Crime and justice

Description:

This paper discusses in detail issues dealing with the technical aspects of designing and conducting surveys. It is intended for an audience of survey methodologists.

In order to compensate for unreported, missing, unreasonable, or unusable data, the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program conducts data estimations and imputations using a variety of statistical methods. This paper illustrates how offence and arrest data are estimated using a variety of different approaches. The paper also points out the strengths and the shortcomings of each approach.

Description:

This report presents a description of the organization and operation of provincial and territorial maintenance enforcement programs. It describes the relevant provincial legislation, highlights latest developments, provides a general description of each program, describes how each manages cases, intake/withdrawal procedures, tracing, monitoring, payment processing and enforcement practices. As such, the reader will be able to identify the variations and similarities between the various programs. All of the maintenance enforcement programs rely upon several federal acts to collect, trace and enforce support payments. Therefore, a review of the relevant federal legislation is presented first, followed by a description of each provincial and territorial maintenance enforcement program.

Description:

This report is an examination of the annual police-reported crime in Canada. Data are presented within the context of both short and long term trends. The analysis focuses on trends in violent crime, property crime, other Criminal Code offences, impaired driving offences, drug offences and youth crime. Crime rates are examined at the national and provincial/territorial levels, as well as for major metropolitan areas. The trend in Canada's crime rate is put into perspective by comparing it with crime trends in some other industrialized countries. This is an annual periodical of great interest to those who work within the criminal justice system or anyone who is interested in crime in Canada.

Description:

Using data from the Homicide Survey and a combination of other statistical data sources this Juristat will examine spousal homicide trends over the period 1974-2000. In 1991 changes were made to the Homicide Survey providing more detailed breakdowns of the relationship between victims and offenders permitting comparisons of married, common-law, separated and divorced couples as well as boyfriends and girlfriends. This allows trends in other intimate partner homicides (e.g. boyfriends and girlfriends) to be examined from 1991-2000. These trends in spousal homicide will be assessed within the context of other factors, including improvements to women’s economic and social well-being (e.g. average annual income, delayed marriage and child-rearing), growth in the availability of emergency services for battered women, trends in spousal victims’ use of social services, trends in reporting spousal violence to the police, and the evolution of charging and prosecution policies.

Description:

The 1999 General Social Survey was the first attempt by Statistics Canada to measure spousal violence in a comprehensive way on a traditional victimization survey. Both women and men were asked a module of 10 questions concerning violence by their current or previous spouses and common-law partners. The nature of the violence under study ranged in severity from threats to sexual assault and concerned acts that happened in the 12-month and 5-year periods preceding the survey interview.

Description:

Persons aged 65 years and older constitute one of the fastest growing segments of the Canadian population. In 2000, there were an estimated 3.8 million older men and women representing 13% of the country's total population, up from 9% just 20 years earlier. Declining fertility rates and increased longevity, due primarily to improved health care, have contributed to this rapid growth. And as the baby-boom generation (those born between 1946 and 1965) begins to reach the age of 65 early in the next decade, the absolute number of older adults, as well as their share of the total population, is expected to grow even more quickly. Indeed, by 2021, population projections estimate that older Canadians will number close to 6.7 million or about one-fifth of the total population (George et al. 2001).

Description:

Over the past two decades, the negative consequences of child maltreatment have been extensively studied. Sexual and physical assault, emotional abuse and neglect can have a tremendous impact on the lives of victims and lead to physical health complications, long-term mental health issues, and problems with relationships or social functioning (Latimer 1998). Increasingly, exposure to spousal violence is being recognized as harmful and as putting children at risk for long-term negative effects.

Description:

Bulletins are short documents that provide information or statistics on important justice related topics. The articles cover current issues in justice such as impaired driving, youth and crime, intermittent sentencing, criminal harassment, etc.

Description:

The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics conducted a special study on conditional sentencing in 2001 to improve the level and quality of information available on this disposition and to assess the influence of the new sanction on correctional services caseloads. The purpose of this bulletin is to provide a preliminary examination of the results of the special study, as well as the most current data from the Adult Correctional Services Survey and the Adult Criminal Court Survey.

