2024 Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview

Table of contents

• Preface
• Contributing Partners
• Section A: Crime and the Criminal Justice System
  • Police-reported crime rate
  • Police-reported crime rate by province/territory
  • Crime Severity Index: 10-year trend
  • Police-reported hate crimes: 10-year trend
  • Police-reported homicide: 10-year trend
  • Self-reported victimization rate
  • Self-reported violent victimization rate by type, gender, and age
  • Self-reported victimization reported to police
  • The rate of adults charged
  • Criminal Code and other Federal Statute charges among adults: 5-year trend
  • Decisions in adult criminal court
  • Length of adult custodial sentences
  • The rate of youth charged
  • Criminal Code and other Federal Statute charges among youth: 5-year trend
  • Youth criminal court sentences: 5-year trend
  • Youth criminal court sentences for most serious sentence: 5-year trend
  • International incarceration rates
  • International incarceration rates: 10-year trend
• Section B: Corrections Administration
  • Costs of federal and provincial/territorial corrections
  • Number of CSC employees by location
  • Cost of incarceration in a federal institution: 5-year trend
  • The number of Parole Board of Canada employees
  • The number of employees in the Office of the Correctional Investigator
  • Most common offender complaints to the Office of the Correctional Investigator
• Section C: Federal Offender and Registered Victims Populations
  • Offenders under the responsibility of CSC
  • Number of registered victims and number of offenders with a registered victim: 5-year trend
  • The number of in-custody offenders: 10-year trend
  • Number of admissions to CSC facilities by sex
  • Warrant of committal admissions to CSC facilities by sex: 10-year trend
  • Number of registered victims by gender: 5-year trend
  • CSC total offender population by sentence length
  • Offences of victimization among registered victims
  • Warrant of committal admissions to a CSC facility by age
  • Number of registered victims by age
  • Warrant of committal admissions to a CSC facility for Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders by age
  • Age distribution of the CSC offender population
  • CSC offender population by self-reported race
  • Number of registered victims by self-reported race
  • CSC offender population by religion
  • CSC offenders by Indigenous and non-Indigenous self-identification
  • Offenders in custody at a CSC facility by security risk classification
  • Admissions to federal jurisdiction with a life and/or indeterminate sentence* by sex and Indigenous self-identification: 10-year trend
  • Proportion of offenders with life and/or indeterminate sentences
  • Percentage of total offender population serving a sentence for a violent offence
  • Indigenous offenders under the responsibility of CSC
  • Number of authorizations for transfer to Structured Intervention Units in federal institutions: 5-year trend
  • Percentage of successful transfers out of Structured Intervention Units in federal institutions
  • Structured Intervention Units: Time Outside of Cell
  • Structured Intervention Units: Duration of Stay
  • Characteristics of Offenders in Structured Intervention Unit Cells by Indigenous and non-Indigenous
  • Reasons for Transfer to Structured Intervention Units
  • Number of offender deaths while in custody: 10-year trend
  • Number of escapees and escape incidents from federal institutions or Healing Lodges: 10-year trend
  • CSC offenders in community under supervision by sex: 10-year trend
  • Offenders under provincial/territorial supervision on probation or conditional sentence: 10-year trend
  • Population of offenders on provincial parole*: 10-year trend
• Section D: Conditional Release
  • Number of CSC offenders granted temporary absences: 10-year trend
  • Offenders released from federal institutions, including Healing Lodges, on parole: 10-year trend
  • Federal day and full parole grant rates by gender: 10-year trend
  • Federal day and full parole grant rates by Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders: 10-year trend
  • Number of Culturally Responsive Hearings: 10-year trend
  • Proportion of sentence served prior to being released on parole: 10-year trend
  • Proportion of sentence served by Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders prior to being released on parole: 10-year trend
  • Outcome of federal day parole supervision periods
  • Outcome of federal full parole supervision periods
  • Offenders released from federal institutions including Healing Lodges on statutory release: 10-year trend
  • Outcome of federal statutory release supervision periods
  • Rates of violent offence convictions for offenders on federal conditional release: 10-year trend
• Section E: Special Applications of Criminal Justice
  • Number of initial detention reviews: 10-year trend
  • Annual judicial review hearings
  • Number of Dangerous Offender designations
  • Number of long-term supervision orders imposed
  • Record suspensions and pardons: 5-year trend
• Section F: Federal Services to Registered Victims
  • Number of contacts with registered victims: 5-year trend
  • Number of victim statements received for consideration in release decisions: 5-year trend
  • Requests for financial assistance to attend parole hearings: 5-year trend
  • Number of Parole Board of Canada contacts with victims: 10-year trend
  • Victim presentations at PBC Hearings: 10-year trend
  • Number of decisions sent from PBC decision registry: 5-year trend

2024 Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview Word Version (15 MB)

Preface

The Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview (CCRSO) has been published annually since 1998. The purpose of the CCRSO is to assist the public in understanding statistical information on corrections and conditional release. A primary consideration in producing the CCRSO was to present general statistical information in a user-friendly way that will facilitate understanding by a broad audience. There are several features of this document that make it different from typical statistical reports:

• The visual representation of the statistics is simple and uncluttered, and under each chart, a few key points assist the reader in extracting relevant information from the chart.
• For each chart, a table of numbers corresponds to the visual representation. In some instances, the table includes additional numbers (e.g., a 5-year series), even though the chart depicts the data for the most recent year (e.g., Figure A2).

The data used in the CCRSO reflects the most recent data available at the time of preparation. For much of the report, data are available from the 2024 calendar year or for the April 1, 2023 - March 31, 2024 fiscal year. There are a few figures for which the cycle of data collection is more infrequent – for example, the General Social Survey on Canadians' Safety (Victimization) is administered on a 5-year cycle with the most recent available data being from 2019.

Much of the data reported for 2020-21 was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, some trends observed between 2019–20 and 2020–21 should be interpreted with caution. The impacts of the pandemic may also be reflected in the data reported for 2021–22 and 2022–23.

The CCRSO includes data from partners that have different measures and methods for assessing gender and sex, and use different labels for these terms. For consistency across reporting, in the CCRSO, when sex was measured, the terms Male, Female, and Another sex were used; when gender was measured, the terms Men and Women and Boys and Girls were used.

In addition, beginning with the 2021 CCRSO, some data that was previously labelled as measuring ethnicity has been changed to race to more accurately reflect the identity concepts used by partners. As research measures pertaining to racialized groups advance, these terms and identity concepts may change in future years.

This report reflects terminology used in the source data, including the term “offender”. We recognize that this term may not align with person-first language and can be perceived as stigmatizing.

