Crime and justice

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 study describes people who were incarcerated in federal and provincial/territorial adult facilities at midnight on October 5, 1996. A census was used to gather data on facilities, inmates and security issues.

Description: Number and proportion of federally appointed judges in federal, provincial and territorial courts by gender, Canada, provinces and territories.

Description: Self-reported experience of being harassed or sexually assaulted in the workplace in the past 12 months or prior to the past 12 months among Canadians aged 15 to 64 who worked for pay or were self-employed.

Description: Homeless Shelter Capacity in Canada, bed and shelter counts by target population and geographical location for emergency shelters, transitional housing, and domestic violence shelters.

Description: Number of victims and rate per 100,000 population of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm or death, by age of victim and type of violation, Canada, provinces, territories and census metropolitan areas, 2009 to 2022.

Description: Number of victims and rate per 100,000 population of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm or death, by gender of victim and type of violation, Canada, provinces, territories and census metropolitan areas, 2009 to 2022.

Description: Number of victims and rate per 100,000 population of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm or death, by age and gender of victim, and type of violation, Canada, provinces and territories, 2009 to 2022.

Description: Number of victims and rate per 100,000 population of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm or death, by age and gender of victim, relationship of accused to victim, and type of violation, Canada, 2019 to 2022.

Description: Number of victims and rate per 100,000 population of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm or death committed by family members or other persons, by age and gender of victim, Canada, provinces, territories and census metropolitan areas, 2019 to 2022.

Description: Number of victims and rate per 100,000 population of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm or death committed by intimate partners or other persons, by age and gender of victim, relationship of accused to victim, and type of violation, Canada, 2019 to 2022.

Description: Number of victims and rate per 100,000 population of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing bodily harm or death committed by intimate partners or other persons, by age and gender of victim, Canada, provinces, territories and census metropolitan areas, 2019 to 2022.

Description:

This Juristat Bulletin-Quick Fact examines human trafficking incidents that were reported to police between 2011 and 2021. Information on rates of victimization - and characteristics of victims and accused persons - is presented.

Description:

This annual Juristat article presents 2021 homicide data. Short and long-term trends in homicide are examined at the national, provincial/territorial and census metropolitan area levels. Gang-related homicides, firearm-related homicides, intimate partner homicides, and homicides committed by youth are also explored. This Juristat also presents data for which complete information regarding Indigenous identity has been reported for both victims and accused persons, regardless of gender.

Description:

Using police-reported data from the 2021 Homicide Survey, this infographic is a visual representation of some of these data. Findings include results at the national, provincial and territorial levels. Also included are findings related to the characteristics of victims as well as the prevalence of gang-related and firearm-related homicides.

Description: Using the Canadian Health Survey of Children and Youth (2019), this study provides an understanding of the prevalence and severity of self-reported experiences of bullying among sexually and gender diverse youth (aged 15 to 17). The study also looks at the association between bullying, sexual and gender diversity, and other socio-demographic characteristics, as well as the relationship between bullying and the overall health and well-being of sexually and gender diverse youth.

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

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

Description: This Juristat article presents information on Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) shelters in Canada that are primarily mandated to serve victims of abuse. The article outlines the profile of residents served by the shelters, the types of services offered and operational information including revenues, expenditures, admissions, length of stay and challenges faced. Information regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these shelters are also presented.

Description:

This annual Juristat article presents findings from the 2021 Uniform Crime Reporting Survey. It examines trends in the volume and seriousness of police-reported crime for both violent and non-violent offences at the national, provincial/territorial and census metropolitan area levels. Specific violations, such as homicide, sexual assault, fraud and breaking and entering are examined, as well as trends in youth accused of crime.

Description:

Key statistics about crime in Canada are presented in this infographic. Findings on changes to the Crime Severity Index (CSI) at the national and provincial, territorial levels are presented. Also included are the categories of crime which were reported in 2021.

Description:

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people are overrepresented among victims of violence; a violence that may be rooted in the traumatic history of colonialization. In efforts to better understand the causes, consequences, nature and extent of violent victimization of Indigenous people in Canada, this Juristat article presents data from multiple sources, including the 2019 General Social Survey on Canadian’s Safety (victimization), the 2018 Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces and the Homicide Survey. More specifically, the analysis will focus on lifetime and recent experiences (past 12 months) of violent victimization, trends in spousal violence and homicide, history of childhood abuse or neglect, perceptions of safety from crime, perceptions of the police and experiences of discrimination. Sociodemographic, economic and community-level characteristics statistically associated with these issues will be explored. Whenever possible, data will be disaggregated by Indigenous groups.

Description: The purpose of this survey is to provide information on the nature and characteristics of Alternative Measures cases in youth corrections, which are of use to justice agencies, the media and the public.

Description: The purpose of the project was to provide more detailed information on the make-up of inmate populations in Canada in order to answer questions such as who is incarcerated, where, and why.

Description: The purpose of this pilot study of court-based recidivism is to explore the possibility for ongoing and improved measures.

Description: The Survey of Residential Facilities for Victims of Abuse (SRFVA) is a census of Canadian residential facilities primarily mandated to provide residential services to victims of abuse. The objective of SRFVA is to produce statistics on the services offered by these facilities during the previous 12 months, as well as to provide a one-day snapshot of the clientele being served on a specific date (mid-April of the survey year).

Description: This survey was designed to provide information for planning and evaluating crime prevention programs.

Description: This survey was designed to provide information for planning and evaluating crime prevention programs.

Description: This one-time-only survey examines the safety of women both inside and outside the home - perceptions of fear, sexual harassment, sexual violence, physical violence and threats by strangers, dates/boyfriends, other known men, husbands and common-law partners.

Description: The purpose of this survey is to assess the experiences of individuals who have lodged complaints against the RCMP and individuals who were involved in a complaint review.

Description: The two primary objectives of the General Social Survey (GSS) are: - to gather data on social trends in order to monitor changes in the living conditions and well-being of Canadians over time; and - to provide information on specific social policy issues of current or emerging interest.

Description: The objective of this survey is to collect information on victim service agencies that provided services directly to primary or secondary victims of crime during the 12-month reference period, as well as to provide a one-day snapshot of clientele being served on a specific date. Information on activities by criminal injuries compensation/financial benefit programs during the 12-month reference period is also collected.