Description:

This bulletin examines 'home invasions'. Recent high-profile incidents of 'home invasion' have received significant exposure in the media, particularly those where the elderly have been targeted. The impact of 'home invasions' extends beyond the violence of the crime itself to a long-term loss of the victim's sense of safety at home.

Description:

This report uses census data from 1996 and 1991 to provide a quantitative profile of persons working in justice-related professions in Canada. The profile contains a general description of such characteristics as age, average age, highest level of schooling, average employment income and employment status. Furthermore, it provides detailed information on certain groups for which national data were available. These groups include, women and men, Aboriginal people, visible minorities and immigrants.

The justice sectors in this report include: police personnel (including : commissioned police officers and police officers), court personnel (including judges, court officers, justices of the peace, court recorders, medical transcriptionists, sheriffs, bailiffs and court clerks), legal personnel (including, lawyers, Quebec notaries, paralegal and related occupations and legal secretaries), probation and parole officers, correctional officers, and other protective service personnel (including: security guards and related occupations, and other protective service occupations).

Description: This table contains 487 series, with data for years 1962 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years), and is no longer being released. This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (16 items: Canada;Newfoundland and Labrador;Prince Edward Island;Nova Scotia; ...); Type of offence (31 items: All offences, total;Criminal Code, total;Crimes of violence;Murder; ...).

Description:

This report presents a brief overview of the information collected in Cycle 13 of the General Social Survey (GSS). Cycle 13 is the third cycle (following cycles 3 and 8) that collected information in 1999 on the nature and extent of criminal victimisation in Canada. Focus content for cycle 13 addressed two areas of emerging interest: public perception toward alternatives to imprisonment; and spousal violence and senior abuse. Other subjects common to all three cycles include perceptions of crime, police and courts; crime prevention precautions; accident and crime screening sections; and accident and crime incident reports. The target population of the GSS is all individuals aged 15 and over living in a private household in one of the ten provinces

Description:

This annual product presents summary data on cases and charges dealt with in youth courts across Canada. Information is presented by age and gender of the accused, type of offence, court decision and sentence. Tables are presented as a national overview of youth courts in Canada.

Description:

This annual product presents summary data on charges and cases dealt with in adult provincial/territorial criminal courts of nine provinces and territories in Canada. Reporting jurisdictions include: Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. In addition, Alberta and the Yukon report Superior Court data to the Adult Criminal Court Survey. These jurisdictions represent approximately 80% of the national adult criminal court caseload. Information is presented by age and sex of the accused, type of offence, and type of court decision, and by type of sentence imposed for convictions. Tables are presented in two sections. The first section provides an offence overview of charges and cases heard in adult criminal court. The second consists of provincial and territorial overviews of charges and cases heard in adult criminal court.

Description: This table contains 90 series, with data for years 1998 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years), and is no longer being released. This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (15 items: Canada;Newfoundland and Labrador;Prince Edward Island;Nova Scotia; ...); Shelters (6 items: Shelters operating;Shelters who responded;Percentage of shelters responding;Serving urban and suburban areas; ...).

Description: This table contains 24 series, with data for years 1998 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years), and is no longer being released. This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (1 item: Canada); Shelters (3 items: Shelters operating;Shelters who responded;Percentage of shelters responding); Facility type (8 items: Total number of shelters;Transition house;Second stage housing;Safe home network; ...).

Description: This table contains 108 series, with data for years 1998 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years), and is no longer being released. This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (1 item: Canada); Type of resident (3 items: Resident;Non-resident;Ex-resident); Estimates (2 items: Shelters;Percent); Type of in-house service (18 items: Individual short-term counselling;Individual long-term counselling;Group counselling;Family counselling programs; ...).

Description: This table contains 60 series, with data for years 1998 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years), and is no longer being released. This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (15 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Prince Edward Island; Nova Scotia; ...); Type of involvement (4 items: Abused women; Reported to police; Charges laid; Restraining order).

Description: This table contains 45 series, with data for years 1998 - 2000 (not all combinations necessarily have data for all years), and is no longer being released. This table contains data described by the following dimensions (Not all combinations are available): Geography (15 items: Canada; Newfoundland and Labrador; Prince Edward Island; Nova Scotia; ...); Women admitted (3 items: Resident women; Women, population aged 15 and over; Rate per 100,000 women).

