Indigenous Corrections Accountability Framework (ICAF) Annual Report 2020-2021

Cover image includes four colour photos (two large on both sides and two small between).  Details: Photo 1: two hands holding; Photo 2: sunlight on an open prison yard with fencing along the side; Photo 3: arial of prison; Photo 4: the head and shoulders of a uniformed female wearing a Correctional Service of Canada cap that covers her eyes, head tipped forward, looking downward


Land acknowledgement  

We would like to respectfully acknowledge that the land on which we developed this report is in the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. We invite all readers across Turtle Island to take a moment to acknowledge the land they live and move on. From coast to coast to coast, we acknowledge the ancestral and unceded territory of all the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people who call this land home.

In addition, we encourage readers to reflect on the past, be mindful of how harmful dynamics may continue to be perpetuated to this day, and consider how we can each, in our own way, move forwards toward collective healing and true reconciliation.

Indigenous Initiatives Directorate, 
on behalf of The Correctional Service of Canada

Senior Deputy Commissioner’s message 

As Senior Deputy Commissioner, I am proud to present the 2020-2021 Indigenous Correctional Accountability Framework (ICAF). This report reviews areas of success, and opportunities to improve correctional outcomes and address the unique needs of Indigenous offenders through the Indigenous Continuum of Care. 2020-2021 marks the second year that an annual report on the performance results for Indigenous corrections within the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will be made publicly available. With the second year of external publication of the ICAF, CSC aims to demonstrate a transparent posture so that Canadians can have a better understanding of how CSC works to bring about transformative change in Indigenous corrections. Publication of the ICAF also provides a shared evidence base from which CSC can collaborate with partners and stakeholders on areas of shared concern.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on CSC operations, including the services, supports and interventions available to Indigenous offenders. In critical aspects, the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on Indigenous offenders, exacerbating existing disparities and inequities faced by Indigenous, racialized and other equity-deserving communities in Canada. 

These disparities provide a strong impetus to renew efforts to address endemic gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders, by highlighting the need for CSC to confront and address an enduring legacy of colonialism and systemic racism. Both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Safety have outlined a clear mandate for CSC to address endemic gaps in service to Indigenous people throughout the federal correctional system. 

CSC is aware that systemic racism and barriers contribute to the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system, and is committed to accelerating work to improve outcomes for Indigenous offenders in meaningful ways. CSC has heard the call to all Public Service leaders to take meaningful action to advance anti-racism, equity and inclusion. In 2020-2021, the Executive Sub-committee on Indigenous Corrections, which I chair, made several key advancements to the provision of culturally appropriate program delivery, the release of Indigenous individuals to the community and in the recruitment and retention of Indigenous employees. The Executive Sub-Committee’s  work serves to address systemic barriers, from the perspectives of both the clients we serve and the people who work with us, and will continue with renewed focus in years to come. 

This past year, CSC’s dedicated staff worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of offenders and coworkers in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. They did so while continuing to deliver and enhance services, supports and interventions to Indigenous offenders. I look forward to supporting a doubling-down on our collective efforts in the coming year, so that Indigenous offenders may return home to make positive contributions to their communities.

Alain Toutsignant
SENIOR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER 


Executive summary 

In 2020-2021, there was a marked decline in a number of performance indicators measuring correctional outcomes for Indigenous offenders. Some pre-existing disparities in correctional outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders widened, pointing to a disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous offenders. 

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on CSC operations. In particular, modifications were made to core services in order to allow safe delivery in light of risks presented by the COVID19 pandemic. Group sizes for Correctional Programming were restricted and Elders were required to shift to a telework approach. Correlating interventions for Indigenous offenders were impacted, such as Elder’s services, Correctional Programming, and releases pursuant to Section 84 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA). 

Despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, CSC demonstrated positive progress in key areas, including in the work of the Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections, Indigenous Interventions Centres, as well as Healing Lodges and Section 84 releases. 

Since its inception in 2019, the EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections has led the way on a number of policy and program delivery changes, including:

  • The introduction of criteria for referral to lower-intensity programming, augmented with culturally responsive interventions
  • Measures to increase access to culturally-restorative interventions (i.e. Indigenous Intervention Centres and Pathways)
  • A streamlined s. 84 release process
  • Changes to contracting approaches and rates of pay for Elders
  • Indigenous representation objectives based on Indigenous offender representation and Workforce Availability
  • Enhanced horizontal collaboration across Government of Canada departments and with Indigenous governing bodies and communities

Participation in CSC’s Indigenous Intervention Centre (IIC) model of interventions continued to produce positive results. The IIC model of interventions was designed to accelerate access to programming, conditional releases, transfers to Healing Lodges, and comprehensive section CCRA 84 release planning. Across all of these areas, Indigenous offenders participating in IIC interventions experienced more positive outcomes than non-participants. These results were achieved in spite of public health measures imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19 among inmate populations and staff, which negatively impacted the availability of services and support. 

Performance indicators associated with healing lodges and Section 84 releases remained positive. A majority of offenders with CCRA Section 84 release plans acquired discretionary release at first release. Additionally, a majority of Indigenous offenders released from a Healing Lodge acquired a discretionary release, and most Indigenous offenders who reached their Sentence Expiry Date at a Healing Lodge completed their supervision successfully. 


Commitments & drivers

The Government of Canada has prioritized efforts toward reconciliation through a renewed, nation-to-nation, government-to-government, and Inuit-Crown relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership as the foundation for transformative change. CSC affirms commitments to advance meaningful reconciliation by addressing gaps in correctional results between Indigenous and non-Indigenous federally-sentenced persons.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) issued 94 Calls to Action urging all levels of government—federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous—to work together to change policies and programs in a concerted effort to repair the harm caused by the Indian Residential School system and move forward with reconciliation. The Calls to Action specifically directed at CSC call for the elimination of barriers to the creation of additional Healing Lodges and for all levels of government to work with Indigenous communities to provide culturally relevant services to inmates on issues such as substance misuse, and family and domestic violence. CSC is using these Calls to Action as a guide to further address the gaps in correctional results between Indigenous and non-Indigenous federally-sentenced persons.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

In June 2019, the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) was published. The report, Reclaiming Power and Place, outlines the persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses that are the root cause behind Canada’s staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people. Additionally, the report calls for “transformative legal and social changes to resolve the crisis that has devastated Indigenous communities across the country” and delivers 231 Calls for Justice, 12 of which are directed at CSC and four directed to all levels of government tied to corrections. CSC continues to address the Calls to Justice #157-167 & #169. These Calls for Justice guide CSC’s work towards enhancing correctional outcomes for Indigenous women and gender-diverse people.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration) affirms and sets out a broad range of collective and individual rights that constitute the minimum standards to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples and to contribute to their survival, dignity and well-being. These include rights related to: self-determination and self-government; equality and non-discrimination; Indigenous institutions and legal systems, among others. The Declaration provides the Government of Canada with a road map to advance lasting reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. 

In June 2021, Bill C-15 - An Act Respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples received Royal Assent, reaffirming Canada’s commitment to Indigenous peoples and communities. Bill C-15 affirms the Declaration as a universal international human rights instrument with application in Canadian law, and provides a framework for the Government of Canada’s implementation of the Declaration.

Indigenous Justice Strategy

The Government of Canada has committed to develop an Indigenous Justice Strategy to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice systems. The federal government will invest in research and data collection to better understand the role of different social systems in preventing involvement with the criminal justice system, the effectiveness of criminal justice processes in addressing overrepresentation, working with Indigenous people to develop research tools and methodologies to end systemic racism in the criminal justice system.

Senate Report on the Human Rights of Federally-Sentenced Persons

On June 16th 2021, the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights tabled the Final Report on The Human Rights of Federally Sentenced Persons. The report found that human rights of people serving federal sentences are too often sacrificed in the name of security constraints and budgetary concerns. Focusing on equality rights, non-discrimination, and the improvement of services and supports offered to incarcerated individuals, the report cites 71 recommendations to safeguard human rights in federal prisons, including 18 that are specific to Indigenous corrections. 

This primarily blue and white full-page infographic graphically integrates white, turquoise and yellow text with statistics surrounded by rings that represent the value of the percentages.
Text:
• While Indigenous people represent 4.9% of the Canadian Population, they represent 27% of the overall population under CSC jurisdiction.
• The CSC population of Indigenous women has increased 16.6% since 2016-2017. Indigenous women now represent 43% of women in federal custody.
• Indigenous offenders waiter a median of 35 days longer to start their first readiness correctional programs compared to non-Indigenous offenders.
• 64.9% of Indigenous offenders with an identified need for a national recognized correctional program (NRCP) completed such prior to first release.
• 44.6% of Indigenous offenders with a Section 84 release plan were released to a CCRA Section 84 Community.
• Indigenous offenders at an Indigenous Intervention Centre (IIC) had a higher percentage of discretionary releases compared to the overall Indigenous offender population (60.9% vs. 38.6%).
• 44.9% of Indigenous offenders reached SED without experiencing a revocation and/or conviction while on supervision.
• Indigenous people participating in IIC interventions experienced more positive outcomes than non-participants.

Overarching themes: 2020-2021

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had profound affects across Canada in 2020-2021. Communities and individuals faced challenges as they adapted to evolving health, social, and economic complexities, and ongoing efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19. Vulnerable and disadvantaged groups across the country experienced particularly severe impacts which created new inequalities and exacerbated existing ones.

Throughout 2020-2021, CSC responded to the evolving threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the establishment of a risk framework, which detailed safety measures in response to varying levels of pandemic risk and spread, CSC instituted measures to help combat the spread of COVID-19 within its institutions and facilities, including:

  • Providing Personal Protective Equipment and testing for staff and offenders;
  • Vaccination of staff and offenders;
  • Remote program delivery and facilitation, where possible;
  • Virtual counseling services for offenders;
  • Increased release planning times for offenders scheduled to be released into the community; and
  • Parole hearings via video teleconferences.

The measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 impacted correctional routines, interventions and services across institutions and communities. Correctional programs were sometimes postponed or prioritized based on the need to limit the spread of COVID-19 in institutions. Additionally, public health measures led to a lack of in-person interventions and programs, limited travel and weekend leave for offenders under community care and supervision, and reduced availability of services as service providers, including Elders, Chaplains, Counselors, and others were compelled to adapt to virtual platforms. 

In line with broader patterns in Canada, the negative impacts from pandemic-related disruptions to institutional routines and correctional services fell disproportionately on historically disadvantaged groups in CSC's care, including the Indigenous offender population. Various important cultural and spiritual interventions were limited or shifted to virtual spaces. While Elders adapted the way they supported Indigenous offenders to provide services via videoconference and/or by telephone, the transition created delays for Indigenous offenders who relied on these services. Due to the centrality of cultural and spiritual supports in

Indigenous-specific interventions, such as IICs and Pathways, many Indigenous offenders faced increased challenges to complete their specific correctional programming.

Moreover, in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 within CSC facilities, certain programming and interventions were cancelled or delayed for short periods of time. These cancellations and delays disproportionately impacted Indigenous offenders, who tend to have greater educational, training, and employment needs than non-Indigenous offenders. 

Additionally, many Indigenous communities faced serious challenges during the pandemic. As communities implemented measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, businesses, residential dwellings, and other services were impacted. This exacerbated the challenges Indigenous individuals faced in securing employment, furthering their education or vocational training, and meeting residency conditions upon release. The compound effects of pandemic disruptions on Indigenous communities made community corrections significantly more difficult, impacting correctional outcomes for many Indigenous offenders.

Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in CSC custody, and calls for systemic change to address ongoing gaps are louder and more pressing than ever before.

Reports such as The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and the Senate report on the Human Rights of Federally-Sentenced Persons all draw clear connections between the over-representation of Indigenous people in federal correctional institutions and systemic racism in Canada. Policies such as the Indian Residential School system, the Pass System, and the Eskimo Identification System have contributed to the ongoing marginalization of many Indigenous people and communities in Canada.

Systemic racism is a form of racism that is embedded into the laws and regulations of a society or organization and can manifest in all aspects of human life, including criminal, justice, employment, housing, health care, education and child welfare. Additionally, systemic racism goes beyond laws and policies, as it reverberates into broader societal and intergenerational injustices. While policies and practices may appear neutral, the enforcement of them can have discriminatory impacts on racialized people. Furthermore, individuals, who work for these organizations, and who enforce (or not enforce) these policies, may have their own conscious or unconscious racial biases. 

The interconnection of racism on an individual, institutional and societal level embeds racism into every level of a system or organization, making it difficult to identify, particularly for individuals who do not experience the consequences of this persistent discrimination. Due to the complex and all-encompassing nature of systemic racism, addressing it requires the upheaval of deeply rooted systems, which is often met with significant resistance and opposition from general society. 

The compounding effects of historical and contemporary systemic racism and discrimination have resulted in an inter-generational legacy of poverty, homelessness, trauma, abuse, lower levels of education, and challenges with mental health and substance use among Indigenous populations. This legacy exists before an Indigenous person comes in contact with the Canadian criminal justice system and amplifies challenges once they do.

In order to meaningfully and sustainably address systemic racism, efforts must center around the voices and experiences of the marginalized and engage every level of an organization. CSC shares the responsibility with the rest of the criminal justice system in Canada to address the over-incarceration of Indigenous people. Commitments summarized in the Speech from the Throne (2021) and the most recent Mandate Letters to the Minister of Public Safety and the Commissioner of CSC prioritize working horizontally with public safety departments and other government departments to ensure a whole of government approach toward reconciliation. CSC will work to uphold these commitments by exploring initiatives and opportunities to strengthen horizontal collaboration.

The Calls to Action outlined in the TRC offer a clear path towards reconciliation, “repairing damaged trust by making apologies, providing individual and collective reparations, and following through with concrete actions that demonstrate real societal change” (Executive Summary, TRC). The core of meaningful societal change is relationship, and a commitment to ongoing healing and reflection. In this report, CSC seeks an honest and truthful examination of Indigenous corrections and plans to work along side Indigenous communities and organizations to address endemic gaps and bring about systemic change. 


2020-2021 Results

Population profile  

During the reporting period, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of individuals under CSC’s jurisdiction. As waves of COVID-19 infections spread throughout Canada, the courts primarily suspended or scaled back operations, before resuming some services with restrictions. Additionally, the Canadian justice and correctional systems took a number of steps to reduce health risk in institutions. These steps included early releases of low-risk offenders, extended periods for parole hearings and alternatives to incarceration for those awaiting trials, sentencing and bail hearings. As well, offenders sentenced to federal sentences remained in provincial custody longer than normal. Provincial health restrictions required inmates to quarantine before receiving clearance to transfer to a federal site, and CSC’s health restrictions required newly arrived inmates to quarantine for 14 days. These measures restricted the flow of admissions from provincial to federal custody.

The graphic is accompanied with the statement “Indigenous people represent 4.9% of the Canadian Population and 27% of the overall population under CSC jurisdiction.

According to the 2016 Census, Indigenous people represent 4.9% of the Canadian population. However, by the end of the
2020-2021 fiscal year, Indigenous people represented 27% of the overall population under CSC  jurisdiction. Therefore, the Indigenous offender population remained significantly overrepresented in the federal correctional system.

Indigenous offender population percentage change from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021

Since 2016-2017, the percentage of Indigenous offenders relative to the overall population has increased in every region except the Quebec Region, as indicated in the graphic above. A larger percentage of Indigenous offenders tend to be housed in the Prairie Region, which houses the highest number of Indigenous offenders (n=2931) anywhere
in the country.  

In the Pacific Region 19% of offenders are Indigenous and the percentage increase is 6% (1010 – 1069); in the Prairie Region 50% of offenders are Indigenous and the percentage increase is 9% (2638 – 2931); in the Ontario Region 16% of offenders are Indigenous and the percentage increase is 20% (756 – 906); in the Quebec Region 10% of offenders are Indigenous and the percentage decrease is 6% (593 – 557); and in the Atlantic Region 6% of offenders are Indigenous and the percentage increase is 31% (265 – 346).

Indigenous women

The overrepresentation of Indigenous people under CSC jurisdiction is particularly evident among women, with the population of Indigenous women offenders having increased 14.3% since 2016-2017. At the end of 2020-2021,
Indigenous women represented 36% of all women under CSC jurisdiction. This over-representation is even more pronounced for the in-custody population, as Indigenous women made up 43% of the total population of women
in custody at year-end 2020-2021.  

10-year trend: warrants of committal and offenders in custody 

The percentage rate of warrants of committal for Indigenous offenders increased from 24.6% in 2011-2012 to 30.1% in 2020-2021. The in-custody rate of Indigenous people increased from 22.3% in 2011-12 to 31.6% in 2020-2021.
The percentage rate of warrants of committal for non-Indigenous offenders decreased from 75.4% in 2011-2012 to 69.9% in 2020-2021. The in-custody rate of non-Indigenous people decreased from 77.7% in 2011-12 to 68% in 2020-2021.

The above graphic illustrates the continued increase in the number and percentage of Indigenous offenders in CSC institutions over a 10-year period. 

The percentage rates for Warrants of Committal and in-custody population for Indigenous offenders have steadily increased. Inversely, the same rates have been continuously decreasing for non-Indigenous offenders over the same period.  

Warrants of Committal (WOC) provide the legal authority for the administration of an offender’s sentence. The rate of WOC outlines the rate at which offenders enter CSC’s custody. For Indigenous offenders, the in-custody population percentage has been consistently higher than

WOC rates for the past seven years. The data suggest that increasing percentages of Indigenous offenders are admitted to federal custody, and that Indigenous offenders stay in custody at higher rates than they are admitted, resulting in an increasing population of Indigenous offenders in custody. These rates are compared to the non-Indigenous offender population, which is experiencing the inverse effect, with the non-Indigenous offenders’ incustody rate decreasing faster than their WOC rate. The result of this effect is a decrease of non-Indigenous offenders in CSC custody. 

While CSC does not control the imposition of federal sentences (or offenders admitted on WOC), CSC can influence the time offenders spend incarcerated and their likelihood to reoffend by providing timely access to effective rehabilitation and promoting conditions favorable to successful reintegration. Providing effective and culturally appropriate rehabilitation and reintegration supports and services for Indigenous offenders is an enduring priority for CSC.  

Offender population profile 

When compared to non-indigenous offenders, Indigenous offenders tend to:

1.	Graphic of head and shoulders with the title “Be Younger’.  A statement below reads “Offenders 30 years old or younger” and is accompanied by statistics with two rotating arrows between them. The statistics state 46.8% of Indigenous offenders are under 30 and 34.1% of non-Indigenous offenders are under 30.
8.	The final box displays statistics in text. Below title “Needs Overall”, text states Indigenous offenders represent 6% of low need offenders, but 38% of high needs offenders. Below title “Risk Overall”, text states Indigenous offenders represent 15% of low risk offenders, but 36% of high risk offenders.
2.	The letters CRI with the title “Have Higher CRI Ratings”  A statement below reads “Initial Criminal Risk Index (Static Risk Level) Of Medium Or High” and is accompanied by statistics with two rotating arrows between them. The statistics state that 95.9% of Indigenous offenders have an initial static risk level of medium or high and 88.7% of non-Indigenous offenders have an initial static risk level of medium or high.
3.	Graphic of a person holding a stack of books in one hand and a briefcase in the other is accompanied with the title “have higher education needs”. A statement below reads “Education Referrals Within 120 Days Of Admission” and is accompanied by statistics with two rotating arrows between them. The statistics state that 73.3% of Indigenous offenders receive an education referral within 120 days of admission and 58.8% of non-Indigenous offenders receive an education referral within 120 days of admission.
6.	Graphic of a bar graph with a line graph above with the title “Have Higher Dynamic Need Levels” A statement below reads “Dynamic Need Level of High” and is accompanied by statistics with two rotating arrows between them. The statistics state that 86.4% of Indigenous offenders have a dynamic need level of high and 65.1% of non-Indigenous offenders have a dynamic need level of high.
4.	Graphic of a bar graph with a magnifying glass with the title “Have Higher OSL Ratings”. A statement below reads “Initial Offender Security Level (OSL) Decision Of Medium Or High” and is accompanied by statistics with two rotating arrows between them. The statistics state that 86.0% of Indigenous offenders have a first OSL decision of medium or high and 69.5% of non-Indigenous offenders have a first OSL decision of medium or high.
5.	Graphic of a mounted calendar with the title “More Likely to be Admitted with Shorter Sentences”.  A statement below reads “sentences less than 4 years” and is accompanied by statistics with two rotating arrows between them. The statistics state that 30.3% of Indigenous offenders serve a sentence less than 4 years and 25.5% of non-Indigenous offenders serve a sentence less than 4 years.
7.	Graphic of a gavel with the title “More Likely to Serve Sentences For Violent Offences (Murder I/II Or Schedule I)”. Statistics are accompanied with two rotating arrows between them. The statistics state that 70.9% of Indigenous offenders are admitted for violent offences and 59.7% of non-Indigenous offenders are admitted for violent offences.


As indicated by the graphic above, the Indigenous offender population differs markedly from the non-Indigenous population in a number of areas. Indigenous offenders tend to be younger, have higher education needs, higher OSL and CRI ratings, and a higher dynamic need level compared to non-Indigenous offenders. Indigenous offenders also tend to serve shorter sentences than non-Indigenous offenders.

Differences also exist in criminogenic profiles between  First Nations, Métis and Inuit federally sentenced persons. These patterns pose challenges to ensuring alignment between policy initiatives, decision-making regarding correctional interventions, and the criminogenic  profiles and unique needs of different Indigenous offender groups. Although Indigenous offenders are often examined as one sub-population, First Nations, Métis and Inuit offenders have distinct traditions, cultures and world views. CSC research underscores that they have unique characteristics that need to be understood and taken into account by decision- and policy-makers.

Admission & assessment 

Following admission to CSC care, offenders undergo an intake assessment process. This process is utilized to gather vital information about an offender, which will help determine several aspects of their sentence – such as security level, overall needs, and more. In the case of Indigenous offenders, the assessment process presents opportunities for CSC to gather and consider relevant information that is applicable to Indigenous-specific services, supports, interventions and programs. These services include the support of Elders and Spiritual Advisors, Indigenous Liaison Officers, access to cultural and spiritual programs, the Indigenous Continuum of Care, Healing Lodges, care at a section 81 facility, and releases pursuant to section 84 the CCRA. Additionally, during the assessment stage for Indigenous offenders, the collection and consideration of Indigenous Social History (ISH) factors begins.

Over the reporting period, Indigenous people represented more than 30% of all offenders admitted to CSC on WOC. Overall admissions remained relatively stable in the last five (5) years, with the total number of individuals admitted on WOC, both Indigenous and nonIndigenous, slightly decreasing in recent years.  

