiction from the courts.
Due to rounding, percentages may not add to 100 percent.

The average age at admission is lower for Aboriginal offenders than for non-Aboriginal offenders

Enlarge image

• Of those offenders admitted to federal jurisdiction in 2007-08, 49.4% of Aboriginal offenders were under the age of 30, compared to 38.6% of non-Aboriginal offenders.
• The median age of Aboriginal offenders at admission is 30, compared to a median age of 33 for non-Aboriginal offenders. 

Note:
A warrant of committal is a new admission to federal jurisdiction from the courts.

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
A warrant of committal is a new admission to federal jurisdiction from the courts.
Due to rounding, percentages may not add to 100 percent.

17% of the federal incarcerated offender population is age 50 or over

Enlarge image

• In 2007-08, 57.7% of incarcerated offenders were under the age of 40 while 38.8% of the Canadian population was under the age of 40.
• In 2007-08, 16.8% of the incarcerated federal offender population was above the age of 50 while 40.6% of the Canadian population was above the age of 50.
• The community federal offender population was older than the incarcerated population; 28.0% of offenders in the community were over 50, compared to 16.8% of the incarcerated offenders in this age group.

Note:
*Preliminary Postcensal Estimates, July 1, 2007; Demography Division, Statistics Canada.
Incarcerated includes male and female federal offenders serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions, as well as those on temporary absence.

Source: Correctional Service Canada; Statistics Canada.

Note:
*Preliminary Postcensal Estimates, July 1, 2007; Demography Division, Statistics Canada.
Incarcerated includes male and female federal offenders serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions, and those on temporary absence.
Community supervision includes federal offenders on day parole, full parole, statutory release or in the community supervised on a long term supervision order, as well as those who are temporarily detained or paroled for deportation.
The data presented is a snapshot of the offender population as of April 13, 2008.
Due to rounding, percentages may not add to 100.0.

68% of federal offenders are Caucasian

Enlarge image

• The federal offender population is diverse; however, 67.5% of offenders identify themselves as Caucasian.
• Since 2002-03, the Aboriginal population has increased from 3,394 to 3,932.

Note:
These data are self-identified by offenders while they are incarcerated, and the categories are not comprehensive; therefore, the reader should interpret these data with caution.
"Aboriginal" includes offenders who are Inuit, Innu, Métis and North American Indian. "Asian" includes offenders who are Arab, West Indian, Asiatic, Chinese, East Indian, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, South East Asian and South Asian. "Hispanic" includes offenders who are Hispanic and Latin American.
The data reflects the total offender population, which includes male and female federal offenders who are incarcerated (serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions, and those on temporary absence), offenders who are on community supervision, on bail, escaped and unlawfully at large. Community supervision includes federal offenders on day parole, full parole, statutory release, or in the community supervised on a long term supervision order, as well as those who are temporarily detained or paroled for deportation.

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
The data reflects the total offender population, which includes male and female federal offenders who are incarcerated (serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions and those on temporary absence), offenders who are on community supervision, on bail, escaped and unlawfully at large. Community supervision includes federal offenders on day parole, full parole, statutory release, or in the community supervised on a long term supervision order, as well as those who are temporarily detained or paroled for deportation.
These data are self-identified by offenders while they are incarcerated, and the categories are not comprehensive; therefore, the reader should interpret these data with caution.
The data reflect the number of offenders active at the end of each fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.
Due to rounding, percentages may not add to 100.0.

The religious identification of the offender population is diverse

Enlarge image

• The religious identification of the current federal offender population is diverse. The two most frequently declared religions are Catholic (40.2%), and Protestant (20.0%).
• Religious identification is unknown for 6.4% of offenders, whereas 15.9% stated they have no religion.

