Table 12
Mean and median length of custody and probation sentences,1 Canada, 2006/2007

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Offence group Custody2,3 Probation
Mean Median Mean Median
days
Total offences 72 36 365 365
Crimes against the person 117 60 393 365
Homicide 1,084 730 582 540
Attempted murder 243 227 435 365
Robbery 148 120 429 365
Sexual assault 165 120 515 540
Other sexual offences 142 120 509 540
Major assault 110 60 395 365
Common assault 38 24 352 365
Uttering threats 56 39 367 365
Criminal harassment 35 20 367 365
Other crimes against persons 238 120 393 365
Crimes against property 68 43 362 365
Theft 51 30 338 365
Break and enter 94 67 391 365
Fraud 45 24 385 365
Mischief 40 23 333 365
Possess stolen property 49 30 365 365
Other property crimes 149 90 424 365
Administration of justice 33 20 368 365
Fail to appear 22 15 406 365
Breach of probation 40 20 399 365
Unlawfully at large 41 30 386 365
Fail to comply with order 24 10 359 365
Other administration of justice offences 55 51 386 365
Other Criminal Code 61 36 364 365
Weapons 73 41 398 365
Prostitution 140 140 180 180
Disturbing the peace 0 0 307 270
Residual Criminal Code 50 30 338 365
Total Criminal Code (excluding traffic) 79 40 374 365
Criminal Code traffic 101 80 388 365
Impaired driving 1 1 333 365
Other Criminal Code traffic 102 80 414 365
Total Criminal Code 79 40 374 365
Other federal statute total 41 20 310 360
Drug possession 11 10 273 270
Drug trafficking 107 94 372 365
Youth Criminal Justice Act/Young Offenders Act 31 20 309 360
Other federal statutes 57 40 269 270
0 true zero or a value rounded to zero
  1. The mean is the average value of all sentences for each of custody and probation. The median represents the midpoint in the sorted dataset, where exactly half the dataset are above and half below the midpoint.
  2. S. 85(1) of the YCJA specifies that the provinces and territories must provide for at least two levels of custody, however the levels are not defined (as in the YOA, which provided for open and secure levels of custody). The majority of provinces and territories no longer maintain data in their operational systems pertaining to the level of custody to which a youth was sentenced.
  3. Since custody orders under the YCJA include a mandatory period of post-custody supervision, the figures for custody include the post-custody supervision portion of the order effective April 1, 2003.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Youth Court Survey.