Crime and justice

Description:

From 1978 to 1997 there were 12,871 victims of homicide in Canada. Family members were responsible for nearly one-third (31%) of these, another 39% were committed by acquaintances, and 12% by strangers. Throughout the period, women and girls were most likely to be killed by a family member (50%), whereas, men and boys were most likely to be killed by acquaintances (46%).

Description:

Changes in legislation, policies and programs on the part of both federal and provincial/territorial governments have occurred as part of a response to the problem of family violence. This section highlights a few of the responses by provincial courts, the federal correctional system, the network of transition homes and shelters across the country, as well as recent changes in provincial/territorial legislation.

Description:

This article looks at the factors that increase the chances of youth becoming involved in crime.

Description:

The Youth Custody and Community Services (YCCS) Survey is a micro-data survey, conducted annually since 1992. The YCCS survey collects data from jurisdictional operational systems via electronic interfaces. Data are forwarded to the Centre, processed, and returned to jurisdictions as aggregate data tables for verification and sign-off. The survey collects a wide array of information on young offender admissions to custody and community services (e.g., custody type, crime committed, sentence length, age, gender, Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal). The YCCS annual report is the primary vehicle for disseminating young offender information on prison populations and the use of community sanctions. To date, there have been four releases (Initiative only) of the YCCS annual report. Jurisdictional coverage varied from report to report since YCCS interfaces were phased-in over several years.

Interface projects have been completed, and data are being collected from Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, and Yukon. In addition, the interface project for Nova Scotia is nearing completion. Together, these jurisdictions represent 47% of the national coverage of youth corrections. While the development of an electronic interface is presently not feasible in some jurisdictions, Ontario and Quebec are able to provide some of the aggregate data required to populate the tables contained in the annual report. With the addition of Ontario and Quebec in 1998-99, only data from Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories would be missing from the annual report.

Further, in preparation for the proposed release of YCCS data, and as part of Statistics Canada's ongoing survey review process, the YCCS survey is currently undergoing a detailed methodological review, with particular attention to data quality issues and output.

The inclusion of aggregate data from Ontario and Quebec will increase the coverage of the YCCS significantly. Also, the methodological review of the YCCS will assess the reliability of the data elements covered in the annual report. Since the survey has been in operation since 1992 and since the YCCS is the primary source of young offender information on prison populations and the use of community sanctions.

Description:

This report studies the feasibility of collecting quantitative information on organized criminal activity in Canada, including size and composition of organized crime groups, links between various criminal organizations, and types of illegal activities.

Description:

The report, which represents the first phase of a special study commissioned by the National Justice Statistics Initiative, is intended as a reference document on administrative and operational policies with respect to alternative measures for both youth and adults in Canada. The study focussed on the collection of national descriptive information on the organization and delivery of youth and adult alternative measures established pursuant to the Young Offenders Act (Canada) (1984) and the Sentencing Reform Act (1996).

Topics covered include the philosophy of the alternative measures, responsibility for program delivery, referral agent, the role of the police, the Crown, and the victim, the right to legal counsel. Eligibility criteria, a flowchart outlining the alternative measures process, a description of the alternative measures agreement, the range of alternative measures, the supervision of and completion of the agreement, and information regarding record keeping requirements. Where available, appendices have been attached that provide samples of forms currently in use in the jurisdiction as well as any currently available alternative measures data. It is important to note that data contained in the jurisdictional appendices are provided as a sample only. No analysis has been performed on the data nor have any inter-jurisdictional comparisons been made as there has been no attempt to ensure standard definition or time frames for the data.

Description:

This Juristat profiles three populations of inmates: women, Aboriginal people and individuals serving life sentences. These data are based on a census of adult inmates on register in all adult correctional facilities as of midnight October 5th, 1996. Data were obtained through administrative records.

While the general population in Canada was made up almost equally of men and women, women comprised only 5% of prisoners in correctional facilities on October 5, 1996. Female inmates tended to be in their early 30s, single, with grade 9 education or less, and unemployed at the time of admission. They were considered at lower risk to re-offend than men.

Aboriginal people were over-represented in the prison system. Although they comprised only 2% of the general adult population, they accounted for 17% of the prison population. They were younger on average than non-Aboriginal inmates, had less education and were more likely to have been unemployed. They were also considered at higher risk to re-offend, and they had a higher set of needs than non-Aboriginal inmates (including, substance abuse, employment, personal needs and family/marital needs).

