Almost every incarcerated offender will be released from prison after serving the sentence prescribed to them by the courts. Canada’s community-based residential facilities provide programs and supervision that will enable offenders to safely reintegrate into the community.
Many offenders face significant challenges re-establishing themselves upon their return to the community. Coordinating the right levels of control and supervision to the offender’s risks and needs will ensure that community-based resources are appropriately aligned to best protect Canadians.
CHALLENGES FACED
• Approximately 77% of Canada’s incarcerated federal offenders have no high school diploma.
• Over 70% have unstable job histories
• 52% claim to have had dysfunctional parents.
• 79% have abused alcohol and/or drugs.
• 79% are poor at problem solving, 70% are unable to generate choices, and 79% are considered to be impulsive.
• At admission, 20% of Canadian offenders had been previously hospitalized in a mental health facility
• 12% have a current psychiatric diagnosis
• 21% have been prescribed medication for a mental health issue.
SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION*
Statistics demonstrate that the success rates in 2003-2004 for day parole, full parole, and statutory releases are among the highest in recent years. From a public safety perspective, offenders granted a discretionary release and properly supervised in the community have shown very high levels of success.
• The rate of reconviction for violent offences while under community supervision has declined since 1994-95.
• Offenders under discretionary release (full parole and day parole) are less likely to be convicted of a violent offence while under supervision than those on statutory release.
• During 2003, federal offenders received 16,437 different periods of community supervision.
• Only 4.1% of these release periods resulted in a re-admission in 2003 because a new crime had been committed.
• Of the total of 2.8 million offences reported in Canada in 2003, only 2,659 new convictions were recorded against offenders under supervision in the community, an average of about 3.8 new convictions for each of the 686 re-admissions.
Statistics for this document were obtained from ‘The Safe Return of Offenders to the Community Statistical Overview April 2005” conducted by the Correctional Service of Canada.