Note:
Religious identification is self-declared by offenders while they are incarcerated, and the categories are not comprehensive; therefore, the reader should interpret these data with caution.
Catholic includes offenders who are Catholic, Roman-Catholic, Greek-Catholic, Native-Catholic and Ukrainian-Catholic.
Orthodox includes offenders who are Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and Ukrainian Orthodox.
Protestant includes offenders who are Anglican, Baptist, Christian Missionary, Christian Reform, Hutterite, Lutheran, Mennonite, Moravian, Native Spirit Protestant, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Protestant, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist, United Church, Christ Methodist, Christ Wesleyan and Worldwide Church.
Other includes other declared identifications such as Agnostic, Atheist, Baha'i, Christian Science, Hindu, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Rastafarian, Scientology, Siddha Yoga, Taoism, Pagan, Sufiism, Wicca and Zoroastrian.
The data reflect the total offender population, which includes federal offenders who are incarcerated (serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions, and those on temporary absence) and federal offenders who are on community supervision, on bail, escaped and unlawfully at large. Community supervision includes federal offenders on day parole, full parole, statutory release, or in the community supervised on a long term supervision order, as well as those who are temporarily detained or paroled for deportation. 

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
Religious identification is self-declared by offenders while they are incarcerated, and the categories are not comprehensive; therefore, the reader should interpret these data with caution.
The data reflect the total offender population, which includes federal offenders who are incarcerated (serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions, and those on temporary absence) and federal offenders who are on community supervision, on bail, escaped and unlawfully at large. Community supervision includes federal offenders on day parole, full parole, statutory release, or in the community supervised on a long term supervision order, as well as those who are temporarily detained or paroled for deportation.
The data reflect the number of offenders active at the end of each fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.
Due to rounding, percentages may not add to 100.0.

11% of federal offenders have a mental health diagnosis at admission

Enlarge image

• The percentage of offenders committed to federal jurisdiction with a mental health diagnosis at time of admission is increasing.
• In 2007-08, 11.1% of offenders committed to federal jurisdiction had a mental health diagnosis at time of admission and 6.1% were receiving outpatient services prior to admission.
• In 2007-08, 30.1% of female offenders compared to 14.5% of male offenders had previously been hospitalized for psychiatric reasons.
• The percentage of federally incarcerated offenders prescribed medication for psychiatric concerns at admission has almost doubled from 11.0% in 1998-99 to 21.3% in 2007-08.
• Female offenders are twice as likely as male offenders to have a mental health diagnosis at time of admission.

Note:
Data are from the Correctional Service of Canada's Offender Intake Assessment process, where all new admissions are screened at intake.
The percentage is taken from answers "Yes" and "No" to the Mental Health Indicator at time of admission. The unknown and the blank answers are not taken into consideration in the denominator.

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
Data are from the Correctional Service of Canada's Offender Intake Assessment process, where all new admissions are screened at intake.
The percentage is taken from answers "Yes" and "No" to the Mental Health Indicator at time of admission. The unknown and the blank answers are not taken into consideration in the denominator.

The proportion of Aboriginal offenders incarcerated is higher than for non-Aboriginal offenders

Enlarge image

• As of April 13, 2008, the proportion of offenders incarcerated was about 10% greater for Aboriginal offenders (69.9%) than for non-Aboriginal offenders (60.0%).
• Aboriginal women represent 33.1% of all incarcerated women while Aboriginal men represent 19.1% of incarcerated men.
• In 2007-08, Aboriginal offenders represented 17.3% of the total federal offender population while Aboriginal adults represent 4.0% of the Canadian adult population*.
• Aboriginal offenders accounted for 19.6% of the incarcerated population and 13.6% of the community population in 2007-08.

Note:
*2006 Census, Statistics Canada.
Incarcerated includes male and female federal offenders serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions.
The data reflect the number of offenders active at the end of each fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year. 

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
Incarcerated includes male and female federal offenders serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions.
Community supervision includes federal offenders on day parole, full parole, statutory release, or in the community supervised on a long term supervision order, as well as those who are temporarily detained or paroled for deportation.
The data reflect the number of offenders active at the end of each fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year. 