Considering the different types of crime statistics and terminology presented in the CCRSO, a certain level of data literacy is essential for accurate interpretation of the data. For example, some figures and tables in the CCRSO display frequencies, while others display rates; frequency and rate data answer different questions and inform responses to crime in different ways. To optimize the public's ability to form an accurate, informed, and critical interpretation of different crime statistics and terminology presented in the CCRSO, a data literacy focused companion product was published along with the 2022 CCRSO and is available on https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/ccrso-2022-dt-ltrcy/index-en.aspx.

To continually improve this annual publication, we welcome your comments. Any correspondence regarding this report, including permission to use tables and figures should be directed to horizontalpolicy-politiqueshorizontales@ps-sp.gc.ca.

Contributing Partners

Public Safety Canada

Public Safety Canada (PS) is Canada's lead federal department for public safety, which includes emergency management, national security and community safety. Its many responsibilities include developing legislation and policies that govern corrections, implementing innovative approaches to community justice, and providing research expertise and resources to the corrections community.

Correctional Service Canada

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is the federal government department responsible for administering custodial sentences of a term of 2 years or more, as imposed by the courts. CSC is responsible for managing institutions of various security levels and supervising offenders under conditional release in the community.

Parole Board of Canada

The Parole Board of Canada (PBC) is an independent administrative tribunal responsible for making decisions about the timing and conditions of release of offenders into the community on various forms of conditional release. The Board also makes pardon, record suspension and expungement decisions and recommendations respecting clemency through the Royal Prerogative of Mercy.

Office of the Correctional Investigator

The Correctional Investigator is the Ombudsperson for federal offenders. The Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) conducts investigations into the problems of offenders related to decisions, recommendations, acts or omissions of the Correctional Service of Canada that affect offenders individually or as a group.

Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics (Statistics Canada)

The Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics (CCJCSS) is a division of Statistics Canada. The CCJCSS is the focal point of a federal-provincial-territorial partnership, known as the National Justice Statistics Initiative, for the collection of information on the nature and extent of crime and the administration of civil and criminal justice in Canada.

Section A: Crime and the Criminal Justice System

Police-reported crime rate

Image description

Line graph showing the police-reported crime rate by crime type, per 100,000 population, between calendar year 2015 and 2024. The graph includes the rates of total crime, property crime, violent crime, other Criminal Code violations, traffic violations, drug offences, and other federal statutes. Property offences represent the largest category, accounting for roughly half of all reported offences, while violent crime accounts for about a quarter of all reported offences. Other federal statutes offences consistently remain the smallest throughout the 10-year period. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0177-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police.

• The police-reported crime rate increased by 9.3% from 2015 to 2019, then decreased by 9.1% from 2019 to 2020. From 2020 to 2023, the rate rose by 7.6%, followed by a 3.3% decrease from 2023 to 2024. Fluctuations in the total police-reported crime rate between 2019 and 2022 may be due to the imposition and cessation of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions.
• Despite fluctuations in the 10-year period between 2015 and 2024, the total police-reported crime rate slightly increased (+3.4%) from 2015 (5,934) to 2024 (6,134).
• The only type of offence that meaningfully increased from 2020 to 2024 was violent crime (+13.3%); though, over the past year (from 2023 to 2024), there was a minor decrease in violent crime (-0.6%).
• The offence types that meaningfully decreased from 2020 to 2024 were drug offences (-27.7%) and other federal statutes (-19.6%).
• Notably, the police-reported crime rate is lower in 2024 (6,134) than it was at the inception of the survey in 1998 (8,915) — a decrease of 31.2%.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0177-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police.

Police-reported crime rate by province/territory

Image description

A map of Canada showing the police-reported crime rate, per 100,000 population, by province/territory in 2024. The map is a proportional area chart; each province/territory is overlaid with a circle, where the size of the circle is proportional to the crime rate in that region. The northern territories stand out with the highest rates, led by the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Ontario and Quebec have the smallest rates, while the Atlantic provinces fall in the small range and Western provinces in the moderate range. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0177-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police.

• Crime rates were highest in the territories and elevated in central Canada. This general pattern has been stable over time.
• At the national level, the police-reported crime rate increased 7.6% from 2020 to 2023 and then decreased 3.3% from 2023 to 2024.
• In the 5-year period between 2020 and 2024, the crime rate in most provinces and territories increased. The three largest increases were observed in Newfoundland and Labrador (+24.7%), Prince Edward Island (+21.9%), and Quebec (+18.1%). In contrast, British Columbia (-13.7%) and Alberta (-12.2%) experienced the largest decreases in crime rate over this period.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0177-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police.

Crime Severity Index: 10-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the crime severity index between calendar year 2015 and 2024. The graph compares the violent crime severity index, non-violent crime severity index, and overall crime severity index. While all three indices follow similar trends over the 10-year period, the violent crime severity index is consistently the highest index, while the non-violent crime severity index is the lowest. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0026-01, Crime severity index and weighted clearance rates, Canada, provinces, territories and Census Metropolitan Areas.

• From 2015 to 2019, the Crime Severity Index^{Footnote *} (CSI) increased steadily. Violent CSI^{Footnote **} rose from 75.3 to 90.2, non-violent CSI^{Footnote ***} from 68.4 to 75.8, and the overall CSI from 70.4 to 79.7.
• Between 2019 and 2023, violent CSI^{Footnote **} increased from 90.2 to 100.9, while non-violent CSI^{Footnote ***} decreased from 75.8 to 74.0. The overall CSI remained relatively stable, slightly increasing from 79.7 in 2019 to 81.2 in 2023. Fluctuations observed between 2019 and 2022 may be due to the imposition and cessation of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions.
• Over the past year (from 2023 to 2024), the violent^{Footnote **}, non-violent^{Footnote ***}, and overall CSI decreased slightly.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0026-01, Crime severity index and weighted clearance rates, Canada, provinces, territories and Census Metropolitan Areas.

Police-reported hate crimes: 10-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the number of police-reported hate crimes by motivation type between calendar year 2015 and 2024. The graph includes motivation types: race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and the total number of police-reported hate crimes. Race or ethnicity is consistently the most common motivation, while sexual orientation remains the least reported throughout the 10-year period. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0066-01, Police-reported hate crime, by type of motivation, selected regions and Canada (selected police services).

• The total number of police-reported hate crimes has significantly increased^{Footnote *} in the past 10 years, with an overall increase of 258.4% from 2015 to 2024.
• From 2015 to 2019, the total number of police-reported hate crimes increased^{Footnote *} by 43.2%. From 2019 to 2024, the number of police-reported hate crimes has more than doubled, representing a 150.2% increase (from 1,951 in 2019 to 4,882 in 2024).
• Categorized by motivation, the greatest type of hate crime to increase between 2019 and 2024 were hate crimes targeting race or ethnicity (+1,493 incidents), followed by religion (+729 incidents), and sexual orientation (+393 incidents).