Description:

Persons aged 65 years and older constitute one of the fastest growing segments of the Canadian population. In 2000, there were an estimated 3.8 million older men and women representing 13% of the country's total population, up from 9% just 20 years earlier. Declining fertility rates and increased longevity, due primarily to improved health care, have contributed to this rapid growth. And as the baby-boom generation (those born between 1946 and 1965) begins to reach the age of 65 early in the next decade, the absolute number of older adults, as well as their share of the total population, is expected to grow even more quickly. Indeed, by 2021, population projections estimate that older Canadians will number close to 6.7 million or about one-fifth of the total population (George et al. 2001).

Description:

Over the past two decades, the negative consequences of child maltreatment have been extensively studied. Sexual and physical assault, emotional abuse and neglect can have a tremendous impact on the lives of victims and lead to physical health complications, long-term mental health issues, and problems with relationships or social functioning (Latimer 1998). Increasingly, exposure to spousal violence is being recognized as harmful and as putting children at risk for long-term negative effects.

Description:

The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics conducted a special study on conditional sentencing in 2001 to improve the level and quality of information available on this disposition and to assess the influence of the new sanction on correctional services caseloads. The purpose of this bulletin is to provide a preliminary examination of the results of the special study, as well as the most current data from the Adult Correctional Services Survey and the Adult Criminal Court Survey.

Description:

This bulletin examines 'home invasions'. Recent high-profile incidents of 'home invasion' have received significant exposure in the media, particularly those where the elderly have been targeted. The impact of 'home invasions' extends beyond the violence of the crime itself to a long-term loss of the victim's sense of safety at home.

Description:

The 2000 International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS) provides comparable international information on the nature and extent of crime. Respondents supply detailed information on 11 types of crime, including when, where and how often offences occurred over the previous five years; whether offences were reported to the police; and whether victimization experiences were considered serious. Participants give their opinions on public safety, policing and sentencing.

This Juristat presents an overview of the findings of the 2000 ICVS and makes comparisons with previous survey cycles from 1989, 1992 and 1996. The majority of the analysis focuses on data from the following 13 of 17 participants: Canada, Australia, Belgium, England and Wales, Finland, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Sweden and the United States. Canada was one of the 17 industrialized countries that participated in 2000 and is one of five industrialized countries to have participated in all four cycles of the survey.

Description:

In 2000/01, 99,590 cases were processed in the youth courts of Canada. This represents a 2% decrease in the number of cases processed from the previous year and a decrease of 10% from 1996/97.

The number of Property crime cases heard in youth courts decreased annually, dropping 23% between 1996/97 and 2000/01. The number of Violent crime cases has dropped by 6% since 1996/97. The number of Drug-related cases has increased by 30% since 1996/97.

Description:

This series of reports provides detailed statistics and analysis on a variety of topics and issues concerning Canada's justice system. The annual Juristat, Adult criminal court statistics, 2000/01, summarizes trends from provincial/territorial adult criminal courts across Canada, which provided data to the Adult Criminal Court Survey (ACCS) for the 2000/01 fiscal year. In this Juristat, information is presented on the characteristics of cases and accused persons, the number of appearances, conviction rates, sentencing trends and related issues. As well, statistics are presented for a five-year period (1996/97 through 2000/01).

Description:

This series of reports provides detailed statistics and analysis on a variety of topics and issues concerning Canada's justice system. The Juristat, Case Processing in Criminal Courts, 1999/00, summarizes trends from provincial/territorial courts across Canada, which provided data to the Adult Criminal Court Survey (ACCS), and the Youth Court Survey (YCS). The primary focus of this Juristat is the nature and extent of case processing time (elapsed time), with emphasis on those factors which have the greatest impact on the length of time it takes a case to be processed in the court system.

Description:

This Juristat presents and analyzes information on young offender admissions to custody and community services, with breakdowns by custody (secure custody, open custody, remand) and probation, and key case characteristics such as age, sex, Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal status, and most serious offence. In addition, it includes data pertaining to releases from remand, secure custody, and open custody by sex and time served. These breakdowns are presented and analyzed at the national and provincial/territorial level.

Data summarized in this Juristat are primarily drawn from the national Youth Custody and Community Services (YCCS) Survey. The scope of the survey is to collect and analyze information on the application of dispositions under the Young Offenders Act from provincial and territorial agencies responsible for youth corrections and programs.