The majority of incarcerated federal offenders are classified as medium security risk

Enlarge image

• Approximately two-thirds (65.1%) of federal offenders are classified as medium security risk. 
• Compared to non-Aboriginal offenders, a lower percentage of Aboriginal offenders are classified as minimum security risk (14.8% vs. 22.0%) and a higher percentage are classified as medium (69.1% vs. 64.1%) and maximum (16.1% vs. 13.9%) security risk.  

Note:
The data represent the offender security level decision, as of April 13, 2008.

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
*The "not yet determined" category includes offenders who have not yet been classified.
The data represent the offender security level decision, as of April 13, 2008.
Incarcerated offenders include male and female federal offenders serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions, as well as those on temporary absence.

Admissions with a life or indeterminate sentence stabilized over the last three years

Enlarge image

• From 2006-07 to 2007-08, the number of admissions to federal jurisdiction with a life/indeterminate* sentence increased by 1.2%. The number of admissions with life/indeterminate sentences was 3.6% lower in 2007-08 than it was in 1998-99.
• As of April 13, 2008, there were a total of 3,008 offenders incarcerated with a life/indeterminate sentence. Of these, 2,929 (97.4%) were men and 79 (2.6%) were women; 551 (18.3%) were Aboriginal and 2,457 (81.7%) were non-Aboriginal.

Note:
*Although life sentences and indeterminate sentences both may result in imprisonment for life, they are different. A life sentence is a sentence of life imprisonment, imposed by a judge at the time of sentence, for example for murder. An indeterminate sentence is a result of a designation, where an application is made to the court to declare an offender a Dangerous Offender, and the consequence of this designation is imprisonment for an indeterminate period.
A warrant of committal is a new admission to federal jurisdiction from the courts.

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
This table combines offenders serving life sentences and offenders serving indeterminate sentences.
Although life sentences and indeterminate sentences both may result in imprisonment for life, they are different. A life sentence is a sentence of life imprisonment, imposed by a judge at the time of sentence, for example for murder. An indeterminate sentence is a result of a designation, where an application is made to the court to declare an offender a Dangerous Offender, and the consequence of this designation is imprisonment for an indeterminate period.

Offenders with Life or Indeterminate sentences represent 21% of the total offender population

Enlarge image

• As of April 13, 2008, there were 4,865 offenders serving a life sentence and/or an indeterminate sentence. This represents 21.3% of the total offender population. The majority (62.8%) of these offenders were in custody. Of the 1,810 offenders who were being supervised in the community, the majority (82.3%) are serving a life sentence for 2nd Degree Murder.  
• There are 18 offenders who are serving both a life sentence and an indeterminate sentence. There are 418 offenders who are serving not only an indeterminate sentence as a result of a special designation, but also a determinate sentence for their crimes. The remaining 4,429 offenders have not received a special designation, but are serving a life sentence.
• 95.1% of the 388 Dangerous Offenders with indeterminate sentences were incarcerated and 4.9% were supervised in the community. In contrast, 48.7% of the 39 Dangerous Sexual Offenders and none of the 9 Habitual Offenders were incarcerated.

Note:
* Although life sentences and indeterminate sentences may both result in imprisonment for life, they are different. A life sentence is a sentence of life imprisonment, imposed by a judge at the time of sentence, for example for murder. An indeterminate sentence is a result of a designation, where an application is made to the court to declare an offender a Dangerous Offender, and the consequence of this designation is imprisonment for an indeterminate period. The Dangerous Sexual Offender and Habitual Offender designations were replaced with Dangerous Offender Legislation in 1977. 

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
*Other offences include Schedule 1, Schedule 2 and Non-Schedule types of offences.
**This includes six offenders designated as Dangerous Offenders who are serving determinate sentences.
***Other in the Community includes federal offenders on bail, statutory release, on a long term supervision order, deported, have escaped, or are unlawfully at large. As offenders serving a life or indeterminate sentence are ineligible for Statutory Release, this includes a total of 126 offenders who have been deported, five on bail, 10 escapes, and 27 unlawfully at large.
Offenders in custody include offenders who are temporarily detained and presently in custody.