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0066-01, Police-reported hate crime, by type of motivation, selected regions and Canada (selected police services).

Police-reported homicide: 10-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the number of police-reported homicide victims by Indigenous identity between calendar year 2015 and 2024. The identities represented are Indigenous, non-Indigenous, unknown, and the overall total. The greatest number of police-reported homicide victims were reported among non-Indigenous populations, followed by Indigenous and unknown population groups. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0060-01, Number of homicide victims and persons accused of homicide, by Indigenous identity, age group and gender.

Image description

Line graph showing the number of police-reported homicide victims by sex between calendar year 2015 to 2024. The sex categories shown are total, male, female, and unknown. The greatest number of police-reported homicide victims were reported among males, followed by females and victims of unknown sex. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0060-01, Number of homicide victims and persons accused of homicide, by Indigenous identity, age group and gender.

• The total number of police-reported homicide victims in Canada has increased by 28.5% over the past 10 years (from 613 in 2015 to 788 in 2024). There was a 15.7% increase from 2020 to 2022 (from 765 in 2020 to 885 in 2022), followed by an 11.0% decrease between 2022 and 2024 (from 885 in 2022 to 788 in 2024).
• The total number of police-reported homicide victims remained stable (-1.0%) from 2023 to 2024.
• Indigenous homicide victims increased by 48.0% from 2015 to 2024 (from 152 to 225), whereas non-Indigenous homicide victims increased by 16.3% (from 455 to 529) in the same time period.
• The number of female homicide victims increased by 33.3% over the past 10 years (from 180 in 2015 to 240 in 2024), with a 13.2% increase between 2023 and 2024. Similarly, male victims increased 24.7% over the past 10 years (from 433 in 2015 to 540 in 2024), though there was a 5.9% decline from 2023 to 2024.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0060-01, Number of homicide victims and persons accused of homicide, by Indigenous identity, age group and gender.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0060-01, Number of homicide victims and persons accused of homicide, by Indigenous identity, age group and gender.

Self-reported victimization rate

Figure A6. Victims of self-reported crime by type (2019). Rate per 100,000

Image description

Donut chart showing the self-reported violent victimization rate, per 100,000 population, in calendar year 2019. This donut chart includes physical assault, sexual assault, and robbery. Physical assault accounts for the largest proportion of violent victimization, followed by a smaller proportion for sexual assault and an even smaller proportion for robbery. Full data are available in the table below.

Image description

Donut chart showing the self-reported household victimization rate, per 100,000 population, in calendar year 2019. This donut chart includes theft of household property, vandalism, break and enter, and motor vehicle/parts theft. Theft of household property accounts for the largest proportion of household victimization, followed by vandalism and break and enter. Motor vehicle or parts theft represents the smallest proportion. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. General Social Survey (GSS).

• Assault was the third most common self-reported crime and the most common form of violent victimization.
• In 2019, theft of personal property was the most common self-reported form of victimization followed by theft of household property.

Source: Statistics Canada. General Social Survey (GSS).

Self-reported violent victimization rate by type, gender, and age

Image description

Two graphs showing the rate of self-reported violent victimizations, per 100,000 population, by crime type and gender in calendar year 2019. A bar graph shows the rates of sexual assault, physical assault, and robbery among women and men. A donut chart shows the total rate of violent victimization among women and men. Women are victims of sexual and physical assault more often than men, although rates of physical assault are more similar amongst men and women. Victimization of robbery is equal for men and women. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. General Social Survey (GSS).

Image description

Bar graph showing the self-reported violent victimization rate by age and gender, per 100,000 population, in calendar year 2019. The age groups included in the graph are ages 15 to 24; ages 25 to 34; ages 35 to 44; ages 45 to 54; ages 55 to 64; and ages 65 and older. The age group 15 to 24 has the highest rate, while the 65 and older age groups has the lowest rate. Across all age groups, women self-reported greater rates of violent victimization compared to men. Gender differences in self-reported rates were greatest in age group 15 to 24, followed by 25 to 34, and 45 to 54. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. General Social Survey (GSS).

• Women were more likely to experience violent victimization than men. When broken down by types of crime, the gender difference is largely due to the substantially higher number of women who self-report sexual assault.
• The gender difference in self-reported crime was greatest at ages 15 to 24 (with a difference of 15,400 per 100,000), followed by ages 25 to 34 (with a difference of 8,800 per 100,000).

Source: Statistics Canada. General Social Survey (GSS).

Self-reported victimization reported to police

Image description

Bar illustration showing the percentage of self-reported victimization reported to police in calendar year 2019. The graph details the percentage of average overall victimization; the percentage of average household victimization, which includes motor vehicle/parts theft, break and enter, vandalism, and theft of household property; the percentage of average violent victimization, which includes robbery, physical assault, and sexual assault; and the percentage of theft of personal property. Overall, less than a third of all self-reported victimizations were reported to police. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. General Social Survey (GSS).

Note: The percentages for each crime category indicate the proportion of that specific type of crime reported to the police, compared to the overall incidence of that type of crime reported under the GSS. For example, out of 100% of the self-reported thefts of personal property, only 28% were reported to police.

• Among all self-reported victims of motor vehicle/parts theft in 2019, 52% of these crimes were reported to police. This was the most frequently self-reported crime type that was reported police. Among all self-reported victims of sexual assault, only 6% were reported to police. This was the least frequently self-reported crime type that was reported to police.
• On average, self-reported household victimization crimes were more commonly reported to police than self-reported violent victimization crimes.

Source: Statistics Canada. General Social Survey (GSS).

The rate of adults charged

Image description

Line graph showing the rate of adults charged with a Criminal Code offence, per 100,000 population, between calendar year 2015 and 2024. The graph includes the rate of total charges, violent offences, other Criminal Code offences, property crimes, traffic violations, drug offences, and other federal statutes. Violent offences and other Criminal Code offences had the greatest rates, followed by property, traffic, and drug offences. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0177-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police.

• The overall rate of adults charged in 2024 was 9.7% lower than the rate recorded in 2015. From 2015 to 2019 there was a 6.8% increase, followed by a 14.2% decrease from 2019 to 2023.
• Notably, the overall rate of adults charged was 24.4% lower in 2024 (1,690) than it was at the inception of the survey in 1998 (2,236).
• The rate of adults charged with violent crimes slightly increased from 2020 to 2024 (+3.3%). The 2024 rate is 14.8% higher than in 2015.
• The rate of adults charged with drug offences has consistently decreased, with a total decrease of 59.5% over the 10-year period from 2015 and 2024.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0177-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police.