Offenders admitted on warrant of committal since 2016-2017 

The number of Indigenous offenders admitted on Warrant of Committal has increased from 25.3% to 30.1% between 2016-17 to 2020-21 and the number of non-Indigenous offenders admitted on Warrant of Committal has decreased from 74.7% to 69.9% between 2016-2017 and 2020-21.

Over the past five years, Indigenous people have represented an increasing percentage of offenders admitted to CSC on WOC

Offender Security Level recommendations are an important part of the intake assessment process. They are based on the Custody Rating Scale (CRS), as well as the analysis of Institutional Adjustment risk, Escape risk, and risk to Public Safety, and additional factors, where applicable.

Initial security classification can influence access to programs and interventions. It can also influence decisions with respect to temporary absences, work releases, and discretionary release. Higher CRS classifications are associated with higher levels of need. They are also associated with lower levels of motivation and reintegration potential. 

Initial placement can influence the likelihood of discretionary release and length of incarceration prior to release. For example, research has shown that inmates rated at minimum by the CRS and initially placed at a minimum-security institution have much higher discretionary release rates than offenders initially rated at either a medium or maximum on the CRS and then placed in either a medium or maximum security institution. 

First offender security level (OSL) on offender’s sentence

This image compares the first OSL rating between non-Indigenous and Indigenous offenders. For non-Indigenous offenders, 7% were assessed as maximum, 59% as medium, and 34% as minimum.
For Indigenous offenders, 11% were assessed as maximum, 73% as medium, 16% as minimum.

Indigenous offenders continue to receive first OSL assessments of Medium and Maximum at higher rates than non-Indigenous offenders. In 2020-2021, 16% of Indigenous offenders were assessed with a Minimum OSL, compared to 34% of non-Indigenous offenders. 

Conversely, 73% of Indigenous offenders were assessed with a Medium OSL in 2020-2021, compared to 59% of
non-Indigenous offenders, while 11% of Indigenous offenders were assessed with a Maximum OSL this year, compared to 7% of non-Indigenous offenders.

Indigenous women 

The increasing over-representation of Indigenous offenders in admissions on WOC is particularly pronounced among women. In 2020-2021, Indigenous women represented 37.6% of admissions on WOC, an increase from 32.4% in
2016-2017. This compares to 62.4% of admission for non-Indigenous women in 2020-2021, which is down from 67.6%
in 2016-2017.

To learn more about Indigenous Social History refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 18)

Offenders with a minimum  CRS recommendations who received a higher OSL decision  

The number of Indigenous offenders with a minimum CRS recommendation who received a higher OSL decision increased from 40.4% to 54.2% between 2016-17 to 2020-21. The number of non-Indigenous offenders with a minimum CRS recommendation who received a higher OSL decision increased from 31.3% to 34.1% between 2016-17 to 2020-21.

Over the past five years, Indigenous offenders continued to be assessed with higher OSL than their initial CRS, when compared to non-Indigenous offenders. 

For this indicator, the gap between the two populations has been widening since 2016-2017.  

The CRS is an actuarial tool that is utilized by Parole Officers during the offender intake assessment. The CRS is used to provide a score for each offender according to several factors, including history of institutional involvement, alcohol and drug use, and severity of current offense,  gathered during assessment and other collected documents, such as police reports. Each institutional security level (minimum, medium, maximum) has a cut-off score. Parole Officers will then will make a recommendation on the security level based on the CRS score and the assessment of Institutional Adjustment risk, Escape risk, and risk to Public Safety. As such, the CRS is only part of the Parole Officer’s recommendation.

Additionally, an offender’s OSL decision is determined in part based on the recommendation by the Parole Officer, as other factors may be considered by the ultimate decision maker, such as Security Threat Group affiliation, health needs, and more. Therefore, it is possible for an offender to receive a CRS score that indicates a lower or higher level of security than their eventual OSL decision - as it is only a part of the security level determination.

Importantly, an Indigenous offender’s ISH is closely considered during the security classification stage. During the security assessment, offender’s ISH is utilized to examine circumstances of the Indigenous people and to seek alternative options to normal procedures to manage the Indigenous offender so that a more responsive decision can be made. ISH considerations are not risk factors and should never result in a more restrictive decision. It is possible that the end result may be the same but it is also possible that the consideration of ISH could result in a decision that is more restorative.

To learn more about Indigenous specific interventions, refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 26).  

As per section 79.1(2) of the CCRA, an Indigenous offender’s ISH factors are not to be taken into consideration for decisions respecting the assessment of the risk posed by an Indigenous offender unless those factors could decrease the level of risk. An understanding of ISH allows CSC employees to better address an offender’s needs, thus increasing their reintegration potential and enhancing opportunities for healing.

Percentage of offenders experiencing a change in security environment from their initial security level 

In 2020-2021, 14.5 % of non-Indigenous offenders experienced a change to a higher security environment from their initial security level. 14.1 % of non-Indigenous offenders experienced a change to a lower security environment from their initial security level. 71.4 % of non-Indigenous offenders experienced no change in security environment from their initial security level.
In 2020-2021, 15.3 % of Indigenous offenders experienced a change to a higher security environment from their initial security level. 13.5 % of Indigenous offenders experienced a change to a lower security environment from their initial security level. 71.2 % of Indigenous offenders experienced no change in security environment from their initial security level.

In 2020-2021, Indigenous offenders experienced changes in security classification at similar rates
as non-Indigenous offenders. 

Indigenous offenders were slightly more likely to experience a change to a higher security environment, while
non-Indigenous offenders were more likely to experience a change to lower security. 

Correctional interventions

CSC uses a unique approach for Indigenous corrections called the Indigenous Continuum of Care. The Indigenous Continuum of Care model provides culturally responsive approaches to address the needs of Indigenous offenders, taking into account Indigenous culture, identity, and social history. The interventions discussed in this section include Correctional Programs and Education, Pathways, Healing Lodges, Section 84 releases, and transfers of offenders to the care and custody of Indigenous governing bodies pursuant to Section 81 of the CCRA.

During the reporting period, pandemic-related restrictions impacted offender interventions. Restrictions were placed on offender movement, gathering sizes, and staff numbers in institutions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. CSC staff adopted new work practices to continue providing correctional interventions, irrespectively of the fact that CSC’s services were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. 

Number of enrolments in correctional programs: indigenous specific vs. non-indigenous specific  

The number of enrollments in Indigenous specific correctional programs has increased from 34.10% in 2016-2017 to 51.40% in 2020-2021. The number of enrollments in non-Indigenous specific correctional programs has decreased from 65.9% in 2016-2017 to 51.4% in 2020-2021.

Over the past five years, Indigenous offenders have enrolled in Indigenous-specific  programs at an increasing rate, while Indigenous enrollments in non-Indigenous specific programs have decreased - a development which demonstrates Indigenous offenders accessing culturally responsive interventions.  

Percentage of offenders with an identified need who complete a correctional program prior to full
parole eligibility date 

The percentage of Indigenous offenders with an identified need who complete a correctional program prior to full parole has decreased from 77.5% in 2016-2017 to 70.3% in 2020-2021. The percentage of non-Indigenous offenders with an identified need who complete a correctional program prior to full parole has decreased from 82.4% in 2016-2017 to 75.14% in 2020-2021.

The percentage of Indigenous offenders with an identified need who completed a correctional program decreased in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. A gap in results between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders has persisted over the past five years. 

Results specific to correctional programming for all offenders in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 were negatively impacted by restrictions on in-person program delivery as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The gaps in results may be partially attributable to differences in offender profiles between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders: Indigenous offenders tend to have higher dynamic needs, higher occurrences of violent offences, and have static risk assessed as higher- all aspects which require more intensive programming, which may be challenging to complete during an offender’s sentence, especially for offenders with short sentence lengths of two to four years.

Another factor likely to have contributed to the gap in results between Indigenous and nonIndigenous offenders was the resourcing and retention of Indigenous Correctional Program Officers (ICPOs) who deliver Indigenous Correctional Programs. CSC research indicates that culturally responsive programming, preferably delivered by Indigenous people, is one of the factors contributing to the successful reintegration of Indigenous offenders. Challenges in the recruitment and retention of ICPOs led, at times, to non-Indigenous staff delivering Indigenous programs, which may have negatively impacted program completions. The EXCOM SubCommittee on Indigenous Corrections identified resourcing and retention of Indigenous staff as one of its focus priorities. A Tiger Team was convened to increase the number of Indigenous staff and implement retention strategies to support a greater Indigenous workforce representation at all levels of the organization. 

Offenders with a correctional intervention board - accepted referral to educational upgrading within
120 days following admission out of all offenders with an identified education need 

The percentage of Indigenous offenders who were referred to education upgrading within 120 days following admission of all offenders with an identified education need decreased from 83.7% in 2016-2017 to 73.3% in 2020-2021. The percentage of non-Indigenous offenders who were referred to education upgrading with 120 days following admission of all offenders with an identified education need decreased from 69.9% in 2016-2017 to 58.8% in 2020-2021.

Referrals for educational upgrading after admission are higher for Indigenous offenders than non-Indigenous offenders.

Relative positive results in educational upgrading for Indigenous offenders may be attributable to continued focus by CSC on identifying educational needs for Indigenous offenders and appropriate referrals for upgrading within 120 days of admission. The decrease in results in 2020-2021, compared to previous years, may be attributable to impediments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including intermittent restrictions on in-person delivery and lack of access to online or other remote learning alternatives. 

Percentage of offenders with an identified educational need who have upgraded their education prior
to full parole eligibility date

The percentage of Indigenous offenders with an identified educational need who have upgraded their education prior to full parole eligibility date decreased from 58.7% in 2016-2017 to 42.2% in 2020-2021. The percentage of non-Indigenous offenders who were with an identified educational need who have upgraded their education prior to full parole eligibility date decreased from 53.8% in 2016-2017 to 42.1% in 2020-2021.

Over the past five years, Indigenous people have achieved percentages equal to or higher than non-Indigenous offenders in the area of educational upgrades prior to Full Parole Eligibility Date (FPED). 

Results for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders decreased during the pandemic due to the adaptation of education delivery methods in order to observe public health restrictions.

Median days from admission to first enrolment in a readiness nationally recognized correctional program 

The median days from admission to first enrollment in a National Recognized Correctional Program for Indigenous increased from 49 days in 2016-2017 to 167.5 days in 2020-2021. The median days from admission to first enrollment in a National Recognized Correctional Program for non-Indigenous increased from 46 days in 2016-2017 to 113 days in 2020-2021.

Over the past five years, the median days from admission to first enrolment in a Nationally Recognized Correctional Program have risen. The increase has been more pronounced for Indigenous offenders.

Median days from admission to start of first nationally recognized correctional program

The median days from admission to start of first National Recognized Correctional Program for Indigenous increased from 148 days in 2016-2017 to 257 days in 2020-2021. The median days from admission to start of first National Recognized Correctional Program for non-Indigenous increased from 165 days in 2016-2017 to 252 days in 2020-2021.

Over the past five years, the median days from admission to start of first Nationally Recognized Correctional Program (NRCP) have risen. The increase has been more pronounced for Indigenous offenders.

Correctional program delivery has been modified, reducing the median days from an offender’s admission to the start of their NRCP. The Integrated Correctional Program Model (ICPM) and the Inuit Integrated Correctional Program (IICP) were implemented in 2017. However, staffing levels have not kept pace with higher resourcing requirements associated with the new programming models, affecting the availability of programs.

Additionally, restrictions implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in institutions had a negative effect on program commencement and further increased the median days from admission to start of first NRCP. Any delays from admission to the start of an offender’s readiness programs directly affect overall results specific to correctional programming.

