Highlights

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

The over 232,800 adults admitted to some form of custody in 2005/2006 represented a 4% increase from the previous year. The increase was driven by a 6% climb in the number of admissions to remand (custody for persons awaiting trial or sentencing) in provincial/territorial facilities, and a 4% increase in admissions to federal custody. The number of admissions to provincial/territorial sentenced custody remained stable.

Since 1996/1997, admissions to remand have grown steadily (+22%) while admissions to provincial/territorial sentenced custody have fallen (-28%).

Compared to persons who were sentenced to provincial/territorial custody without being remanded, those who were remanded were more frequently admitted due to a violent offence, were more often under the age of 25 and were more frequently single and never married.

With the exception of conditional sentences which decreased 2%, admissions to all types of community supervision programs increased in 2005/2006. In total, there were 109,539 adult offenders admitted to community supervision programs that year. These include probation (+2%), provincial parole (+6%) and releases from federal custody (i.e., federal conditional releases, day parole, full parole, statutory releases) (+4%).

Aboriginal people continued to have high levels of representation in custody. According to the 2006 Census, Aboriginal people represented 4% of the adult population in Canada, yet they accounted for 24% of adult admissions to provincial/territorial custody, 19% of admissions to remand and 18% of admissions to federal custody.

Overall, expenditures on adult correctional services in 2005/2006 totalled almost $3 billion, up 2% from the previous year.