The data also showed that as of midnight October 5th, 1996, inmates serving a life sentence comprised nearly one-fifth (18%) of the nearly 13,900 inmates in federal prisons. A person can be given a life sentence if they have been convicted of offences such as first degree or second-degree murder. Parole eligibility varies from minimum ten years served to minimum 25 years served.

Individuals serving life sentences tended to be older and less educated than others in the prison population. The median age for lifers on snapshot day was 39, compared with 33 for other inmates. More than one-half (56%) of lifers had a grade 9 education or less, compared with 44% of other inmates.

In addition, a majority (84%) of inmates serving life sentences were considered at high risk to re-offend, a much higher proportion than the 53% of other inmates. Not surprisingly, lifers also had a higher set of needs, that is, problem areas requiring intervention, such as personal and emotional issues, marital and family problems, attitude and problems functioning in the community.

For more information or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, or to order a copy of the Juristat, contact Information and Client Services (613-951-9023 or 1-800-387-2231), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.

Description:

This series of reports provides detailed statistics and analysis on a variety of topics and issues concerning Canada's justice system. Annual Juristats are produced on areas such as: crime, homicide, youth and adult courts, and corrections. Additional Juristats are also produced each year on current topics of interest to the justice community. This is a unique periodical, of great interest to those who have to plan, establish, administer and evaluate justice programs and projects, or anyone who has an interest in Canada's justice system.

Description:

Over the past twenty years, there has been growing public awareness and concern about the occurrence of sexual offending and the personal and societal costs associated with these acts. There has been a gradual reduction in the stigma associated with being a victim of these crimes and, as supports for victims have developed, there has been an apparent increased willingness of victims to report these crimes to police, often long after the abuse has occurred. In many cases, the perpetrators of these crimes are in trusted positions of authority and the victims are dependent children. This Juristat presents statistical data on the prevalence of sexual offences reported to the police and the characteristics of the offenders and victims involved. It also highlights some of the salient issues associated with the response of the justice system and the public to offenders and their victims. Data sources include statistics collected by the police, courts and correctional institutions. These official sources probably represent only a small portion of all sexual offences and offenders, since results from victimization surveys suggest that as many as 90% of all sexual offences are not reported to the police. Data concerning victims of sexual offences, including information available from victimization surveys, are presented in the final section of this report.

Description:

Providing effective treatment and rehabilitation of young offenders, and ensuring the safety of Canadian communities are primary objectives of the youth justice system. The Young Offenders Act, proclaimed in 1984, introduced rights for adolescents previously guaranteed for adults only; recognized the special needs of youths due to varying levels of maturity; the necessity for youths to accept responsibility for unlawful action; and the right of society to protection from illegal behaviour. In response to concerns about the effectiveness of the law, the current Young Offenders Act will soon be replaced by new legislation. The Youth Court Survey, through the collection and dissemination of youth court information, continues to assist policy-makers and program managers as they redefine the nature of Canada’s youth justice system. The Youth Court Survey captures the court process and response to youth crime rather the prevalence of criminal activity.

Description: This dashboard presents key indicators for preliminary quarterly data on adult criminal and youth courts, by offence and sex of the accused, Canada, provinces and territories.

Description: Preliminary quarterly key indicator percentage change (year-over-year) on adult criminal courts and youth courts, by offence and sex of accused, for all reporting provinces and territories.

Description: Preliminary quarterly key indicator results and year-over-year absolute change (refers to the simple difference in the indicator over two periods of time (new-old)) for adult criminal courts and youth courts, by offence and sex of accused, for all reporting provinces and territories.

Description: Number and rate (per 100,000 population) of homicide victims, Canada and Census Metropolitan Areas, 1981 to 2023.

Description: This interactive data visualization dashboard provides an overview of police-reported crime in Canada. The dashboard features statistics on the crime rate, Crime Severity Index and for key violations on an annual basis and over the last 10 years. Information is available at different levels of geography including by Canada, province and territory and census metropolitan area.