68% of federal offenders are serving a sentence for a violent offence*

Enlarge image

• As of April 13, 2008, a greater proportion of Aboriginal offenders than non-Aboriginal offenders were serving a sentence for a violent offence (79.8% versus 66.1%, respectively).
• 73.4% of Aboriginal women offenders were serving a sentence for a violent offence compared to 48.1% of non-Aboriginal women offenders.
• Of those offenders serving a sentence for Murder, 4.0% were women and 16.0% were Aboriginal.
• A greater proportion of Aboriginal offenders than non-Aboriginal offenders were serving a sentence for a Schedule I offence (62.5% versus 47.2%, respectively).
• 6.9% of Aboriginal offenders were serving a sentence for a Schedule II offence compared to 18.4% of non-Aboriginal offenders.
• 30.2% of women were serving a sentence for a Schedule II offence compared to 15.7% for men.

Note:
*Violent offence includes Murder I, Murder II and Schedule I offences.
Schedule I is comprised of sexual offences and other violent crimes excluding first and second degree murder (see the Corrections and Conditional Release Act).
Schedule II is comprised of serious drug offences or conspiracy to commit serious drug offences (see the Corrections and Conditional Release Act).
In cases where the offender is serving a sentence for more than one offence, the data reflect the most serious offence.

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
*Violent offence includes Murder I, Murder II and Schedule I offences.
Schedule I is comprised of sexual offences and other violent crimes excluding first and second degree murder (see the Corrections and Conditional Release Act).
Schedule II comprises serious drug offences or conspiracy to commit serious drug offences (see the Corrections and Conditional Release Act).
The data reflect the total offender population, which includes male and female federal offenders who are incarcerated (serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions, and those on temporary absence), offenders who are on community supervision, on bail, escaped and unlawfully at large. Community supervision includes federal offenders on day parole, full parole, statutory release, or in the community supervised on a long term supervision order, as well as those who are temporarily detained or paroled for deportation.
These figures are based on the offender population as of April 13, 2008.

The number of federal Aboriginal offenders is increasing

Enlarge image

• From 1998-99 to 2007-08, the federal Aboriginal population increased by 19.7%.
• The number of incarcerated Aboriginal women increased steadily from 71 in 1998-99 to 164 in 2007-08, an increase of 131.0% in the last ten years. The increase for incarcerated Aboriginal men was 15.9% for the same period, increasing from 2,151 to 2,493. 
• The number of Aboriginal offenders on community supervision increased from 1998-99 to 2007-08, an increase of 19.9% in the last ten years, from 956 to 1,146. The Aboriginal community population accounted for 13.6% of the total community population in 2007-08.

Note:
*Incarcerated includes male and female federal offenders serving their sentences in federal or provincial institutions.
**Community supervision includes federal offenders on day parole, full parole, statutory release, or in the community supervised on a long term supervision order, as well as those who are temporarily detained or paroled for deportation.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada

Note:
Regional statistics for the Correctional Service of Canada account for data relating to the northern territories in the following manner: data for Nunavut are reported in the Ontario Region, data for the Northwest Territories are reported in the Prairies region and data for the Yukon Territories are reported in the Pacific Region.

The number of offender deaths while in federal custody has fluctuated

Enlarge image

• In the ten-year period from 1996-97 to 2005-06, 532 federal offenders have died while in custody.
• During this time period, suicides accounted for 20.9 % of federal offender deaths. The suicide rate for incarcerated federal offenders was approximately 86.0 per 100,000 people*, significantly higher than Canada's 2004 rate of 11.3 suicides per 100,000 people.
• Between 1996-97 and 2005-06, 7.3% of the deaths were due to homicide. The homicide rate for incarcerated federal offenders was approximately 30.2 per 100,000 people*, significantly higher than the national homicide rate of 1.8 per 100,000 people in 2007.

Note:
*For the calculation of rates, the total actual in-count between 1996-97 and 2005-06 was used as the denominator.

Source: Adult Correctional Services Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
Percent calculation includes deaths where the cause was unknown. Between 1996-97 and 2005-06, there were seven deaths where the cause was unknown.