A persistent gap in results between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders can also be observed over the last five years, with Indigenous offenders having higher median days from admission to start of first NRCP. However, following the implementation of ICPM and IICP, the inventory of correctional programs increased for Indigenous offender. Conversely, as the program inventory increased, delivery of certain programs was delayed as group size requirements.  

The number of serious institutional charges per 1,000 Indigenous offenders has decreased from 587 in 2016-2017 to 355 in 2020-2021. The number of serious institutional charges per 1,000 non-Indigenous offenders has decreased from 383 in 2016-2017 to 211 in 2020-2021.

The above graphic illustrates that over the past five years, Indigenous offenders have consistently received Serious Institutional Charges at nearly twice the rate of non-Indigenous offenders.  

Serious Institutional Charges decreased significantly for both populations in 2020-2021 due to restrictions on offender movement as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, a gap in results for Indigenous offenders remained. 

When compared to non-Indigenous offenders, the Indigenous offender population tends to be younger, have higher CRI and OSL ratings, be more likely to be admitted for violent offences, and have higher dynamic needs. These various aspects of the Indigenous offender profile likely may contribute to higher results in serious institutional charges.

CSC is currently implementing newly developed training on Indigenous Corrections for Correctional Officers. The goal of the training is to raise awareness for Correctional Officers in regards to Indigenous Social History. The training provides key information on specific historical and social factors that contribute to the over-representation of Indigenous offenders in the criminal justice system, their offender profile, and how CSC addresses these factors with interventions based on law and policy, and through the engagement of Indigenous communities. 

The higher representation for Indigenous offenders in the area of serious institutional charges may have a negative impact on key drivers of reintegration success, such as escorted and unescorted absences, positive recommendations for day and full parole, and reclassification to lower security level.  

To learn more about the Structured Intervention Unit (SIU) model, refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 32).  

CSC is currently developing new data indicators to accurately measure the operation of SIUs. Specifically, these new indicators will measure median days spent in an SIU and the percentage of successful transfers out of an SIU. Mirroring the other indicators detailed in this report, the data will be disaggregated for Indigenous and non-Indigenous offender populations. However, until new indicators are developed, data on SIUs remains unavailable through the Indigenousspecific correctional accountability framework. Similar to serious institutional charges, SIU data correlates to impacts in other key areas of rehabilitation and reintegration. 

Pathways 

To learn more about the Pathways model, refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 34).  

Pathways initiatives help prepare inmates for transfers to lower security and conditional release, which contributes to the successful continuation of their healing journey into the community.

Indigenous offenders who participate in Pathways achieve a higher percentage of discretionary releases, as well as higher percentages of transfers to a lower security level before release, compared to Indigenous offenders who do not participate in Pathways. In 2020-2021, 52% of offenders released from a Pathways unit were released on discretionary release, compared to 34% of Indigenous offenders who did not participate in Pathways. Additionally, 55% of Pathways participants were released from a minimum-security environment, compared to 29% of Indigenous non-participants.

The EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections has identified Pathways initiatives as one of its focus priorities. In 2020-2021, the Pathways model and admission criteria were revised to expand access to Pathways at Medium-security sites, and consultation with the Regional Deputy Commissioners took place to ensure implementation of the revised Pathways modelAdditionally, the EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections reviewed the extent to which enhanced focus on maximization of Pathways bed utlilization, in conjunction with measures to increase participation in the IIC model and transfers to healing lodges, could create a misconception that Indigenous offenders are expected to complete all three interventions prior to being eligible for release, thereby potentially delaying their eventual release. Regional consultations revealed a need to clarify that institutional staff are to consider IICs, Pathways and healing lodges as complementary alternatives designed to lessen the over-securitization of Indigenous offenders and to accelerate their release, and that these interventions should not be seen as sequential or interdependent. The Sub-committee’s plan for fiscal year 2021-2022 includes further discussions on the need to revise, regionally adapt and/or clarify the role of IICs within the overall model for Indigenous corrections, thereby mitigating unintended pressures on other culturally specific accommodations.  

Pathways departures

In 2020-2021, there were a total of 370 departures from Pathways, of which 47% were successful. Successful departures include all offenders who depart from a Pathways unit due to day parole, full parole, successful transfer to a Healing Lodge or successful transfer to lower security. The 2020-2021 results represent a decrease from the previous fiscal year, which saw a success rate of 53% .

Of the Indigenous paritipants who successfully departed from a Pathways unit in 2020-2021:

  • 47.4% received either day or full parole;
  • 52.6% were transferred to lower security or to a Healing Lodge.

The operation of Pathways was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pathways Pathways are designed to be Elder-driven, healing-intensive interventions involving offenders who are committed to developing responsible behaviors. However, with COVID-19 outbreaks in institutions, Pathways units were repurposed as quarantine units in order to prevent the spread of infection among the offender population. As a result, offenders were housed in Pathways units who were not participating in Pathways interventions and did not demonstrate the same levels of commitment to responsible behaviour. Additionally, Elders and Indigenous Liaison Officers often faced limitations in entering units due to health restrictions. As a result, Pathways units did not operate to their full potential in 2020-2021, which may have contributed to fewer departures and a lower success rate for the fiscal year.  

Section 84 release planning

To learn more about Section 84 release planning, refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 23).  

In 2020-2021, 6.1% of Indigenous offenders in custody were released pursuant to Section 84 of the CCRA. The numbers of Indigenous individuals who are informed of and interested in Section 84 of the CCRA remained low, compared to the overall Indigenous population at CSC.

Offenders who are released to a Section 84 location tend to achieve better release results than Indigenous offenders not released on a Section 84 release.

In 2020-2021, 3,914 Indigenous offenders were in CSC custody, 3,060 offenders were informed of section 84 release planning, 1,289 offenders were interested in section 84, 306 offenders established a section 84 release plan, and 239 offenders were released to a section 84 community.

In 2020-2021, 67% of Indigenous offenders on a Section 84 release received a discretionary release, as opposed to 32% of Indigenous offenders who were not involved in the Section 84 release process, a trend that has been consistent over the past five years. Additionally, Indigenous offenders with a Section 84 release plan complete their supervision at higher rates than those without a Section 84 release plan. Yet, only 18.5% of Indigenous offenders interested in a Section 84 release were released to a Section 84 location in 2020-2021. Moreover, 22% of Indigenous offenders with a Section 84 release plan did not receive a Section 84 release. 

Although not all Indigenous offenders will seek a Section 84 release, the successful results from those who do signal the need to focus on expanding the effective use of Section 84 of the CCRA to its full legislative intent in coming years.

A number of factors inhibited the full and effective use of the Section 84 release process and contributed to lower than expected utilization in 2020-2021. Inefficiencies in tools and processes, such as limitations on the ability to accurately document an offenders interest in the Section 84 release process, as well as gaps in staff training, and resistance to participating in the Section 84 process on the part of offenders and/or implicated Indigenous communities may have contributed to lower participation rates in 2020-2021. Some Indigenous partners chose to restrict access to their communities in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19. This may have also contributed to the lower
participation rates.

The EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections has identified expanding the use of the Section 84 release process as one of its focus priorities. In 2020-2021, a working group was convened to review internal processes to streamline Section 84 release planning in order to enhance participation. Additionally, memoranda were issued to all Regions to reinforce the need to reconfirm interest in the Section 84 process at intake, and to deactivate interest flags within an offender’s profile, where applicable. These memoranda helped to address the issue of false positive identification of interest in Section 84, thereby enhancing the integrity of performance data related to the Section 84 release process.  

The number of Indigenous individuals transferred to a Healing Lodge in 2020-2021 was low, compared to those informed of and interested in transferring to a Section 81 facility over the same time frame. Specifically, there were 135 successful transfers to CSC-run Healing Lodges and 50 to Section 81 Healing Lodges.

In 2020-2021 3,914 Indigenous offenders were in CSC custody, 3,074 offenders were informed of section 81, 1,586 offenders were interested in section 81, and 185 offenders were successfully transferred to a section 81 Healing Lodge.

Correctional results suggest that Healing Lodges contribute to improved release outcomes for Indigenous offenders. 70.1% of all Indigenous offenders with a minimum OSL released from a Healing Lodge acquired discretionary release. 87% of Indigenous offenders with a minimum OSL who reached SED and were released from a Healing Lodge completed their supervision successfully. Therefore, current low utilization rates demonstrate significant opportunity costs as only a fraction of those eligible ultimately benefit from the targeted, culturally restorative interventions offered at Healing Lodges. 

Low utilization rates can be partially attributable to the fact that all Section 81 Healing Lodges are located in the Prairie and Quebec Regions, leaving all other Regions underserviced. In those Regions that have Healing Lodge capacity, existing bed spaces were under-utilized. Additionally, there continued to be a lack of parity in the way programming offered by Section 81 partners is perceived, in comparison to research-validated CSC programming, as well as a general lack of timely access to programming.

In order to expand access to Healing Lodges in underserviced Regions, CSC continued to work with Indigenous communities who expressed interest in establishing a Section 81 Healing Lodge, and reviewed statements of interest from Indigenous communities from coast to coast to coast. To address underutilization of Healing Lodge capacity in Regions that were adequately serviced, CSC improved processes which cascade offenders to lower security levels, thereby increasing the pool of eligible candidates to transfer to Section 81 facilities. Additionally, CSC initiated efforts to develop options to address the lack of parity between CSC programs and interventions offered by Section 81 partners. 

Reintegration

CSC remains focused on addressing long-standing differential release outcomes for Indigenous offenders. Improving discretionary release and successful supervision results in meaningful ways contributes to addressing the over-incarceration of Indigenous federally-sentenced persons. Additionally, reintegration results speak to the effectiveness of correctional programs and interventions in the healing and rehabilitation of offenders and their safe reintegration into the community. 

Reintegration is a joint process between CSC and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC), with both agencies seeking to assist offenders as they transition from incarceration and return safely to their communities. CSC offers offenders correctional programing and interventions to better facilitate this transition and assist in the planning for their release. When an offender is reviewed for conditional release, CSC assesses the suitability of the offender for release and provides the information and a recommendation to the PBC. Assessment considerations include the offender’s risk to reoffend and the extent to which that risk can be safely managed in the community.  The decision whether or not to grant parole and conditions of release is determined by the PBC. Under the CCRA, offenders have the right to appear before the PBC on the date they are eligible for parole. Offenders may waive or postpone their consideration for parole for any of number of reasons, including non-completion of correctional programming. As part of the decision-making process, PBC considers a range of factors, including social and criminal history, progress made in custody, victim statements, offenders’ release plans, and community supports.

In order to provide a responsive hearing process for Indigenous offenders, Elder-assisted and Community-assisted hearings are available. To learn more about Elder- and Community- assisted parole hearings, refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 37). 

Percentage of offenders who withdrew their day parole hearings  

The percentage of Indigenous offenders who withdrew their day parole hearing has decreased from 11.3% in 2016-2017 to 8.5% in 2020-2021. The percentage of non-Indigenous offenders who withdrew their day parole hearing has decreased from 8.2% in 2016-2027 to 6.8% in 2020-2021.

Percentage of offenders who waived their full parole hearings  

The percentage of Indigenous offenders who waived their full parole hearing has decreased from 37.8% in 2016-2027 to 22.3% in 2020-2021. The percentage of non-Indigenous offenders who waived their full parole hearing has decreased from 26.2% in 2016-2027 to 15.4% in 2020-2021.

For the last five years, the percentage of Indigenous offenders who withdrew their day parole hearings has decreased. A similar trend is observable in the percentage of offenders who waived their full parole hearing over the last five years. 

