Adult correctional services

On an average day in 2001/02, just under 155,000 adults were under the supervision of correctional services agencies in Canada, an increase of 2% from 2000/01.

Four in five of these individuals, just over 122,700 adult offenders, were under some kind of community supervision, 2% more than in 2000/01, and 8% higher than the level in 1993/94.

Among these adults under community supervision, 83% were on probation, 10% were serving a conditional sentence and another 7% were on parole or statutory release.

About 32,000 adults on average were in a federal penitentiary or in a provincial or territorial jail. This level was slightly higher than it was a year earlier, but it was down 2% from the level recorded in 1993/94.

Canada's incarceration rate, including federal, provincial and territorial inmates, was 133 adult inmates for every 100,000 adults in the population in 2001/02, unchanged from the previous year. However, this rate has generally been declining since reaching a high of 153 per 100,000 adults in 1994/95.

Judges opting more for conditional sentences

Judges are opting for conditional sentences in a growing number of cases. Conditional sentencing was introduced in 1996 to provide judges with the option of allowing eligible provincial and territorial adult offenders, sentenced to a jail term of less than two years, to serve their sentence in the community with conditions.

Just over 11,900 adults were serving a conditional sentence in 2001/02, up 21% from the previous year and 75% from 1997/98, the first full year for which data were available on this sentence.

In 2001/02 the number of offenders serving a conditional sentence surpassed the number of adults in a provincial or territorial jail.

The average number of offenders in sentenced provincial/territorial custody declined in every province and territory from 1993/94 to 2001/02. In contrast, the average number of persons in remand (court ordered detention of a person while awaiting a court appearance) increased 7% from 2000/01 and 55% from 1993/94. The average number of persons on remand status rose in every province and territory except Yukon.

Admissions to correctional services are increasing

In 2001/02, there were slightly more than 361,000 admissions to correctional services in Canada. Total admissions to correctional services jumped 5% in 2001/02 from the previous year. Admissions have been climbing steadily since 1998/99, rising 10%. This increase occurred entirely in the provincial and territorial correctional systems.

Of the 361,000 admissions, the majority, 68%, related to some form of custody, while one-third (32 %) related to community supervision.

Remand makes up the largest portion of admissions to custody

Just over one-half of admissions to custody (126,000) were for remand.

In fact, the increase in provincial and territorial admissions to custody has been fuelled mainly by an 8% jump in the number of admissions to remand and other temporary detention (incarceration for other reasons, such as immigration matters or parole suspension, of a person who is not on remand or has not been sentenced).

Since 1999/2000, these remand and other temporary detention admissions have risen 18%. In contrast, admissions to provincial and territorial sentenced custody fell 4% in the same period.

Of the 113,000 admissions to community supervision in 2001/02, probation accounted for 75%, conditional sentences for 16%, federal statutory release for 4%, and provincial and federal parole for 2% each.

Admissions to probation in 2001/02 were the highest since data collection began in 1980/81.

Correctional service operational expenditures

Correctional service expenditures totalled $2.6 billion in 2001/02. Taking inflation into account, total expenditures were up 5% from the previous year. Please note that capital costs have been excluded from all provincial and territorial expenditures. Costs incurred by CORCAN, a special operating agency of the Correctional Service of Canada, have also been excluded.

Just over one-half (55%) of expenditures were incurred in the federal system, and 45% in provincial and territorial correctional systems. Overall, custodial services accounted for just over $1.9 billion, almost three-quarters (73%) of total expenditures. It was followed by community supervision services (13%), headquarters and central services (12%) and parole (2%).

Available on CANSIM: tables 251-0001 to 251-0007.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3306.

The Juristat "Adult correctional services in Canada, 2001/02," Vol. 23, no. 11 (85-002-XIE20030118426, $9/$75; 85-002-XPE20030118426, $11/$100) and the Internet publication, Adult Correctional Services in Canada, Data Tables, 2001/02 (85-211-XIE, $30) are now available.

For more information or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Information and Client Services (1-800-387-2231; 613-951-9023; fax: 613-951-6615), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.