Criminal Code and other Federal Statute charges among adults: 5-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the percentage of Criminal Code and other federal statute charges by type of charge between fiscal years 2019-20 and 2023-24. The graph includes crimes against the person, crimes against property, administration of justice violations, Criminal Code traffic violations, other Criminal Code offences, and other federal statutes. Crime against the person represents the largest proportion of charges, followed by crimes against property, and administration of justice offences. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0027-01, Adult criminal courts, number of cases and charges by type of decision.

• From 2019-20 to 2022-24, crimes against the person increased from 27.0% to 34.2% of all charges among adults. In the same time period, the proportions of all other categories either decreased or remained stable.
• The most frequent charges in adult courts in 2023-24 were common assault (Level 1) (12.3%), failure to comply with order (10.2%), major assault (Level 2 and 3) (9.7%), and impaired driving (8.9%). These charges are captured in categories “Crimes against the person”, “Administration of justice”, and “Criminal Code traffic”, respectively.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0027-01, Adult criminal courts, number of cases and charges by type of decision.

Decisions in adult criminal court

Image description

Two donut charts illustrating data for fiscal year 2023-24. The first chart shows total number of cases in adult criminal court, divided into cases with guilty findings and cases without guilty findings. Cases without guilty findings make up a little over half of the total cases. The second chart shows total admissions to custody, split between those sentenced admissions to provincial/territorial custody and warrant of committal admissions to federal jurisdiction. Provincial and territorial admissions account for the vast majority, while federal admissions represent a very small number of admissions to custody. Full data are available in the accompanying table.

Sources:

¹Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0018-01, Adult sentenced custody admissions to correctional services by sex and sentence length ordered;

Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0027-01, Adult criminal courts, number of cases and charges by type of decision;

Correctional Service of Canada.

• In 2023-24, there were 105,371 cases with guilty findings in adult criminal court.
• Between 2019-20 and 2023-24, the total number of cases in adult criminal court decreased 28.0%. Over the same time period, the total number of sentenced admissions to provincial/territorial custody decreased 33.3%.
• In 2023-24, there were 4,831 warrant of committal admissions to a federal institution or Healing Lodge.
• In 2023-24, there were 43,310 sentenced admissions to provincial/territorial custody.

Sources

Length of adult custodial sentences

Image description

Bar graph showing the length of prison sentences ordered by the court by sex for fiscal year 2023-24. Sentence lengths include 1 month or less, more than 1 month up to 6 months, more than 6 months up to 12 months, more than 1 year up to less than 2 years, and 2 years or more. Prison sentences of one month of less accounted for the majority of sentences ordered by the court among both sexes, with females having a greater proportion ordered than males. The second most ordered sentence among both sexes was more than 1 month up to 6 months, with males having a greater proportion ordered than females. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0032-01, Adult criminal courts, guilty cases by length of custody.

• Just under half (49.8%) of all custodial sentences imposed by adult criminal courts were 1 month or less in fiscal year 2023-24.
• Prison sentences for males tended to be longer than for females, with the exception of sentences of 1 month or less.
• 65.2% of females and 53.1% of males who were incarcerated following a guilty^{Footnote *} finding received a sentence of 1 month or less, and 85.8% of females and 80.4% of males received a sentence of 6 months or less.

Table A12. Length of prison sentence ordered by the court

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0032-01, Adult criminal courts, guilty cases by length of custody.

The rate of youth charged

Image description

Line graph showing the rate of youth charged, per 100,000 population, by offence type between calendar year 2015 and 2024. The graph includes the rate of total charges, property crimes, violent offences, other Criminal Code violations, drug offences, traffic violations, and other federal statutes. The total rate of youth charged significantly decreased between 2015 and 2021. While the total rate has steadily increased from 2022 to 2024, it has not rebounded to previous levels. Violent offences represent roughly half of the total rate of youth charged, followed by other Criminal Code and property offences. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0177-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police.

• From 2015 to 2021, the rate of youth charged decreased substantially (-53.1%). The sharp decrease (-38.1%) seen between 2019 and 2021 may be due to lockdown restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2021 to 2024, after most lockdown restrictions had ended, there was an increase of 40.0%.
• Between 2015 to 2019 there was a 14.2% increase in the rate of youth charged with a violent crime, followed by a 24.0% decrease between 2019 to 2021, perhaps due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions. The sharp increase (+38.1%) observed between 2021 and 2024 may be due to the lifting of many COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
• In the 10-year period between 2015 and 2024, the rate of youth charged with drug offences decreased by 84.6%.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0177-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police.

Criminal Code and other Federal Statute charges among youth: 5-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the percentage of all Criminal Code and other federal statute changes among youth between fiscal years 2019-20 and 2023-24. The graph includes crimes against the person, crimes against property, other federal statutes, administration of justice violations, Criminal Code traffic violations, and other Criminal Code violations. The greatest proportion of charges among youth were for crimes against the person. Crimes against property were the second largest category, accounting for roughly half the proportion of crimes against the person. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0038-01, Youth courts, number of cases and charges by type of decision.

• In 2023-24, crimes against the person accounted for approximately half (54.8%) of all charges among youth (increasing from 46.3% in 2019-20).
• In the 5-year period between 2019-20 and 2023-24, crimes against property and other federal statute charges decreased among youth, while crimes against the person and Other Criminal Code charges increased. Criminal Code traffic and administration of justice charges remained relatively stable.
• Common assault (included in “Crimes against the person”) has consistently been the most frequent charge in youth court in the 5-year period from 2019-20 to 2023-24.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0038-01, Youth courts, number of cases and charges by type of decision.

Youth criminal court sentences: 5-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the percentage of sentence types received in youth criminal court between fiscal years 2019-20 and 2023-24. The graph includes probation, custody, deferred custody and supervision, community service order, fine, and other sentences. Probation and other sentences represent the largest categories, while fine and deferred custody and supervision remain the smallest proportions throughout the 10-year period. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0041-01, Youth courts, guilty cases by type of sentence.

• Probation has consistently been the most common sentence in youth criminal court. In fiscal year 2023-24, 64.1% of all youth found guilty were sentenced to probation. By sex, 60.7% of females and 64.8% of males were sentenced to probation in 2023-24.
• Community service orders steadily declined from 2019-20 to 2020-21, then had a sharp decline between 2020-21 and 2023-24 (from 18.8% to 7.0%). Fluctuations between 2019 and 2022 may be due to the imposition and cessation of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions.
• In the 5-year period from 2019-20 to 2023-24, other sentences^{Footnote *} increased from 45.1% to 57.2%.