Despite these positive developments, Indigenous offenders continued to withdraw their day parole hearings and waive their full parole hearings at higher rates than non-Indigenous offenders, though the gap is narrowing.

Offenders may choose to withdraw or waive parole hearings if they feel they are not prepared or ready for a parole hearing. Many factors contribute to the decision to withdraw or waive a parole hearing, including incomplete programming, lack of support from the offender’s Parole Officer, recent charges incurred in the institution, or to avoid a negative decision. The gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders could also be explained by higher security classifications, institutionalisation and language barriers, particularly for Inuit offenders.

Discretionary release, including day parole and full parole, are the most favourable release types for all offenders. They allow an offender to engage and participate in community-based activities before their Statutory Release and Warrant Expiry Date, preparing them for their eventual release from CSC supervision. The prioritization of parole early in an offender’s sentence facilitates a gradual return to the community, increasing the likelihood of success upon release.

A waiver is a written declaration given voluntarily by an offender that explicitly  relinquishes the offender's legal right to a hearing and/or a review by the National  Parole Board. 

A withdrawal is a voluntary request from an offender advising the National Parole Board that he or she no longer wishes to be reviewed for a day or full parole review as indicated by his or her earlier application. 

Percentage of offenders who aquired a discretionary release at the time of first release since 2016-2017 

The percentage of Indigenous offenders who acquired a discretionary release at the time of first release has increased from 35.8% in 2016-2027 to 38.6% in 2020-2021. The percentage of non-Indigenous offenders who acquired a discretionary release at the time of first release has increased from 54.4% in 2016-2027 to 58.2% in 2020-2021.

A persistent gap of approximately 20% remained in the rate of discretionary release  at the time of first release between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders every year over the last five years.  

Percentage of offenders incarcerated past statutory release date 

As per section 127 of the CCRA, offenders may receive a statutory release and subsequent community supervision after serving
two-thirds of a fixed-length sentence. However, offenders who have received life or indeterminate sentences are not eligible for
statutory release.

In 2020-2021, 7.5% of Indigenous offenders were incarcerated past their statutory release date. 3.9% of non-Indigenous offenders were incarcerated past their statutory release date.

Additionally, pursuant to s.130(3) of the CCRA, the PBC may order an offender to be detained beyond their statutory release date if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the offender is likely to commit:

  • An offence causing serious harm or death,
  • A sexual offence involving a child, or
  • A serious drug offence. 

First release by release type 

An offender’s statutory release can be revoked if a condition of their release has been breached. 

In 2020-2021, 59% of Indigenous offenders were released on statutory release, 37.6% were released on day parole, 1.7% were released on warrant expiry, 1% were released on full parole, and 0.7% were released on a long-term supervision order.
In 2020-2021, 40.5% of non-Indigenous offenders were released on statutory release, 55.6% were released on day parole, 0.7% were released on warrant.

Employment plays an important role in successful reintegration. CSC research indicates that Indigenous offenders are more likely to be unemployed on admission and have lower levels of education than non-Indigenous offenders. CSC research also supports the notion that maintenance of a community job, at any skill level, is related to a reduced likelihood of recidivism, highlighting the importance of employment in successful reintegration. 

Prior to 2020-2021, the percentage of employment intervention referrals actioned within 120 days of admission for Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders were comparable. In 2020-2021, for the first time since 2016-2017, an observable gap existed between the two groups.

 

Percentage of employment intervention referrals actioned within 120 days of admission to federal custody  
Percentage of offenders with an identified employment need who have  received vocational training or certification prior to first release 
Percentage of offenders with an identified need for employment in the community, the percentage who secure such employment prior to sentence expiry date  
In 2020-2021, 66.5% of Indigenous offenders received employment intervention referrals actioned within 120 days of admission to federal custody. In 2020-2021, 73.3% of non-Indigenous offenders received employment intervention referrals actioned within 120 days of admission to federal custody.
In 2020-2021, 56.3% of Indigenous offenders with an identified employment need who have received vocational training or certification prior to first release. In 2020-2021, 81.4% of non-Indigenous offenders with an identified employment need who have received vocational training or certification prior to first release.
In 2020-2021, 61.6% of Indigenous offenders with an identified need for employment in the community secured such employment prior to sentence expiry date. In 2020-2021, 61.3% of non-Indigenous offenders with an identified need for employment in the community secured such employment prior to sentence expiry date.

Percentage of time spent employed, for offenders under community supervision 

The percentage of time spent employed for Indigenous offenders under community supervision slightly decreased from 52.8% in 2016-2017 to 52.2% in 2020-2021.
The percentage of time spent employed for non-Indigenous offenders under community supervision slightly increased from 67.3% in 2016-2017 to 67.5% in 2020-2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and public health measures designed to curb the spread of infection, impacted businesses across the country, as these faced closure and capacity limitations. These impacts undoubtedly affected offenders’ abilities to find and maintain employment in the community in 2020-2021, leading to a decrease in the number of offenders with an identified need for community employment securing employment upon release. 

Corcan Indigenous Offender Employment Initiative (IEOI)

CORCAN’s IEOI continued to be implemented in the Prairie, Ontario and Pacific Regions,  building on successes since launching in 2017. The IOEI enhances on-the-job and vocational  training, apprenticeships related to employment in construction and manufacturing. The IOEI also provides transitional employment and enhances support services to assist offenders in securing and maintaining employment in the community. 

 In November 2020, the Nekaneet First Nation was gifted a house that was built by the residents of the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge (OOHL) for female offenders. Residents of OOHL learned every aspect of building a house, including how to read blueprints, how to frame exterior and interior walls, and interior finishing. The skills and training residents acquired through the IEOI allowed them to build employment skills and confidence to aid their reintegration to the community. 

Supervision 

Offenders can be granted various types of conditional release from an institution to the community during their sentence, including temporary absences, day parole, full parole, or statutory release. When the PBC grants a release to an offender, there are a number of conditions that can be set, in addition to the standard release conditions. Offenders remain supervised by CSC and are required to uphold standard, special, and/or residency conditions, as applicable. While the standard conditions are the same for each offender, special and residency conditions are specific to both the individual and place of residency within the community. 

If an offender breaches their release conditions while in the community, their conditional release may be suspended, resulting in a return to a CSC institution. Offenders may also return to a CSC institution if they were charged with and/or convicted of another offense while on supervised release. 

CSC research shows that offenders granted day or full parole have lower rates of reoffending before Sentence Expiry Date (SED) than those released at statutory release. Research also indicates that most offenders who are assessed as having a low risk of reoffending are more likely to be successfully supervised in the community, with a lower likelihood of reoffending before the end of their sentence. 

Percentage of offenders who reached their sentence expiry date without experiencing a revocation,
charge and/or conviction while on supervision
 

The percentage of Indigenous offenders who reached their sentence expiry date without experience revocation, charge and/or conviction while on supervision increased from 41.6% in 2016-2017 to 44.9% in 2020-2021. The percentage of non-Indigenous offenders who reached their sentence expiry date without experience revocation, charge and/or conviction while on supervision increased from 63.8% in 2016-2017 to 67.2% in 2020-2021.

The rate of Indigenous offenders reaching SED without revocation, charge, or conviction when supervised increased over the past five years. However, a persistent gap remained between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders.

The EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections has identified Suspensions and Revocations as one of its priority areas of focus. In 2020-2021, a working group was convened to assist in developing short- and long-term strategies to improve suspension and revocation rates for Indigenous offenders. Additionally, the Sub-Committee conducted qualitative and quantitative reviews of gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women offenders in suspension and revocation rates. CSC also collaborated with the PBC on efforts to improve suspension and revocation rates for Indigenous offenders. 

Percentage of offenders who reached their sentence expiry date without   experiencing a revocation, charge and/or conviction while on supervision (offenders on section 84 release and offenders without
a section 84 release)

The percentage of offenders without a Section 84 release who reached their sentence expiry date without experiencing a revocation, charge and/or conviction while on supervision increased from 39.1% in 2016-2017 to 43.8% in 2020-2021.
The percentage of offenders with a Section 84 release who reached their sentence expiry date without experiencing a revocation, charge and/or conviction while on supervision stayed the same from 48.2% in 2016-2017 to 48.2% in 2020-2021.

Indigenous offenders with a Section 84 release reached their Sentence Expiry Date on supervised release without revocation at higher rates than Indigenous offenders without a Section 84 release.  

Rate of convictions on supervision for minor/moderate offences per 1,000 

The rate of convictions on supervision for minor/moderate offences per 1,000 Indigenous offenders increased from 246 in 2016-2017 to 321 in 2020-2021. The rate of convictions on supervision for minor/moderate offences per 1,000 non-Indigenous offenders increased from 80 in 2016-2017 to 114 in 2020-2021.

Rate of convictions on supervision for serious or violent offences, per 1,000 offenders  

The rate of conviction on supervision for minor/moderate offences per 1,000 remained higher for Indigenous offenders, when compared to non-Indigenous offenders. Minor and moderate convictions on supervision include any offence listed in Schedule II of the CCRA or any nonschedule offence. However, both population groups saw a decrease in the rate of minor and moderate convictions over the past five years, with the non-Indigenous group decreasing 30% and the Indigenous population group decreasing 23% since 2016-2017.  

Serious convictions on supervision include any offence listed in Schedule I of the CCRA. Indigenous offenders incurred a higher rate of serious convictions than non-Indigenous offenders. Both groups saw a decrease in conviction rates over the past five years, with the Indigenous group seeing a 36% decrease since 2016-2017, compared to a 33% decrease for the non-Indigenous group.

Regional approaches to supervision  

In order to address the persistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders in s upervision results, CSC surveyed best practices across regions. In the Atlantic Region, Indigenous Suspension Review Boards were used to incorporate Indigenous perspectives to the suspension process, helping to implement mitigation measures prior to full supervision suspension, while also helping to increase operational knowledge and competency surrounding the application of Indigenous Social History. In the Ontario Region, work was done to improve supervision services for Indigenous offenders in rural locations, with the   Region looking to develop Memoranda of      Understanding with provincial entities to increase release support services. Similarly, in the Quebec Region, supervision staff made several visits a year to remote locations to ensure face-to-face and in-person meetings could be held with offenders under supervision. In the Prairie Region, Indigenous post-suspension review boards were    established to ensure that all Indigenous suspensions were considered in a culturally relevant manner. Finally, the Pacific Region instituted specialized Indigenous teams to facilitate supervision, collaboration, early intervention, and the sharing of information or resources on Indigenous issues, along with Indigenous Supervision Teams  who supervise the vast majority of Indigenous cases. Bringing to bear regional best practices, CSC worked to implement an array of initiatives to better serve Indigenous offenders while they are on supervised release in the community.           

Percentage of offenders who were not re-admitted to federal custody on a new sentence within
five (5) years following sentence expiry date 

The percentage of Indigenous offenders who were not re-admitted to federal custody on a new sentence within five (5) years following sentence expiry date increased from 77.8% in 2016-2017 to 80.6% in 2020-2021. The percentage of non-Indigenous offenders who were not re-admitted to federal custody on a new sentence within five (5) years following sentence expiry date increased from 86.6% in 2016-2017 to 89.6% in 2020-2021.

The percentage of offenders who were not re-admitted to federal custody on a new sentence within five years following Sentence Expiry Date has improved slightly but steadily since 2016-2017. However, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders remains. 