The number of escapes has decreased

Enlarge image

• In 2007-08, there were 29 escape incidents involving a total of 33 inmates. Of these 33 escapees, 32 had been recaptured as of April 1, 2008. 
• In 2007-08, all the escapees were from minimum security facilities.
• Inmates who escaped from federal institutions in 2007-08 represented less than 0.2% of the inmate population.

Source: Security, Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
The data represent the number of escape incidents from federal facilities during each fiscal year. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.
An escape incident can involve more than one offender.

The supervised federal offender population in the community has decreased in the last decade

Enlarge image

• After decreases in the federal offender population in the community under active supervision** from 1999-00 to 2004-05, there has been a small increase in each of the last three years.
• In 2007-08, there were 6,308 men and 483 women on active community supervision.  
• While the number of statutory releases has remained relatively constant, the number of day paroles and full paroles has decreased over the past decade. 

Note:
*A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.
**The data presented above do not include offenders temporarily detained following suspension of a conditional release, offenders who were on long term supervision orders (See Figure/Table E4), offenders paroled for deportation or offenders unlawfully at large.
Day parole is a type of conditional release granted by the National Parole Board whereby offenders are permitted to participate in community-based activities in preparation for full parole or statutory release. The conditions require offenders to return nightly to an institution or half-way house unless otherwise authorized by the National Parole Board.
Full parole is a type of conditional release granted by the National Parole Board whereby the remainder of the sentence is served under supervision in the community.
Statutory release refers to a conditional release that is subject to supervision after the offender has served two-thirds of the sentence.

Source: Correctional Service Canada.

Note:
*Percent change is measured from the previous year.
These cases reflect the number of offenders on active supervision at fiscal year end. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.
The data presented above do not include offenders temporarily detained following suspension of a conditional release, offenders who were on long term supervision orders (See Figure/Table E4), offenders paroled for deportation or offenders unlawfully at large. 

Conditional Sentences have increased the provincial/territorial community corrections population

Enlarge image

• Since the introduction of the conditional sentence as a sentencing option in September 1996, the number of offenders serving a conditional sentence has increased steadily although the numbers have leveled off in recent years.
• In 2005-06, the total number of offenders on probation was 98,073.
• Probation counts have fluctuated at about 100,000 offenders for over the past decade.

Note:
As of press time, the 2006-07 statistics were unavailable for this publication.
A conditional sentence is a disposition of the court where the offender serves a term of imprisonment in the community under specified conditions. This type of sentence can only be imposed in cases where the term of imprisonment would be less than two years. Conditional sentences have been a provincial and territorial sentencing option since September 1996.
Probation count data are not available for Nunavut in 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03 and 2003-04 and for New Brunswick in 2000-01. Data are not available from the Northwest Territories for all years except 2002-03.
--Data reporting conditional sentences begins in 1997-98 as this was the first full year for which data were available. For 1998-99 and 1999-00, figures are not available for Prince Edward Island. For 1997-98 to 2000-01, figures are not available for New Brunswick. For 1997-98 to 2005-06, figures are not available for the Northwest Territories. For 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03 and 2003-04 figures are not available for Nunavut.  

Source: Adult Corrections Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
As of press time, the 2006-07 statistics were unavailable for this publication.
A conditional sentence is a disposition of the court where the offender serves a term of imprisonment in the community under specified conditions. This type of sentence can only be imposed in cases where the term of imprisonment would be less than two years. Conditional sentences have been a provincial and territorial sentencing option since September 1996.
Probation count data are not available for Nunavut in 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03 and 2003-04 and for New Brunswick in 2000-01. Data are not available from the Northwest Territories for all years except 2002-03.
--Data reporting conditional sentences begins in 1997-98 as this was the first full year for which data were available. For 1998-99 and 1999-00, figures are not available for Prince Edward Island. For 1997-98 to 2000-01, figures are not available for New Brunswick. For 1997-98 to 2005-06, figures are not available for the Northwest Territories. For 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03 and 2003-04 figures are not available for Nunavut.  

