Statistics Canada
www.statcan.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Incarceration of Aboriginal people in adult correctional services
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.
In 2007/2008, Aboriginal adults accounted for 22% of admissions to sentenced custody, while representing 3% of the Canadian population.
Age, level of education, and employment status can only partially explain the representation of Aboriginal adults incarcerated in Canadian prisons, according to a new study that used data from the Integrated Correctional Service Survey and the 2006 Census to analyze factors that could be contributing to the representation of Aboriginal adults in custody.
The provincial incarceration rate for Aboriginal adults in the jurisdictions studied was higher than the rate for non-Aboriginal adults. The gap in the incarceration rates for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adults narrowed when age was considered, but Aboriginal adults continued to have consistently higher rates across all age groupings.
Analysis based on available data for Saskatchewan and Alberta showed that young adults without a high school diploma and without a job had the highest rates of incarceration.
For both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people aged 20 to 34, incarceration rates declined as the education and employment situation improved. However, the decreases were greater for non-Aboriginal young adults.
When comparing persons of similar employment status and education level, the ratio between incarceration rates for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal young adults in Saskatchewan and Alberta decreased by about half.
The analysis suggests that other factors, such as income, housing and rehabilitative needs, may be involved in the representation of Aboriginal offenders in custody.
Note: Rates of incarceration were calculated as of May 16, 2006, the day the census was taken. The rate represents the number of persons in remand, sentenced custody or other temporary detention that day for every 1,000 persons in the general population. Jurisdictions included in the analysis are: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Correctional Service of Canada.
Available on CANSIM: tables 251-0001 to 251-0003 and 251-0007.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 3306 and 3901.
The Juristat article "The incarceration of Aboriginal people in adult correctional services", Vol. 29, no. 3 (85-002-X, free), is now available. From the Publications module of our website, under All subjects, choose Crime and Justice, then Juristat.
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Information and Client Services (toll-free 1-800-387-2231; 613-951-9023), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.
Table 1
| Province and territory | Provincial and territorial sentenced custody¹ | Adult general population (18 years and older)² |
|---|---|---|
| % of admissions | % of population | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 21 | 4 |
| Prince Edward Island | 1 | 1 |
| Nova Scotia | 7 | 2 |
| New Brunswick | 8 | 2 |
| Quebec | 2 | 1 |
| Ontario | 9 | 2 |
| Manitoba | 69 | 12 |
| Saskatchewan | 81 | 11 |
| Alberta | 35 | 5 |
| British Columbia | 21 | 4 |
| Yukon | 76 | 22 |
| Northwest Territories | 86 | 45 |
| Nunavut | .. | 78 |
| All jurisdictions | 22 | 3 |
Table 2
| Employment and education status | Aboriginal incarceration rate1 | Non-Aboriginal incarceration rate1 | Ratio between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal incarceration rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick and Nova Scotia2 | |||
| Overall population aged 20 to 34 | 4.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 |
| Without a diploma | 6.0 | 3.4 | 1.8 |
| With a diploma | 4.4 | 1.5 | 2.9 |
| Without employment | 8.6 | 4.9 | 1.8 |
| With employment | 2.2 | 0.7 | 3.0 |
| Saskatchewan | |||
| Overall population aged 20 to 34 | 22.1 | 1.0 | 22.2 |
| Without a diploma, without employment | 48.8 | 9.9 | 4.9 |
| Without a diploma, with employment | 41.4 | 2.7 | 15.1 |
| With a diploma, without employment | 9.9 | 1.4 | 7.3 |
| With a diploma, with employment | 4.3 | 0.3 | 13.0 |
| Alberta | |||
| Overall population aged 20 to 34 | 15.5 | 1.7 | 9.3 |
| Without a diploma, without employment | 46.1 | 14.1 | 3.3 |
| Without a diploma, with employment | 25.0 | 5.2 | 4.8 |
| With a diploma, without employment | 8.3 | 1.6 | 5.1 |
| With a diploma, with employment | 2.4 | 0.6 | 4.1 |