Table A15. Percentage of sentence type received in youth criminal court

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0041-01, Youth courts, guilty cases by type of sentence.

Youth criminal court sentences for most serious sentence: 5-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the percentage of youth criminal court sentences by most serious sentence between fiscal years 2019-20 and 2023-24. The graph includes probation, custody, community service order, deferred custody and supervision order, fine, and other sentences. Probation represents the largest proportion, followed by other sentence, which accounted for roughly half of the proportion of probation. Fine was the least frequently used sentence over the 5-year fiscal period. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0042-01, Youth courts, guilty cases by most serious sentence.

• In 2023-24, 54.9% of youth found guilty were given probation as the most serious sentence. This rate has remained relatively stable since the implementation of the Youth Criminal Justice Act in April 2003.
• Of the Youth Criminal Justice Act sentences in 2023-24, fine orders were the least frequent sentences (1.2%), followed by community service orders (2.6%).

Table A16. Percentage of youth criminal court sentence for most serious sentence

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0042-01, Youth courts, guilty cases by most serious sentence.

International incarceration rates

Image description

Bar graph showing the prison population rates among 15 countries, per 100,000 population, for the calendar year 2024. Countries included are Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, England & Wales, Scotland, France, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Finland. The graph includes a reference line for the median prison population rate among these countries; the median rate is 102. The United States has the greatest prison population rates, followed by New Zealand, Australia, and Scotland. Canada's prison population rate falls below the median rate, and is 10^th out of the 15 countries reported. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: World Prison Brief, Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR) (www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison-population-total).

• In 2024, Canada's incarceration rate was 90 per 100,000. When ranked from highest incarceration rate (i.e., 1) to lowest (i.e., 224), Canada's prison population rate was ranked 163 of 224 countries. Canada's incarceration rate is lower than the median of Western and European countries, and much lower than the United States where the incarceration rate was 541 per 100,000 in 2024.
• Finland's incarceration rate was 52 per 100,000, the lowest incarceration rate among western European countries.

Source: World Prison Brief, Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR) (www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison-population-total ).

International incarceration rates: 10-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the prison population rate across 7 countries, per 100,000 population, between calendar year 2015 to 2024. Countries included are Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, England and Wales, Sweden, and Denmark. The United States consistently has the highest prison population rate, far exceeding all other countries, while Canada, Sweden, and Denmark maintain the lowest rates throughout the 10-year period. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: World Prison Brief, Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR) (www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison-population-total ).

• In the past 10 years (from 2015 to 2024), Canada's incarceration rate declined 15.1%.
• From 2015 to 2023, incarceration rates declined in 8 of the 16 countries displayed in the table below, while the remaining 8 countries increased. Notable decreases were the United States and Norway, with both countries reporting decreases of 23.9% between 2015 to 2023. Notable increases in the incarceration rate over the same time period were Sweden (+36.7%) and Italy (+20.9%).
• From 2023 to 2024, incarceration rates either remained stable or increased. The greatest increases were in Sweden (+17.1%) and France (+10.1%). The only country reporting a decrease in the incarceration rate between 2023 to 2024 was England & Wales (-3.4%).

Source: World Prison Brief, Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR) (www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison-population-total ).

Section B: Corrections Administration

Costs of federal and provincial/territorial corrections

Image description

Line graph showing the costs of federal corrections between fiscal years 2014-15 and 2023-24. The graph includes federal operating costs and adjusted costs. Operating costs remain consistently higher than adjusted costs throughout the period and show a noticeable upward trend in recent years. Full data are available in the table below.

Image description

Line graph showing the costs of provincial/territorial corrections between fiscal years 2014-15 and 2023-24. The graph includes operating costs and adjusted costs. Operating costs remain consistently higher than adjusted costs throughout the period and show a sharp upward trend in recent years, while adjusted costs also increase but at a slower pace. Full data are available in the table below.

Sources:

• Costs of federal corrections were about $3.2 billion in 2023-24. This was a 10.4% increase compared to the prior year and 32.0% higher than 2014-15. When considering adjusted costs, there was a 4.4% increase in spending between 2014-15 to 2023-24.
• Costs of provincial/territorial corrections were about $3.6 billion in 2023-24. This represented an 11.5% increase from 2022-23, and a 60.9% increase since 2014-15. When considering adjusted costs, there was a 28.2% increase in spending between 2014-15 to 2023-24.

Table B1a. Federal corrections costs in current dollars

Sources: Federal costs are from Correctional Service Canada; Office of the Correctional Investigator; Parole Board of Canada.

Table B1b. Federal corrections costs in constant 2002 dollars

Sources: Correctional Service Canada; Office of the Correctional Investigator; Parole Board of Canada.

Number of CSC employees by location

Image description

Donut chart showing the percentage of Correctional Service of Canada employees by service area at the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year. The chart includes employee locations: custody centers, community supervision, and headquarters and central services. The majority of Correctional Service of Canada employees are located in custody centres. A smaller proportion of employees are located in headquarters and central services, and an even smaller proportion are dedicated to community supervision. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has a total staff of 18,605.
• 74.8% of CSC staff work in institutions.
• Staff employed in community supervision account for 8.5% of the total number of CSC employees.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Cost of incarceration in a federal institution: 5-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the cost of incarceration in a federal institution as an average daily inmate cost in current dollars between fiscal years 2019-20 and 2023-24. The graph includes the federal average daily inmate cost for males, females, and both offender groups in custody. Costs are consistently highest for females, while those for males and the combined group remain much lower, with the combined cost only slightly above that for males. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• The federal average daily inmate cost has increased from $345 in 2019-20 to $428 in 2023-24. In 2023-24, the annual average cost of keeping an inmate incarcerated was $156,744 per year, an increase from $126,253 per year in 2019-20. In 2023-24, the annual average cost of keeping a male incarcerated was $150,666 per year, whereas the annual average cost for incarcerating a female was $256,682.
• The cost associated with maintaining an offender in the community is 69.7% less than what it costs to maintain an offender in custody ($47,522 per year versus $156,744 per year).

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

The number of Parole Board of Canada employees

Image description

Line graph showing the number of full-time equivalents (i.e., employees) employed by the Parole Board of Canada between fiscal years 2014-15 and 2023-24. The trend remained relatively stable over the 10-year period. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Parole Board of Canada.

• In 2023-24, the full-time equivalents employed by the Parole Board of Canada increased by 5.8% to 549 (30 more) compared to 2022-23.
• Over the past 10 fiscal years (from 2014-15 to 2023-24), there has been a 10.9% increase (from 495 to 549) in the number of full-time equivalents employed by the Parole Board of Canada.

