Research at a glance

Why we did this study

The National Joint Board of Investigation (NJBOI) into the Release and Supervision of an Offender on Full Parole Convicted of First-degree Murder of his Parole Officer on February 22, 2006 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories recommended that the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and the National Parole Board “develop an appropriate statistical risk assessment instrument specifically for Inuit offenders”. Within the CSC, risk assessment instruments (RAI’s) are used each day to estimate the risk posed by CSC offenders to public safety.

What we did

First, an analysis of the characteristics of Inuit offenders was conducted. Subsequent to this, the literature on the development of other RAI’s for other aboriginal cultures such as the Maori of New Zealand and the Aboriginals of Australia was reviewed and various well researched risk assessment instruments that have been shown to reliably predict re-offence for First Nations offenders were examined. Finally, an analysis was conducted to determine the feasibility of developing a specialized risk assessment instrument of Inuit offenders.

What we found

Inuit offenders are over-represented within the Canadian federal correctional population at a rate that is almost six times greater than their representation in the Canadian population. Given that approximately 41 Inuit offenders are released per year, we would expect less than one violent or sexual re-offence each year by a male Inuit offender. This low baseline of re-offence and the low number of Inuit offenders makes actuarial prediction extremely difficult. It would take in excess of 20 years to develop a data set of Inuit recidivists with which to test prediction calculations.

The review of existing research indicated that current assessment tools should be effective with Inuit offenders, as characteristics impacting violence are consistent across different groups. In addition, attempts by other researchers to develop culturally specific instruments have not been very successful.

What it means

Current risk assessment instruments are most likely effective in providing reasonably accurate risk assessments of Inuit offenders. The use of empirically-based risk assessment instruments, as part of a culturally informed risk assessment process that takes account of unique factors, is preferable to relying solely on personal judgment.

While developing new actuarial risk assessment methods may not be appropriate for Inuit offenders, other actions are possible to improve treatment and assessment. Improved cultural understanding would make assessments more accurate and providing culturally specific programming would better meet the needs of Inuit offenders.

For more information

Harris, A. J. R., Cousineau, C., Pagé, C. A., Sonnichsen, P., & Varrette, S. (2009). Feasibility of an Inuit specific violence risk assessment instrument. Research Report R-206. Ottawa: Correctional Service Canada.

To obtain a PDF version of the full report, contact the following address: research@csc-scc.gc.ca

Prepared by: Andrew J. R. Harris

Contact

Research Branch
(613) 996-3287
research@csc-scc.gc.ca