Research Results - Community Corrections

Research shows that society is best protected when an offender is gradually reintegrated into the community under supervision, with appropriate monitoring and control. The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) promotes the safe return of offenders to the community through risk assessment, community supervision, appropriate accommodation and effective correctional programs and interventions.

Offender Population

• As of April 13, 2014, there were 7,668 federal offenders under community supervision^{Footnote 1}
• Since 2008-09, the number of supervised offenders has remained relatively stable.^{Footnote 2}
• In part because indeterminately-sentenced offenders remain under CSC's jurisdiction until their deaths, relative to offenders in custody, those in the community tended to be older and were more likely to be serving a life or indeterminate sentence.^{Footnote 3} One-third of offenders under community supervision were aged 50 or older.^{Footnote 4}

Conditional Release

• In 2012-13, grant rates of day and full parole increased five and 12 per cent, respectively, in comparison to 2010-11. Grant rates also increased for Aboriginal offenders for the third consecutive year.^{Footnote 5}
• Women offenders tended to serve a lower proportion of their sentences than men offenders before being released on parole. Aboriginal offenders typically served a higher proportion of their sentence.^{Footnote 6}
• In the last decade, the rate of imposition of special conditions associated with conditional release increased. In particular, conditions requiring residence at a specific place, abstaining from alcohol and/or drugs, avoiding certain places, and those relating to mental health have increased the most. ^{Footnote 7}

Continuity of care

• Men and women offenders with an opioid dependence who received opioid substitution treatment in the community upon release as well as prior to release were more successful in the community than were those who did not continue opioid substitution treatment in the community.^{Footnote 8}
• Similar patterns have been observed for certain correctional programs. For instance, women offenders who participated in both the institutional and the community components of a program focused on substance abuse had more positive community outcomes than did those who participated only in the institutional component.^{Footnote 9}

Community Employment

• Offenders who obtained community employment were almost three times less likely to be revoked with a new offence than those who were not employed. In turn, a number of CSC initiatives, including CORCAN employment, vocational certification, and the use of Community Employment Centres, contributed to greater rates of community employment.^{Footnote 10}
• Ethnocultural offenders, with the exception of Black and Latin American offenders, were more likely to obtain community employment than White and Aboriginal offenders.^{Footnote 11}

Offenders Unlawfully at Large

• In one study, 22 per cent of offenders released over a three-year period were unlawfully at large at least once in the first year following release. Half of these offenders were returned to custody within one week.^{Footnote 12}
• Compared to other offenders, offenders who were unlawfully at large were rated as presenting higher levels of risk and need, and lower levels of motivation and reintegration potential.^{Footnote 13}

Returns to Custody

• From 2008-09 to 2012-13, the successful completion rates of offenders on day parole, full parole, and statutory release all increased.^{Footnote 14}
• Even when offenders did return to custody, few re-offended. In 2012-13, less than two per centof day parole releases, four per cent of full parole releases, and nine per cent of statutory releases were terminated due to new offences. The large majority of these were non-violent offences.^{Footnote 15}
• The rate of conviction for violent offences while under community supervision declined in the last decade.^{Footnote 16} When new violent offences occurred, they were most frequently assaults or robberies.^{Footnote 17}
• Rates of return to custody for offenders with Long Term Supervision Orders, both in general and due to a new offence, were less than half of those of offenders on statutory release.^{Footnote 18}
• Life-sentenced offenders were very likely to be successful on community supervision, and most who returned did so without a new offence. Life-sentenced offenders who returned to custody had challenges with attitudes, associates, and substance abuse.^{Footnote 19}
• Among men, the presence and severity of substance abuse problems was associated with higher rates of return to custody.^{Footnote 20} For those with moderate or severe problems, drug users were more likely than alcohol users to return to custody, both in general and due to new offences.^{Footnote 21}

November 2014