Source: Parole Board of Canada.

The number of employees in the Office of the Correctional Investigator

Image description

Line graph showing the number of full-time equivalents (i.e., employees) at the Office of the Correctional Investigator between fiscal years 2014-15 and 2023-24. The trend has remained stable over the 10-year period. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Office of the Correctional Investigator.

• In 2023-24, the total number of full-time equivalents at the Office of the Correctional Investigator was 34, which is 1 less than the year prior.
• In the 10 year period between 2014-15 to 2023-24, the total number of full-time equivalents at the Office of the Correctional Investigator has remained relatively stable.

Source: Office of the Correctional Investigator.

Most common offender complaints to the Office of the Correctional Investigator

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Bar graph showing the 10 most common offender complaints at the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year. The complaint categories included are health care, staff, conditions of confinement, cell effects, transfer, safety/security of offender(s), visits, financial matters, conditional release, and telephone. Health care, staff, and conditions of confinement were the most common complaints. Complaints regarding telephone use, conditional release, and financial matters were the least common. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Office of the Correctional Investigator.

Image description

Line graph showing the 5 most common offender complaints between fiscal years 2019-20 and 2023-24. The complaint categories included are health care, staff, conditions of confinement, cell effects, and transfer. Health care, staff, and conditions of confinement are the most common complaints. All complaint categories have fluctuated over the 5-year period. Complaints regarding conditions of confinement greatly increased from fiscal year 2019-20 to 2020-21 fiscal year, and declined therefore after. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Office of the Correctional Investigator.

• There were 4,237 complaints/enquiries received at the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) in 2023-24, a decrease of 10.6% since 2022-23.
• Health care was the most common offender complaint category in 2023-24. From 2020-21 to 2022-23, the most common complaint was conditions of confinement. Fluctuations observed in the conditions of confinement category may be due to changes in data collection practices and how complaints are categorized. Since 2019-20, the conditions of confinement category has undergone numerous changes.
• In 2023-24, the top four reasons for complaints were health care (11.8%), staff (11.6%), conditions of confinement (10.1%), and cell effects (7.3%). Taken together, these four complaint categories accounted for 40.7% of all complaints.

Source: Office of the Correctional Investigator.

Section C: Federal Offender and Registered Victims Populations

Offenders under the responsibility of CSC

Image description

Donut chart showing the total offender population in the 2023-24 fiscal year. The chart is separated into two categories: the in-custody population, which includes incarceration and temporary detention in CSC facilities, and the in community under supervision population, which includes active supervision and temporary detention in non-CSC facilities. Over half of the total offender population are currently incarcerated in a CSC facility. Full data is available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• After a consistent yearly decrease in the in-custody population between 2014-15 and 2021-22, the in-custody population has seen a noticeable increase of 6.1% from 13,054 in 2022-23 to 13,855 in 2023-24.

Definitions C1:

Total Offender Population includes all active offenders who are incarcerated in a CSC facility, offenders on temporary absence from a CSC facility, offenders who are temporarily detained, offenders who are actively supervised, and offenders who are unlawfully at large for less than 90 days.

CSC Facilities include all federal institutions and federally funded Healing Lodges.

In Custody includes all active offenders incarcerated in a CSC facility, offenders on temporary absence from a CSC facility, offenders who are temporarily detained in a CSC facility and offenders on remand in a CSC facility.

In Community Under Supervision includes all active offenders on day parole, full parole, statutory release, in the community supervised on a long-term supervision order, offenders who are temporarily detained in a non-CSC facility, offenders who are unlawfully at large for less than 90 days, offenders on remand in a non-CSC facility, and offenders supervised and subject to an immigration hold by Canada Border Services Agency.

^**Actively Supervised includes all active offenders on day parole, full parole or statutory release, as well as those who are in the community on long-term supervision orders.

Temporarily Detained includes offenders who are physically held in a CSC facility or a non-CSC facility after being suspended for a breach of a parole condition or to prevent a breach of parole conditions.

In addition to the total offender population, there are excluded groups such as:

Federal jurisdiction offenders incarcerated in a Community Correctional Centre or in a non-CSC facility.

Federal jurisdiction offenders deported /extradited including offenders for whom a deportation order has been enforced by Canada Border Services Agency.

Federal offenders on bail which includes offenders on a judicial interim release; they have appealed their conviction or sentence and have been released to await the results of a new trial.

Escaped includes offenders who have absconded from either a correctional facility or while on a temporary absence and whose whereabouts are unknown.

Unlawfully at Large for 90 days or more. This includes offenders who have been released to the community on day parole, full parole, statutory release or a long term supervision order for whom a warrant for suspension has been issued at least 90 days ago, but has not yet been executed. Being unlawfully at large may lead to new criminal charges, which could carry further penalties.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Number of registered victims and number of offenders with a registered victim: 5-year trend

Image description

Line graph illustrating the number of registered victims and registered offenders over a five year period from fiscal year 2019-20 to 2023-24. There are far more registered victims than offenders with a registered victim. Numbers in both groups remained consistent over the 5-year period. Full data is available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• In order to register to receive information, a victim must meet the definition of a victim under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA). Victims of federal offenders must be at least 18 years old or legally emancipated or demonstrate they can act for themselves. Victims can register with the Correctional Service of Canada or the Parole Board of Canada.
• Although the number of victims registered with the federal correctional system has fluctuated over the past 5 fiscal years, it has increased by 1.3%, from 8,857 in 2019-20 to 8,970 in 2023-24.
• Although the number of offenders with registered victims has fluctuated over the past 5 fiscal years, it has increased by 2.0% from 5,045 in 2019-20 to 5,144 in 2023-24.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

The number of in-custody offenders: 10-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the number of offenders in-custody in a Correctional Service of Canada facility over a ten year period from fiscal year 2014-15 to 2023-24. The number of in-custody offenders decreased slightly from 2014-15 to 2021-22. After that, the number of in-custody offenders increased, returning to earlier levels. Full data is available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Image description

Line graph showing the number of in-custody offenders in a provincial or territorial facility from fiscal year 2014-15 to 2023-24. Despite fluctuations in the number of in-custody offenders, the number in 2023-24 is similar to 2014-15. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0154-01, Average counts of adults in provincial and territorial correctional programs.

• After a consistent yearly decrease in the in-custody population in a CSC facility between 2014-15 and 2021-22, the in-custody population has seen a noticeable increase of 6.1% from 13,054 in 2022-23 to 13,855 in 2023-24. Despite this increase, the in-custody population has not returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
• The in-custody population in a provincial/territorial facility remained relatively stable from 2014-15 to 2019-20. From 2019-20 to 2020-21, there was a sharp decrease (-20.7%), followed by a sharp but steady increase (+33.8%) from 2020-21 to 2023-24. Over the past year (from 2022-23 to 2023-24), there was a 13.6% increase.