The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on offenders under supervision in 2020-2021. The various measures to help curb the spread of infection increased the challenges offenders faced in accessing accommodations, training, services, and employment in the community, as many businesses and organizations were impacted by capacity limitations and intermittent closures throughout the year. These challenges negatively impacted offenders’ abilities to adhere to supervision conditions, many of which relate to employment and residency. Remote Indigenous communities tended to be disproportionately impacted by pandemic-related restrictions. 

As reflected in the Indigenous Offender profile Indigenous offenders tend to have higher needs, be classified as higher risk, and be admitted for violent offences when compared to non-Indigenous offenders. These factors present added challenges for community supervision, with more conditions and supports required upon release. These offender profile aspects, in combination with the substantial impact from COVID-19, combined to compound the challenges Indigenous offenders faced under supervision in 2020-2021. As Indigenous offenders continue to face higher rates of minor/moderate and serious/violent charges, convictions, and revocations while on supervision than non-Indigenous offenders, the gap between these two groups for re-admission to federal custody will remain. Successful supervision is vital in ensuring offenders are not readmitted to CSC’s custody following their release. 

The National Indigenous Plan

The National Indigenous Plan is part of CSC’s commitment to focusing collective attention on Indigenous Corrections, with particular emphasis on proactive, informed and engaged case management to improve reintegration results for Indigenous offenders.

To learn more about the National Indigenous Plan and IIC’s, refer to the 2019 ICAF (page 48).

Throughout fiscal year 2020, the EXCOM Subcommittee on Indigenous Corrections assessed and discussed measures to improve the IIC model of interventions in an effort to enhance correctional outcomes for Indigenous lower than expected participation rates of Indigenous offenders in IICs were analyzed to identify potential barriers.  In consultation with officials at various levels of the organization, IIC eligibility criteria were identified as a barrier to participation In order to expand access to the IIC model of interventions for segment of the Indigenous population, the Subcommittee recommended the removal of the restriction on sex offences, thereby amending the IIC eligibility criteria to include Indigenous offenders requiring moderate sex offender programming. The recommendation received approval CSC’s Executive Committee, and an announcement and bulletin on the amended IIC criteria were communicated to all staff in January 2021.

As illustrated by the indicators below, the IIC model continue to produce positive results. Overall, the 2020-2021 program indicators that Indigenous offenders at an IIC tended to achieve better results compared to the overall Indigenous population at CSC.

In this section, Key Performance Indicator (KPI)  illustrate the results for the performance indicators outlined in the National Indigenous Plan. Specifically, each KPI card provides the result for IIC participants compared to the overall Indigenous population for the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year. Additional, a line graph is provided which represents the five-year trend. 

The NIP indicators are listed in order from left to right for the Programs category.
1. 81.3% of Indigenous offenders with a need for a Nationally Recognized Correctional Program (NRCP) enrolled prior to first release eligibility date.
88.9% of offenders in IICs with a need for a Nationally Recognized Correctional Program (NRCP) enrolled prior to first release eligibility date.
2. 77.7% of Indigenous offenders enrolled in culturally specific correctional programs.
80.3% of offenders in IICs enrolled in culturally specific correctional programs.
3. 84.0% of Indigenous offenders with an accepted referral based on their preferred correctional program.
89.8% of offenders in IICs with an accepted referral based on their preferred correctional program.
4. 64.9% of Indigenous offenders with a need for NRCP who completed prior to first release eligibility date
75.6% of offenders in IICs with a need for NRCP who completed prior to first release eligibility date.
5. 77.0% of Indigenous offenders completed culturally-responsive programs prior to first release eligibility date
80.3% of offenders in IICs completed culturally-responsive programs prior to first release eligibility date.

Since 2017-2018, the percentage of successful transfers to healing lodges steadily increased. In 2020-2021, 95.9% of transfers to healing lodges were successful, representing a four year high. The continued success reflected in this indicator over the past four years validates the importance and effectiveness of Healing Lodges, as unique,
culturally-grounded, and Elder-driven rehabilitative environments distinct from mainstream institutions, in the reintegration of Indigenous offenders. Positive trends highlighted through this indicator are consistent with the existing body of literature, as well as recently developed internal research, which underlines the distinctive, culturally specific aspects of Healing Lodges that, collectively, help guide residents through their healing journeys and support gradual, safe reintegration. 

The percentage of successful transfers to healing lodges remained high over the past four years. However, the overall number of transfers to a healing lodge remains relatively low.

While transfers to healing lodges are widely successful, the option remains underutilized. The number of transfers to Healing Lodges has steadily decreased, from 290 in 2017-2018 to 193 in 2020-2021. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, CSC recorded a significant decrease in transfers to healing lodges. To address this identified challenge and increase bed capacity utilization in healing lodges, CSC issued a memo in October 2020 encouraging all Institutional Heads and their teams to continue to offer transfers to Section 81 healing lodges and CSC healing lodges as part of an individual’s rehabilitation and in preparation for their gradual transition to the community. 
The NIP indicators are listed in order from left to right for the security category.
1. 14.0% is the percentage of random-sample urinalysis positives.
11.2% is the percentage of random-sample urinalysis positives at IICs.
2. 13.7% is the percentage of random-sample urinalysis refusals.
11.9% is the percentage of random-sample urinalysis refusals at IICs.
3. 361 is the rate of serious security changes per 1000 offenders in custody.
104 is the rate of serious security changes per 1000 offenders in custody at IICs.

The percentage of institutional random-sample urinalysis positives for Indigenous offenders decreased by 1.6% from 2019-2020 to 2020-2021. Despite the slight decrease, this indicator increased 6.9% since 2017-2018. Similarly, since 2017-2018, percentage of random-sample refusals for Indigenous offenders trended up year-over-year. The percentage of random-sample refusals for Indigenous offenders in 2020-2021 represented a four-year high.

The history of colonization continues to impact Indigenous communities and individuals through intergenerational trauma, systemic discrimination and socio-economic marginalization. Social determinants of health, a broad range of economic, personal, and social factors, likely contribute to problematic substance use for Indigenous individuals in CSC care. The trends reflected in the indicators in question, i.e. increasing rates of problematic substance use, mirrored societal challenges in the community, where rates of problematic substance use continued to rise. During the 2020-2021 fiscal year, problematic substance use was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted individuals’ regular routines, limited the availability of programs, limited (in-person) interactions with Elders, and temporarily suspended visits. These disruptions lessened the cultural and social supports that help individuals mitigate problematic substance use. The impacts thereof are reflected in the results.

In 2020-2021, CSC continued its efforts to increase education and awareness related to problematic substance use. Information about substance use and Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) was incorporated into Elder orientation to emphasize the impacts of validated treatments of problematic substance use. Additionally, a CSC-wide campaign to reduce the stigma surrounding OAT and substance use was developed. As an organization, CSC worked towards aligning its National Drug Strategy with the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which is centralized around the four pillars of: Prevention, Treatment, Harm Reduction, and Enforcement.
 

The NIP indicators are listed in order from left to right for the security category.
1. 36.2% of Indigenous offenders had a Section 84 release plan prior to first release eligibility date.
52.0% of IIC participants had a Section 84 release plan prior to first release eligibility date.
2. 44.6% of Indigenous offenders were released to a CCRA Section 84 Community.
61.7% of IIC participants were released to a CCRA Section 84 Community.
3. 38.0% of Indigenous offenders were granted a discretionary release.
60.9% of IIC participants were granted a discretionary release.
4. 1,108.7 is the rate of supervision suspensions per 1000 offenders.
822.4 ais the rate of supervision suspensions per 1000 offenders for IIC participants.
5. 44.9% of Indigenous offenders reached sentence expiry date without re-admission (suspension or revocation).
61.5% of IIC participants reached sentence expiry date without re-admission (suspension or revocation).

Over the last five years, the percentage of Indigenous offenders with an established Section 84 release plan prior to first release has been steadily decreasing. However, it is worth noting that the percentage of offenders granted a discretionary release is notably higher for IIC participants. A lower than anticipated level of interest in Section 84 releases on the part of offenders and a lack of support from communities may have contributed to the declining results for this indicator. Specifically, in 2020-2021, the COVID-19 pandemic likely exacerbated the downward trend, as some Indigenous governing bodies restricted access to their communities in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19. CSC continued to engage with Indigenous communities as self-determining partners, respecting those communities that imposed lockdown measures. To better understand and address the declining trend since 2017-2018, the EXCOM Sub-committee on Indigenous Corrections identified Section 84 releases as an area of priority. For insight into possible drivers and contributing factors, the Sub-committed consulted with national and regional staff. Feedback was consistent across Regions, with those consulted advising on the need to streamline the Section 84 release process and to address false positive identification of interest in the Section 84 process. As such, the Sub-Committee convened an inter-disciplinary working group to explore opportunities to streamline the Section 84 administrative process and potential policy implications.

The rate of supervision suspensions decreased over the past five years. However, the rate of supervision suspensions remained relatively high. On this matter, a presentation of the Sub-committee’s work was delivered to the PBC Interlinkages in November 2020, to identify opportunities to collaborate on areas of shared interest, including, but not limited to the improvement of suspension and revocation rates for Indigenous offenders. During the meeting, the PBC committed to reviewing its internal policy framework for systemic barriers to enhanced release and reintegration outcomes for Indigenous offenders.

Indigenous Women Offenders

Across a majority of correctional performance indicators, such as those related to interventions, supervision, and reintegration, Indigenous women offenders tended to suffer adverse differential outcomes, when compared to non-Indigenous women offenders. Gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women offenders remained relatively stable over the past five years. Encouragingly, however, Indigenous Women offenders participating in the IIC model of interventions tended to achieve more positive results than non-participants

Overall, the Indigenous women offender population increased by 69 individuals, or 14.3%, in the past five years, with Indigenous women now representing 36% of all women under CSC jurisdiction. However, the bulk of this increase stemmed from an increase among the incommunity population. Since 2016-2017, the Indigenous women population on release in the community increased by 55 individuals (162 to 217), or 25.3%, while the in-custody Indigenous women population rose by 14 individuals (253 to 267), or 5.5%. In all, the increase to the incommunity population represented 79.7% of the total population increase for Indigenous women over the past five years. Said changes in demographics are suggestive of early indications that strategies instituted to ensure Indigenous offenders had adequate access to community release at first eligibility were delivering results. 

The overrepresentation of Indigenous women under CSC jurisdiction was particularly pronounced when looking at the in-custody population. In 2020-2021, Indigenous women represented 43% of all women in custody at CSC, a five percentage point increase from 2016-2017.  Comparatively, the non-Indigenous women offender population, which represented 57% of the overall women offender population in custody, decreased five percentage points from five years ago.

The EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections identified the need to address differential outcomes for women serving federal sentences as one of its areas of strategic focus. In 2020-2021, in order to identify trends and set targets for interventions, quantitative and qualitative reviews were conducted to analyze conditional release suspension and revocation rates, time to start of first NRCP, and the adequacy of program delivery approaches for women. These reviews will be utilized by the Sub-Committee to enhance outcomes for Indigenous women offenders.  

Indigenous women offender population percentage change from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021

Across all Regions, except for the Quebec Region, the Indigenous women offender population increased
from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021. 

In the Pacific Region 18% of offenders are Indigenous women and the percentage decrease is 21% (71 - 86). In the Prairie Region 51% of offenders are Indigenous women and the percentage increase is 7% (233 - 250). In the Ontario Region 18% of offenders are Indigenous women and the percentage increase is 28% (68 - 87). In the Quebec Region 5% of offenders are Indigenous women and the percentage decrease is 4% (24 - 23). In the Atlantic Region 8% of offenders are Indigenous women and the percentage increase is 100% (19 – 38).