The number of offenders on provincial parole has increased

Enlarge image

• The number of offenders on provincial parole decreased from 1996-97 to 2004-05, but experienced a slight increase in 2005-06.

Note:
As of press time, the 2006-07 statistics were unavailable for this publication.
Provincial parole boards operate in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. The National Parole Board has jurisdiction over granting parole to provincial offenders in the Atlantic and Prairie provinces and to territorial offenders in the Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories.

Source: Adult Corrections Survey, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada.

Note:
As of press time, the 2006-07 statistics were unavailable for this publication.
*The data represent the number of provincial offenders who are released from custody on the authority of the National Parole Board and supervised by the Correctional Service of Canada.
Provincial parole boards operate in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. The National Parole Board has jurisdiction over granting parole to provincial offenders in the Atlantic and Prairie provinces and to territorial offenders in the Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories.

Section D

Conditional Release

The federal parole grant rate has stabilized

Enlarge image

• In 2007-08, the grant rates for day parole and full parole were 70.7% and 43.0%, respectively.
• The grant rates for day parole and full parole were relatively stable between 2003-04 and 2005-06, before decreasing in 2006-07. The rates have been stable since that time. The day parole and full parole grant rates are at their lowest levels in the last decade.
• Federal day parole and full parole grant rates are higher for female offenders than for male offenders.

Note:
The grant rate represents the percentage of pre-release reviews resulting in a grant by the National Parole Board.
Day parole is a type of conditional release granted by the National Parole Board in which offenders are permitted to participate in community-based activities in preparation for full parole or statutory release. The conditions require offenders to return nightly to an institution or half-way house unless otherwise authorized by the National Parole Board.
Not all offenders apply for day parole, and some apply more than once before being granted day parole.
Full parole is a type of conditional release granted by the National Parole Board in which the remainder of the sentence is served under supervision in the community.
The National Parole Board must review the cases of all offenders for full parole at the time prescribed by legislation, unless the offender advises the National Parole Board in writing that he/she does not wish to be considered for full parole.

Source: National Parole Board.

Note:
The grant rate represents the percentage of pre-release reviews resulting in a grant by the National Parole Board.
Day parole is a type of conditional release granted by the National Parole Board in which offenders are permitted to participate in community-based activities in preparation for full parole or statutory release. The conditions require offenders to return nightly to an institution or half-way house unless otherwise authorized by the National Parole Board.
Not all offenders apply for day parole, and some apply more than once before being granted day parole.
Full parole is a type of conditional release granted by the National Parole Board in which the remainder of the sentence is served under supervision in the community.
The National Parole Board must review the cases of all offenders for full parole at the time prescribed by legislation, unless the offender advises the National Parole Board in writing that he/she does not wish to be considered for full parole.

The federal parole grant rate for Aboriginal offenders increased last year

Enlarge image

• The day parole grant rate for Aboriginal offenders increased in 2007-08, while it remained stable for non-Aboriginal offenders. The rate was 1.2% lower for Aboriginal offenders than that of non-Aboriginal offenders in 2007-08.
• The full parole grant rate for Aboriginal offenders increased 3.8% in 2007-08 to 32.9% from 29.1% in 2006-07. In 2007-08, the rate was 11.6% lower than that for non-Aboriginal offenders.

Note:
The grant rate represents the percentage of pre-release reviews resulting in a grant by the National Parole Board.
Day parole is a type of conditional release granted by the National Parole Board in which offenders are permitted to participate in community-based activities in preparation for full parole or statutory release. The conditions require offenders to return nightly to an institution or half-way house unless otherwise authorized by the National Parole Board.
Not all offenders apply for day parole, and some apply more than once before being granted day parole.
Full parole is a type of conditional release granted by the National Parole Board in which the remainder of the sentence is served under supervision in the community.
The National Parole Board must review the cases of all offenders for full parole at the time prescribed by legislation, unless the offender advises the National Parole Board in writing that he/she does not wish to be considered for full parole.