Sources:

Number of admissions to CSC facilities by sex

Image description

Line graph showing the number of female admissions to a Correctional Service of Canada facility over a ten year period from fiscal year 2014-15 to 2023-24. The graph displays three separate lines categorized by admissions for warrant of committal, revocations, and other admissions. Most admissions are for warrant of committal, which are highest over the 10-year time period, but experienced a sharp decline in 2020-21, before returning to peak levels in fiscal year 2023-24. Revocations are much lower overall and remain steady over the 10-year time period. There were very few other admissions across the entire 10-year time period. Full data is available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Image description

Line graph showing the number of male admissions to a Correctional Service of Canada facility over a ten year period from fiscal year 2014-15 to 2023-24. The graph displays three separate lines categorized by admissions of warrants of committal, revocations, and other admissions. Most admissions are from warrants of committal, which remain relatively high over time but experienced a sharp decline in 2020-21, before returning to peak levels in fiscal year 2023-24. Revocations are much lower overall and remain relatively steady over the 10-year time period. There were very few other admissions across the entire 10-year time period. Full data is available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Image description

Line graph illustrating the number of total admissions to a Correctional Service of Canada facility over a ten year period from fiscal year 2014-15 to 2023-24. The graph displays three separate lines categorized by admissions of warrants of committal, revocations, and other admissions. Most admissions are from warrants of committal, which remain relatively high over time but experienced a sharp decline in 2020-21, before returning to peak levels in fiscal year 2023-24. Revocations are much lower overall and remain relatively steady over the 10-year time period. There were very few other admissions across the entire 10-year time period. Full data is available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• After peaking at 7,449 in 2015-16, the total number of admissions has decreased by 4.3% to 7,130 in 2023-24.
• The highest number of admissions for female offenders was in 2023-24, with 584 admissions. This is an increase of 23.5% from ten years ago (473 admissions in 2014-2015). Comparatively, between 2014-15 and 2023-24, admissions for male offenders decreased 5.5% (from 6,926 to 6,546 per year).
• The number of warrant of committal admissions has fluctuated over the past 10 fiscal years (from 2014-15 to 2023-24) but has declined by 3.5% when comparing 2023-24 data (4,831 admissions) to the highest point which occurred in fiscal year 2018-19 (5,004 admissions).
• Between 2014-15 and 2023-24, warrant of committal admissions for female offenders increased 16.0% (from 344 to 399 per year) while warrant of committal admissions for male offenders decreased 1.0% over the same timeframe (from 4,475 to 4,432 per year).
• There was a sharp decrease of 30.5% between 2019-20 to 2020-21 in the warrant of committal admissions followed by an increase of 49.7% between 2020-21 and in 2023-24. These results are comparable between both female and male offenders.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Warrant of committal admissions to CSC facilities by sex: 10-year trend

Image description

Line graph illustrating the number of admissions to a Correctional Service Canada facility over a ten year period from fiscal year 2014-15 to 2023-24. The graph displays two separate lines categorized by gender. Males represent a much larger proportion of admissions which are relatively high over time, but reported a sharp decline in 2020-21 before returning to near peak levels in 2022-23. Female admissions were more rare and remained unchanged over time. Full data is available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• In the past 5 years, the number of females admitted to CSC facilities on a warrant of committal increased by 12.1% from 356 in 2019-20 to 399 in 2023-24. During the same time period, there was a 3.4% increase in the number of males admitted to CSC facilities on a warrant of committal from 4,286 in 2019-20 to 4,432 in 2023-24.
• Overall, females continue to represent a small proportion of the total number of warrant of committal admissions (i.e., 8.3% in 2023-24).
• At the end of fiscal year 2023-24, there were 736 females and 13,119 males offenders in custody within Correctional Service Canada facilities.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Number of registered victims by gender: 5-year trend

Image description

Line graph showing the number of registered victims categorized by gender, over a five year period from fiscal year 2019-20 to 2023-24. All categories remained stable over the 5-year period. Full data is available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• Most registered victims were of unknown gender (39.0%), or identified as women (43.6%).
• Although not displayed, 7 registered victims identified as another gender^{Footnote **} and 152 registered victims did not want to provide a gender at the end of fiscal year 2023-24.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

CSC total offender population by sentence length

Image description

Bar graph illustrating the sentence length of the total Correctional Service of Canada offender population in fiscal year 2023-24. Sentence lengths include less than 2 years, 2 years to less than 3 years, 3 years to less than 4 years, 4 years to less than 5 years, 5 years to less than 6 years, 6 years to less than 7 years, 7 years to less than 10 years, 10 years to less than 15 years, 15 or more years, and indeterminate sentences. Most offenders have an indeterminate sentence, followed by sentences of 2 years to less than 3 years, and 3 years to less than 4 years, and 7 years to less than 10 years. The sentence lengths with the fewest offender populations were less than 2 years, followed by 15 years or more. Full data is available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• In 2023-24, almost half (44.2%) of the total offender population was serving a sentence of less than 5 years with 20.1% serving a sentence less than 3 years.
• 5,904 offenders were serving an indeterminate sentence representing 26.4% of the total offender population. The total number of offenders with indeterminate sentences has increased 2.4% since 2019-20 from 5,764 to 5,904 in 2023-24.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Offences of victimization among registered victims

Image description

Bar graph showing a snapshot of offences of victimization among registered victims by offence type in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Offence types included are offence causing death, sexual offences, assaults, other offences, violence/threat of violence, property crimes, attempt to cause death, deprivation of freedom, driving offences, and unknown. Most offences of victimization were those causing death, followed by sexual offences and assaults. Driving offences were reported the least frequently. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• Offences causing death accounted for half of all offences of victimization (50.0%).
• Sexual offences were the second most common offence of victimization (22.4%).