Description:

This Juristat examines how Canadian crime rates compare to those in the United States. Using police-reported crime data, the analysis focuses on seven comparable offences: homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, break and enter, motor vehicle theft, theft, and arson. As well, three comparable offences were compared using charge/arrest data, including drug violations, impaired driving, and prostitution. Crime rate comparisons are presented at the national, regional, and metropolitan levels. This is a special topic Juristat of great interest to those working in the criminal justice system, as well as researchers, policy makers, and anyone who is interested in cross-national crime comparisons.

Description:

The Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) is an area-based index which uses Census of Population microdata to measure four key dimensions of deprivation at the dissemination area (DA)-level: residential instability, economic dependency, situational vulnerability and ethno-cultural composition. The CIMD allows for an understanding of inequalities in various measures of health and social well-being. While it is a geographically-based index of deprivation and marginalization, it can also be used as a proxy for an individual. The CIMD has the potential to be widely used by researchers on a variety of topics related to socio-economic research. Other uses for the index may include: policy planning and evaluation, or resource allocation.

Description: The Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) is an area-based index which uses Census of Population microdata to measure four key dimensions of deprivation at the dissemination area (DA)-level: residential instability, economic dependency, situational vulnerability and ethno-cultural composition.

The CIMD allows for an understanding of inequalities in various measures of health and social well-being. While it is a geographically-based index of deprivation and marginalization, it can also be used as a proxy for an individual. The CIMD has the potential to be widely used by researchers on a variety of topics related to socio-economic research. Other uses for the index may include: policy planning and evaluation, or resource allocation.

Description:

The User Guide for the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) outlines uses for the index, as well as it provides a brief description of the methodology behind the development of the index. This User Guide also provides instructions on how to use the index, and lists considerations when using the CIMD data.

Description:

This objective of this report is to present the status of national data on Aboriginal people who come into contact with the criminal justice system as offenders and victims. The report examines the current and potential collection of an individual's Aboriginal identity through various justice-related surveys at Statistics Canada, the challenges within these surveys to collect these data and provides some insight into the quality of these data. The data and sources are examined within the context of information needs for the justice and social policy sectors, and in relation to the preferred method of measuring Aboriginal Identity at Statistics Canada. Data sources examined include the Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, the Homicide Survey, the Integrated Criminal Courts Survey, the Adult Corrections Survey, the Youth Custody and Community Services Survey, the Youth Alternative Measures Survey, the Transition Home Survey, the Victim Services Survey and the General Social Survey on Victimization. Finally, the report briefly describes efforts by other countries to improve justice-related information on their indigenous populations.

Description:

This report presents a description of the organization and operation of provincial and territorial maintenance enforcement programs. It describes the relevant provincial legislation, highlights latest developments, provides a general description of each program, describes how each manages cases, intake/withdrawal procedures, tracing, monitoring, payment processing and enforcement practices. As such, the reader will be able to identify the variations and similarities between the various programs. All of the maintenance enforcement programs rely upon several federal acts to collect, trace and enforce support payments. Therefore, a review of the relevant federal legislation is presented first, followed by a description of each provincial and territorial maintenance enforcement program.

Description:

This publication describes the structure and administration of provincial/territorial legal aid services in Canada. It also includes information on legislation, organization, coverage, eligibility, duty counsel and tariffs.

Description:

This publication includes a list of federal and provincial courts across the country. The purpose of this directory is to identify all courts (permanent and most frequently visited circuit points) in Canada by type, level, and location.

Description: The purpose of this survey is to collect education related financial data on all reform and correctional institutions in Canada. These data are used to supplement data collected from the Provincial Public Accounts on provincial expenditures on education.

Description: The purpose of the Police Administration Survey (PAS) is to collect statistics on public policing personnel and expenditures from municipal, provincial and federal police services in Canada. The information collected is used by federal and provincial policy makers, individual police services as well as officials responsible for police budgets. The data are also used by the media for the purpose of providing information to the general public.

Description: The Uniform Crime Reporting Survey was designed to measure the incidence of crime in Canadian society and its characteristics. The information is used by federal and provincial policy makers as well as public and private researchers.