Women offenders in-custody at CSC 

Across all Regions, except for the Quebec Region, the Indigenous women offender population increased
from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021. 

Between 2016-17 and 2020-21, the percentage of Indigenous women offenders in custody rose steadily from 37% to 43%. During that same period, the percentage of non-Indigenous women offenders in custody decreased steadily from 63% to 57%.

Women offenders admitted on WOC

The number of Indigenous women admitted on Warrant of Committal has increased from 32.4% to 37.6% between 2016-17 and 2020-21 and the number of non-Indigenous women admitted on Warrant of Committal has decreased from 67.6% to 62.4% between 2016-2017 and 2020-21.

The percentage Indigenous women admitted to CSC on WOC increased over the past five years, while the percentage of non-Indigenous women admitted to CSC on WOC decreased.

Women offenders – Inital offender security level distribution  

For Indigenous women offenders, 7.9% were assessed as maximum, 72.8% as medium, and 19.3% as minimum. For non-Indigenous women offenders, 2.8% were assessed as maximum, 55.2% as medium, 42% as minimum.

Indigenous women offenders were more likely to have an initial security classification of Medium or Maximum, when compared with non-Indigenous women offenders, who were more likely to have an initial classification of classified as Minimum security. 

Responding to the over-representation of Indigenous women in federal corrections continued to be a strategic priority for the Sub-committee on Indigenous Corrections in 2020-2021. Specifically, the Sub-committee examined factors related to program participation and completion, recidivism and community reintegration, as well as the training of front-line staff, with the ultimate objective of supporting women in re-establishing safe, healthy and productive lives upon release. 

Median days from admission to start of first institutional main nationally recognized correctional program 

The median days from admission to start of first institutional main nationally recognized correctional program for Indigenous women increased from 84 in 2016-2017 to 154 in 2020-2021 while the median days for non-Indigenous women from admission to start of first institutional main nationally recognized correctional program increased from 70 in 2016-2017 to 105 in 2020-2021.

Since 2016-2017, increases in wait times to start correctional programs occurred for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous women offenders. However, the increase was more pronounced for Indigenous women, creating a widening gap over the past five years.

In 2020-2021, a review was undertaken to assess why Indigenous women offenders were waiting longer to start their first institutional NRCP. Information gathered identified the following:

  •  Indigenous women were over-represented in Maximum security (Secure Unit) and,  therefore, had more limited access to NRCPs;
  • Challenges with the resources required to deliver programs, including infrastructure;
  • Offender mental health concerns might influence access to programs and/or impact an offender’s degree of responsivity;
  • Issues with Elder availability and required levels of Elder participation;
  • High turn-over rates among Correctional Program Officers (CPO) and Indigenous Correctional Program Officers (ICPO);
  • Inter-regional transfers could cause delays in the commencement of NRCPs; and,
  • Covid-19 protocols had a significant impact on the ability of sites to deliver programming, starting in March 2020.

As part of a broader review and revision of correctional programs, CSC reviewed options to support Indigenous women in Secure Units to have increased access to NRCPs, provide enhanced staff training in responsivity issues, as well the possibility of modifying the Indigenous Women Offender Moderate Intensity Program to allow for additional entry points, in order to increase opportunities to begin programming on a timely basis.

CSC explored additional options to reduce the timeframe to commence programming, such as alternative work schedules for Elders to provide greater flexibility for them to tend to their community duties, and the possibility of
Elder participation via video-conference where mobility limitations existed. Despite longer wait times to commence
first institutional main NRCP, Indigenous women offenders achieved a very high NRCP completion rate, prior to their
first release.  

The percentage of Indigenous women offenders who withdrew their day parole hearing increased from 11.8% in 2016-17 to 17.3% in 2020-21 while the percentage of non-Indigenous women offenders in the same category decreased from 7.8% in 2016-17 to 5.06% in 2020-21.

Percentage of women who waived their full parole hearing 

The percentage of Indigenous women offenders who waived their full parole hearing decreased from 31.8% in 2016-17 to 27% in 2020-21 while the percentage of non-Indigenous women offenders in the same category decreased from 23.5% in 2016-17 to 17.1% in 2020-21.

Unlike day parole withdrawals, the rate at which Indigenous women waived their full parole decreased since 2016-2017, despite the recent spike. Accounting for the spike in 2020-2021, the rate of day parole hearing withdrawals over the past five years decreased by nearly five percent. This general decrease was also observable among non-Indigenous women, whose full parole waiver rate decreased more than six percent from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021. A gap in results between these groups persisted despite the positive trends, though the gap narrowed.    

CSC research shows that, regardless of Indigenous group, gender or risk level, the two most common reasons provided by Indigenous offenders for waving or withdrawing their parole review were program non-completion and to avoid a negative decision.  

Percentage of women acquiring a discretionary release at the time of their first release date 

The percentage of Indigenous women offenders acquiring a discretionary release at the time of their first release date decreased from 65.5% in 2016-17 to 61.3% in 2020-21 while the percentage of non-Indigenous women offenders in the same category increased from 76.6% in 2016-17 to 83.2% in 2020-21.

In 2020-2021, Indigenous women offenders acquired a discretionary release at the time of first release at lower rates than non-Indigenous women. In the past five years, Indigenous women acquired discretionary releases at decreasing rates, while non-Indigenous women acquired discretionary releases at increasing rates, resulting in a widening gap. 

Releases by type: 2020-2021 

In 2020-2021, 38.7% of Indigenous women offenders were released of statutory release, 60.5% were released on day parole, and 0.8% were released on full parole. In 2020-2021, 16.8% of non-Indigenous women offenders were released of statutory release, 78.2% were released on day parole, and 5.1% were released on full parole.

In 2020-2021, Indigenous women received day parole and full parole at lower rates than nonIndigenous women. While the majority of releases for Indigenous women in 2020-2021 were day parole, close to 40% were statutory releases. This compares to only 16.8% for nonIndigenous women, who were primarily released on day parole (78%). Full parole represented 5.1% of all releases for non-Indigenous women in 2020-2021, compared to less than one percent for Indigenous women.  As earlier reported, Indigenous women had higher rates of withdrawing day parole and waiving full parole hearings. These increased rates meant fewer Indigenous women sought the opportunity for a day parole or full parole release in 2020-2021. This development could, in part, have contributed to lower parole releases over the reporting period, when compared to non-Indigenous women. 

Percentage of women with an identified employment
need who received vocational training or certification
prior to first release
 


In 2020-2021, 93.6% of Indigenous women offenders with an identified employment need who have received vocational training or certification prior to first release. In 2020-2021, 80.6% of non-Indigenous women offenders with an identified employment need who have received vocational training or certification prior to first release.

The Indigenous Offender Employment Initiative (IOEI), launched in 2017-2018 in the Prairie Region, contributed to positive results, including by reducing gaps between Indigenous and nonIndigenous offenders. Through the IOEI initiative, Indigenous individuals earned hours of onthe-job training, vocational certifications, and started career paths with transitional employment through the two Prairie Region Community Industries. To build on these successful outcomes, CSC expanded to IOEI initiative to the Ontario and Pacific Regions in 2019-2020. However, public health restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections negatively impacted operations. The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges in the community and in institutions, which affected results in 2020-2021, which were not only influenced by interventions, but also by the availability and accessibility of training and employment opportunities in the community.

Of those with an identified need for employment in the community, the percentage of women acquiring a discretionary release at the time of their first release date 

The percentage of Indigenous women offenders with an identified need for employment in the community who secured employment prior to sentence expiry date increased from 48.3% in 2016-17 to 65.2% in 2020-21. The percentage of non-Indigenous women offenders who secured employment prior to sentence expiry date increased from 79.2% in 2016-17 to 84.4% in 2020-21.

In order to identify trends and areas where interventions could be targeted, CSC undertook a preliminary qualitative review of a small sample of community releases that were revoked without a new offence by the PBC

The review showed that Indigenous women continued to experience a greater rate of revocations without offence than non-Indigenous women, as shown in the graphic below. In an analysis of the previous five years of data, results steadily rose between 2016-2017 and 2019-2020, however, improved in 2020-2021.

The observations gleaned from the revocation review were used to inform a broader review of conditional release suspensions in order to identify reasons for the suspensions and suggest possible measures to improve results for Indigenous women.


The rate of revocations without offence per 1,000 for Indigenous women offenders is 248.8. The rate of revocations without offence per 1,000 for non-Indigenous women offenders is 130.

Trends observed in the review suggested that Indigenous women offenders whose release was revoked, were more likely to have:

  • an OSL increase during their incarceration;
  • their first release on Statutory Release (SR);
  • their release maintained prior to revocation; 
  • their release suspended earlier during their release than their non-Indigenous counterparts; and,
  • been disproportionately revoked for a risk of deteriorating behaviour.

Supervision suspensions,
per 1000  


The rate of supervision suspensions per 1,000 for Indigenous women offenders is 847.9. The rate of supervision suspensions per 1,000 for non-Indigenous women offenders is 372.

The findings included the following:

  • Indigenous women were more than twice as likely as non-Indigenous women to be suspended, and they were more likely to be suspended to prevent a breach and for the protection of society;
  • The majority of the suspended women offenders had completed a main program prior to release;
  • Indigenous women were slightly more likely to have responsivity issues at release;  
  • On average, Indigenous women offenders were in the community for shorter periods before being suspended; 
  • The majority of women were released on day parole; however, for those released on statutory release, Indigenous women were more likely to have residency conditions imposed;
  • Indigenous women offenders, who were suspended, were rated as having higher risk and need areas and tended to be serving sentences for more violent crimes.  

As a follow up to the review, CSC started exploring culturally relevant community supervision practices, methods and tools to ensure Indigenous women receive equitable access to reintegration. 

Inuit considerations

Working with Inuit offenders involves unique linguistic, cultural, spiritual, and geographic considerations. While Indigenous people within Canada may share similarities in worldviews, each group has unique spiritual and cultural values, languages, dialects, and customs.

Inuit speak Inuktitut, and there are numerous dialects that vary from region to region. Inuit also have unique spiritual beliefs, which are distinct from those of First Nations and Métis cultures, and have unique social ceremonies and cultural practices. 

In addition to these distinctions, many Inuit under federal correctional jurisdiction come from geographically isolated regions of Canada’s Arctic (the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Northern Quebec, and Labrador), and when incarcerated and supervised in the south, can experience a significant  culture shock. The Regions with the highest number of Inuit offenders in 2020-2021 were the Ontario and Quebec Regions, who housed offenders coming primarily from Nunavut and Nunavik.

To learn more about the Inuit population in Canada refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (pages 67-76).

At the end of 2020-2021, there were 181 Inuit offenders under CSC jurisdiction, which represented: 

  • 3.2% (n=125) of Indigenous offenders in custody
  • 3.0% (n=56) of Indigenous offenders supervised in the community

Of the 181 Inuit offenders under CSC jurisdiction:

  • 2.2% (n= 4) were women (all supervised in the community)
  • 97.7% (n=177) were men (of those, 70.6% [n=125] in custody and 29.4% [n=52] in the community)
In the Pacific Region 9% of Indigenous offenders are Inuit and the percentage increase is 33% (12 - 16). In the Prairie Region 10% of Indigenous offenders are Inuit and the percentage decrease is 10% (27 - 19). In the Ontario Region 31% of Indigenous offenders are Inuit and the percentage decrease is 31% (72 - 57). In the Quebec Region 42% of offenders are Indigenous women and the percentage decrease is 11% (85 – 76). In the Atlantic Region 7% of Indigenous offenders are Inuit and the percentage increase is 19% (16 - 13).