Description: This interactive data visualization dashboard provides a focus on police-reported violations in Canada. Users can select for one or more violations or violation groups to view statistics over the last 10 years and at different geographies. This dashboard provides the number of incidents, rate, and year-over-year percentage change in rate for each violation, as well as incident clearance information. It also provides a comparison between each province and territory and each census metropolitan area for the selected violation(s).

Description: This interactive data visualization dashboard allows users to compare high-level police-reported information across different geographies, including for Canada, by province and territory and by census metropolitan area. Users can select for one or more geographies to view incident-level statistics or Crime Severity Index information over the last 10 years and as year-over-year percentage changes.

Description: This interactive data visualization dashboard provides an overview of police-reported homicide in Canada. The dashboard features statistics on the homicide rate and number of homicides on an annual basis starting in 2014. Detailed incident characteristics (method, firearm type, gang-related) and victim characteristics (identity group, gender, age, relationship to the accused) are also available. Information is available at different levels of geography including by Canada, province and territory and census metropolitan area.

Description: Police-reported cybercrime, by cyber-related violation (homicide, invitation to sexual touching, sexual exploitation, luring a child via a computer, voyeurism, non-consensual distribution of intimate images, extortion, criminal harassment, indecent/harassing communications, uttering threats, fraud, identity theft, identity fraud, mischief, fail to comply with order, indecent acts, child pornography, making or distribution of child pornography, public morals, breach of probation), Canada (selected police services), 2014 to 2023.

Description: Police-reported cybercrime, number of incidents and rate per 100,000 population, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police, 2014 to 2023.

Description: Online child sexual exploitation and abuse encompasses a broad range of behaviors, including those related to child sexual abuse material, sexting materials, sextortion, grooming and luring, live child sexual abuse streaming and made-to-order content. Building on a previously published article focusing on the prevalence, trends and characteristics of police-reported online child sexual exploitation and abuse in Canada, the current article focuses on the pathways of these incidents through the justice system. Using linked data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey and the Integrated Criminal Court Survey, the current article examines criminal justice outcomes of online child sexual exploitation and abuse incidents that were reported to police between 2014 and 2020, focusing on how incidents progressed to court, and their court outcomes.

Description: Using multiple surveys, this article examines cyberbullying and cybervictimization among Canadian youth and young adults aged 12 to 29. With rates of online and social media use being high among young people, there is an increased risk of online forms of bullying and victimization. This paper examines the prevalence of cyberbullying and cybervictimization among young people, with a focus on identifying the at-risk populations, behaviours related to prevalence, such as internet and smart phone usage, and the association of online victimization with other forms of victimization, such as fraud and assault.

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: Using 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, this infographic looks at the prevalence of cyberbullying among youth aged 12 to 17 and the relationship between frequency of social media use and cyberbullying. It also examines potential factors to protect youth against the online victimization.

Description:

This Juristat article presents information on the nature and extent of crime in the rural areas of the Canadian provinces. This includes analysis of recent trends in crime rates and severity in rural and urban areas, both at the national and provincial levels. The report also examines the specific nature and extent of crime in rural areas of the provincial North. Analysis uses police-reported data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey and the Homicide Survey, as well as self-reported data from General Social Survey on Canadians' Safety (Victimization).

Description: Infographic with main findings from the "Police-reported crime in rural and urban areas in the Canadian provinces, 2021" Juristat article.

Description: In Canada, national-level estimates have primarily focused on physical types of child maltreatment (e.g., physical abuse, sexual abuse), while less is known about non-physical types of maltreatment (e.g., emotional abuse, exposure to intimate partner violence, physical neglect). Using data from the 2018 Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces, this study examines the percentage of individuals living in Canada who reported experiencing no maltreatment, only non-physical types of maltreatment, only physical types of child maltreatment, or both non-physical and physical child maltreatment.

Description: This Juristat article examines police-reported data on men and boys' experiences with violent victimization in Canada. Some self-reported data are also presented. Overall, it provides information on rates of victimization, and the characteristics of incidents, victims and accused persons.

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: Using retrospective data from the Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS), this Juristat article examines factors associated with an elevated likelihood of experiencing childhood victimization and further identifies adult outcomes that are associated with experiences of childhood victimization, including adult mental and physical health, drug and alcohol use, and subsequent victimization in adulthood. The article also includes information on additional experiences of child maltreatment, including experiences of emotional abuse and neglect and witnessing violence in the home.

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.