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Warrant of committal admissions to a CSC facility by age

Image description

Bar graph showing the percentage of warrant committal admissions to a Correctional Service of Canada facility by age for fiscal year 2014-15 and for fiscal year 2023-24. The age groups included in the graph are 18 to 19, 20 to 24, 25 to 29, 30 to 34, 35 to 39, 40 to 44, 45 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70 and over. The largest proportion of admissions for fiscal year 2014-15 was in the 25 to 29 age group. For the 2023-24 fiscal year, the largest proportion was for age group 30 to 34. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• In 2023-24, 28.9% of offenders admitted on a warrant of committal to CSC facilities were between the ages of 20 and 29, and 33.2% were between 30 and 39 years of age.
• In 2023-24 most warrant of committal admissions were among those aged 30 to 34, while in 2014-15 it was among those aged 25 to 29.
• The median age of the population upon warrant of committal admission in 2023-24 was 35, compared to a median age of 33 in 2014-15.
• The number of offenders between the ages of 18 and 19 at admission decreased from 104 in 2014-15 to 43 in 2023-24, representing a 58.7% decrease.
• The number of offenders between the ages of 40 and 49 at admission increased from 881 in 2014-15 to 947 in 2023-24, representing a 7.5% increase.
• The number of offenders between the ages of 50 and 59 at admission decreased from 518 in 2014-15 to 509 in 2023-24 representing a 1.7% decrease.
• The number of offenders aged 70 and over at admission increased from 65 in 2014-15 to 95 in 2023-24, representing a 46.2% increase.

Table C9. Warrant of committal admissions by age and sex: 10-year comparison

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Number of registered victims by age

Image description

Bar graph showing the number of registered victims by age in fiscal year 2023-24. The age groups included in the graph are 30 and under, 31 to 40, 41 to 50, 51 to 60, 61 to 70, 71 to 80, 81 and over, and unknown. The largest proportion of registered victims are 51 to 60 years old, followed by age group 61 to 70, and very closely by 41 to 50. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• In 2023-24, 57.0% of registered victims were aged 41 to 70. The greatest proportion of victims was in the 51-60 age group (19.9%). This pattern has remained consistent over the past 5 fiscal years (from 2019-20 to 2023-24).

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Warrant of committal admissions to a CSC facility for Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders by age

Image description

Bar graph showing the percentage of warrant of committal admissions to a Correctional Service of Canada facility for Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders by age in fiscal year 2023-24. The age groups included in the graph are 18 to 19, 20 to 24, 25 to 29, 30 to 34, 35 to 39, 40 to 44, 45 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70 and older. The proportion of Indigenous offenders is greater than non-Indigenous offenders between ages 18 and 39. The proportion of non-Indigenous offenders is greater than Indigenous offenders between ages 40 and above. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• Of those offenders admitted on a warrant of committal to CSC facilities in 2023-24, 34.8% of Indigenous offenders were under the age of 30, compared to 27.6% of non-Indigenous offenders.
• The number of Indigenous offenders between the ages of 18 and 19 at admission decreased from 40 in 2014-15 to 23 in 2023-24, representing a 42.5% decrease.
• The number of Indigenous offenders aged 70 and over at admission increased from 4 in 2014-15 to 6 in 2023-24, representing a 50.0% increase.
• In fiscal year 2023-24, the median age of Indigenous offenders at admission was 33, compared to a median age of 37 for non-Indigenous offenders.
• In fiscal year 2023-24, the median age of Indigenous female offenders at admission was 32, compared to a median age of 38 for non-Indigenous female offenders.

Table C11. Warrant of committal admissions for Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders by age

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Age distribution of the CSC offender population

Image description

Bar graph illustrating the age distribution of offenders in Canada categorized by those in-custody and those in the community under supervision in fiscal year 2023-2024. The age groups included in the graph are 18 to 19, 20 to 24, 25 to 29, 30 to 34, 35 to 39, 40 to 44, 45 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70 and older. The proportion of offenders in custody is greater than offenders in community between ages 18 and 44. The proportion of offenders in community is greater than offenders in custody between ages 45 and above. Full data is available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• In 2023-24, 52.9% of in-custody offenders were under the age of 40.
• In 2023-24, 25.5% of in-custody offenders was aged 50 and over.
• In 2023-24, the community offender population was older than the in-custody population; 44.3% of offenders in the community were aged 50 and over, compared to 25.5% of the in-custody offenders in this age group.
• As of 2023-24, 0.04% of the Canadian adult population^{Footnote *} are in-custody offenders, and 0.03% of the Canadian adult population^{Footnote *} are offenders in the community under supervision. Taken together, the total federal offender population represents 0.07% of the Canadian adult population^{Footnote *}.

Sources:

CSC offender population by self-reported race

Image description

Bar graph showing the percentage of total Correctional Service of Canada offender population by self-reported race for the fiscal years 2019-20 and 2023-24. The population groups represented in the graph are Indigenous, Asian, Black, White, Hispanic, Multiracial/Bi-racial, and other/unknown. The Caucasian population group represented the largest offender group in both 2019-20 and 2023-24, followed by Indigenous people. Multiracial/Bi-racial and Hispanic population groups were the least self-reported population groups among offenders in both fiscal years. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• The CSC offender population is becoming more diverse, as evidenced by the decrease in the proportion of Caucasian offenders (down from 54.2% in 2019-20 to 50.9% in 2023-24). In comparison, close to 70% of the Canadian population identified as White (as reported in the 2021 Census^{Footnote *}).
• Between 2019-20 and 2023-24, the Indigenous offender population increased by 7.6% (from 6,027 to 6,487).
• Indigenous offenders represented 29.0% of the 2023-24 total CSC offender population and 29.8% of 2023-24 warrant of committal admissions to CSC facilities, despite representing only 5.0% of the Canadian population (as reported in the 2021 Census^{Footnote **}).

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

Number of registered victims by self-reported race

Image description

Bar graph showing a snapshot of the number of registered victims by self-reported race for fiscal year 2023-24. The population groups represented in the graph are Caucasian, Indigenous, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Multiracial/Bi-racial, Other/Unknown, and Does not want to provide. More than half of registered victims self-reported as Other/Unknown, followed by the Caucasian population group. Multiracial/Bi-racial and Hispanic population groups were the least self-reported registered victim groups. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• Most registered victims (61.7%) were of unknown race. More than a quarter of registered victims (30.2%) identified as Caucasian.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

CSC offender population by religion

Image description

Bar graph showing a snapshot of the Correctional Service of Canada offender population by religious identification for fiscal year 2023-24. The religious identifications represented in the graph are Christian, Muslim, Traditional Indigenous Spirituality, Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh, Rastafarian, Hindu, Wicca/Pagan, Other Religions, Unknown, and No religious affiliation. The largest proportion of offenders reported Christian religious identification, followed by unknown religious affiliation, and No religion affiliation. Full data are available in the table below.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.

• The religious identification of the CSC offender population is diverse. While those identifying as Christian continue to represent the largest group, their proportions decreased from 45.0% in 2019-20 to 40.5% in 2023-24.
• Religious identification was unknown for 20.8% of offenders, whereas 13.8% stated they had no religion affiliation.

Source: Correctional Service of Canada.