Adult Correctional Services in Canada, 2005-2006

The federal government and the provincial and territorial governments share the administration of correctional services in Canada, which include custody (sentenced custody, remand and other temporary detention) and community-based sentences (probation, conditional sentences) as well as statutory release and parole supervision. Correctional services agencies at both levels work toward the same goal, that is, the protection of society as well as the rehabilitation of offenders and their safe reintegration into communities as productive members.

This Juristat reports on data from the Adult Correctional Services Survey and the Resources, Expenditures and Personnel (REP) Survey for the 2005/2006 fiscal year, and shows trends in these data from 1996/1997. It examines the number of admissions of adults to custody and community supervision, such as probation, conditional sentence and conditional release (parole and statutory release). The offences leading to the admission, the duration of the incarceration or probation, as well as some offender characteristics, such as age, sex and Aboriginal identity are also described. Furthermore, the cost of correctional services in 2005/2006, broken down by type of activity and level of government is examined. The average daily inmate costs from 1996/1997 to 2005/2006, as well as the number of correctional institutions in Canada in 2005/2006 are reported.