Indigenous offenders under CSC jurisdiction 

In 2020-21, the in community Indigenous population comprised of 56 Inuit offenders, 572 Metis offenders, and 1267 First Nations offenders. In 2020-21, the in custody Indigenous population comprised of 125 Inuit offenders, 1056 Metis offenders, and 2733 First Nations offenders.

All Regions saw a decrease in Inuit offenders over the past five years, except the Pacific Region. The increase in the Pacific Region was due to transfers from their original Region of admission, in order to alleviate SIU status, or in some cases, due to a preference of Inuit offenders not to be housed with each other because of homesickness triggers. Given the overall size of the Inuit population under federal jurisdiction, the increase in the Pacific Region was relatively small, in terms of raw numbers (n=4), since 2016-2017.

In 2020-2021:

  • 45.2% of Inuit offenders were serving a sentence of less than four years
  • 76.9% of Inuit offenders were assessed as high-risk, and 20.3% as medium-risk
  • 72.4% of Inuit offenders were serving a sentence for a Schedule I offence
  • 42.6% of Inuit offenders were serving a sentence for a sex offence

Short sentence lengths, high risk assessments, and high percentages of sex offences had implications on interventions and release outcomes for Inuit offenders. These factors likely limited opportunities for Inuit offenders to participate in programs and interventions designed to help offenders heal and reintegrate into the community following their release. Moreover, they increased the likelihood that offenders necessitated lengthier and more intensive programs to fully prepare for release.

Elder reviews 

63.9% of Inuit offenders received an initial Elder review in 2020-2021, compared to 77.7% of First Nations and Métis offenders.

Elders play an important role in providing cultural teachings and restorative support to offenders, and Inuit Elders are contracted to provide culturally appropriate care to Inuit offenders.

CSC continued to address challenges in the hiring and retention of  Elders, including Inuit Elders. These challenges resulted in a lower number of Inuit Elders serving the Inuit population, as compared to the number of Elders serving the First Nations and Métis offender populations. NonInuit Elders may serve Inuit offenders when an Inuit Elder is not available, however, this may pose an issue in the completion of Elder reviews if the Inuit offender speaks only Inuktitut and the Elder does not.  

Correctional programs

Program enrolments for inuit offenders

The percentage of program enrollments for Inuit offenders has increased from 32.2% in 2016-2017 to 61.1% in 2020-2021.

The percentage of program enrolments for Inuit offenders rose steadily for the past five years, with the exception of the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Success in this area may be partially attributed to the implementation of the Inuit Integrated Correctional Program in 2017-2018, as well as the establishment of the Inuit Centres of Excellence as part of the Anijaarniq strategy. 

OF THE OFFENDERS WITH AN IDENTIFIED NEED FOR A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM, THE PERCENTAGE WHO COMPLETE PRIOR TO FIRST RELEASE

The percentage of Inuit offenders with an identified need for a nationally recognized correctional program who completed prior to first release decreased from 76.5% in 2016-17 to 69.5% in 2020-2021.

The percentage of program completions before first release remained relatively steady in past years, before decreasing in 2020-2021. 

These results may be partially attributed to staffing challenges. Over the reporting period, there was a lack of staff to train facilitators to deliver Inuit-specific programs, which may have affected completion rates. Additionally, the high-intensity sex offender program is lengthy, which presented challenges for completion, given the high percentage of high risk Inuit sex offenders. This factor may have contributed to the decrease in results
in the 2020-2021. 

For both enrollments and completions, restrictions on group sizes put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 in institutions contributed to the decreases in results in both areas in the 2020-2021 fiscal year. 

Reintegration

Release type 

In 2020-2021, 61.5% of Inuit offenders were released of statutory release, 28.2% were released on day parole, 5.1% were released on warrant expiry, 2.6% were released on full parole, and 2.6% were released on a long-term supervision order.
In 2020-2021, 59% of Indigenous offenders were released of statutory release, 37.6% were released on day parole, 1.7% were released on warrant expiry, 1% were released on full parole, and 0.7% were released on a long-term supervision order.

Inuit offenders showed the poorest release outcomes among all demographic groups. They were released at their Statutory Release date at higher rates than other groups, obtained the lowest percentages of release on day parole, and the highest percentages of release on Sentence Expiry Date. 

Discretionary release 

The percentage of Inuit offenders who received discretionary release increased from 18.2% in 2016-17 to 30.8% in 2020-2021.

Inuit offenders obtained the lowest percentages of discretionary release at first release (which includes Day and Full Parole). However, discretionary release results in 2020-2021 (30.8%) represented a 13% improvement from results in 2016-2017 (18.2%). 

This improvement over the past five years is especially significant when compared to the non-Indigenous group, who achieved a 3.8% improvement over the same period of time. This notable improvement in results reflected CSC’s focus on enhancing discretionary release outcomes for Indigenous offenders; however, continued efforts are required in order to close the gap in results between Inuit and non-Indigenous offenders. 

As previously noted, shorter sentence lengths, greater need for lengthy high intensity and sex offender programming, and staffing challenges for program delivery likely contributed to comparatively limited opportunities for Inuit offenders to participate in programs and interventions designed to help them heal. These factors affected the completion of programs that were critical to facilitating a safe and successful discretionary release. Offenders who tended to be more likely to be high-risk offenders and/or to have committed sex offences faced additional barriers in receiving a discretionary release due to overriding public safety concerns. Overall, the totality of these factors likely contributed to a high percentage of Inuit offenders released on Statutory Release, and a correspondingly low percentage of Inuit offenders released on Day Parole. 

Inuit offenders saw the highest instances of release at Sentence Expiry Date. Many Inuit offenders under federal jurisdiction tended to come from geographically isolated regions in northern Canada, increasing the likelihood that they experienced significant culture shock when incarcerated and supervised in the southern parts of the country. Societal norms and realities of life in the North differ from those in the South, and can create challenges for Inuit offenders upon release, particularly in the case of urban releases to southern locations. 

Releases away from their home communities continued to present challenges for Inuit offenders. Substance misuse programs were at times unavailable in many of Canada’s northern remote locations, leading to Inuit offenders being released to a location in the South where these programs were offered. Many Inuit communities have banned the sale and consumption of alcohol. Therefore, when Inuit offenders were incarcerated and released in the South in order to attend substance misuse programming, they were at greater risk of being exposed to problematic substances. Moreover, for offenders with release conditions tied to abstaining from problematic substances, the exposure increased the risk of a breach of conditions and return to CSC custody – contributing to increased rates of releases at Sentence Expiry Date, rather than Parole.  

The high interest and low participation rates in the Section 84 release process may be attributable to conditions of release for parole, needs for programming that may have gone unfulfilled, or the dynamic of offenders returning to their remote and northern home communities, who may have had hesitations in accepting offenders back when they presented a public safety risk.  

Inuit offenders continued to face a number of challenges and barriers to participating in the Section 84 release process. For many Inuit offenders, historic substance use was noted during their admission to CSC custody. CSC research indicates that alcohol and drug abuse was implicated in the offence pattern of 90% of Inuit offenders. As a result, many Inuit offenders had release conditions for participation in and completion of substance misuse programming. However, these programs were often unavailable in Inuit offenders’ home communities, preventing a Section 84 release to their home community. 

Moreover, Inuit offenders were more likely to have been convicted of violent sex offences. These offences generate public safety concerns in communities, potentially preventing communities from participating in Section 84 release planning.  Additionally, due to smaller population sizes in many Inuit communities, offenders may not have wished to be released to their home community for fear of reprisal or shame. Smaller communities also tended to face capacity challenges and a lack of resources to support the Section 84 release process. These and other structural barriers were likely to have contributed to the low utilization of the Section 84 release process by Inuit offenders. 

Rate of revocations without offence per 1,000 offenders 

The rate of revocations for Indigenous offenders decreased from 347.8 in 2016-27 to 294.5 in 2020-21. The rate of revocations for Inuit offenders decreased from 423.1 in 2016-27 to 250 in 2020-21.

In 2020-2021, Inuit offenders achieved positive results in regards to the rate of revocations without offence per 1,000 offenders.  

This positive development was likely attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health measures imposed to increase social distancing. However, prior to 2020-2021, Inuit offenders incurred higher rates of revocations than First Nations and Métis offenders.  

54.5% of Inuit offenders successfully reached SED without experiencing a revocation, new charge or conviction during supervision in 2020-2021.

 

of Inuit offenders successfully reached SED without experiencing a revocation, new charge or conviction during supervision in 2020-2021.

79.7% of Inuit offenders who reached SED in 2015-2016 were not re-admitted to federal custody within five years.

 

of Inuit offenders who reached SED in 2015-2016 were not re-admitted to federal custody within five years.  

 
 
 Indigenous Corrections Accountability Framework  (ICAF) 
Annual Report 2020-2021 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT  
 
We would like to respectfully acknowledge that the land on which we developed this report is in the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. We invite all readers across Turtle Island to take a moment to acknowledge the land they live and move on. From coast to coast to coast, we acknowledge the ancestral and unceded territory of all the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people who call this land home.  
 
In addition, we encourage readers to reflect on the past, be mindful of how harmful dynamics may continue to be perpetuated to this day, and consider how we can each, in our own way, move forwards toward collective healing and true reconciliation. 
-Indigenous Initiatives Directorate,  
on behalf of The Correctional Service of Canada 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS  
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SENIOR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER’S MESSAGE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
OVERARCHING THEMES: 2020-2021
2020-2021 RESULTS 12 
  POPULATION PROFILE 12 
  ADMISSION & ASSESSMENT 16 
CORRECTIONAL INTERVENTIONS 19 
  SUPERVISION 35 
  INDIGENOUS WOMEN OFFENDERS 43 
  INUIT CONSIDERATIONS 52 
CONCLUSION – THE WAY FORWARD 61 
SUMMARY OF RESULTS BY INDICATOR 63 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SENIOR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER’S MESSAGE 
As Senior Deputy Commissioner, I am proud to present the 2020-2021 Indigenous Correctional Accountability Framework (ICAF). This report reviews areas of success, and opportunities to improve correctional outcomes and address the unique needs of Indigenous offenders through the Indigenous Continuum of Care. 2020-2021 marks the second year that an annual report on the performance results for Indigenous corrections within the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will be made publicly available. With the second year of external publication of the ICAF, CSC aims to demonstrate a transparent posture so that Canadians can have a better understanding of how CSC works to bring about transformative change in Indigenous corrections. Publication of the ICAF also provides a shared evidence base from which CSC can collaborate with partners and stakeholders on areas of shared concern. 
The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on CSC operations, including the services, supports and interventions available to Indigenous offenders. In critical aspects, the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on Indigenous offenders, exacerbating existing disparities and inequities faced by Indigenous, racialized and other equity-deserving communities in Canada.  
These disparities provide a strong impetus to renew efforts to address endemic gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders, by highlighting the need for CSC to confront and address an enduring legacy of colonialism and systemic racism. Both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Safety have outlined a clear mandate for CSC to address endemic gaps in service to Indigenous people throughout the federal correctional system.  
CSC is aware that systemic racism and barriers contribute to the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system, and is committed to accelerating work to improve outcomes for Indigenous offenders in meaningful ways. CSC has heard the call to all Public Service leaders to take meaningful action to advance anti-racism, equity and inclusion. In 2020-2021, the Executive Sub-committee on Indigenous Corrections, which I chair, made several key advancements to the provision of culturally appropriate program delivery, the release of Indigenous individuals to the community and in the recruitment and retention of Indigenous employees. The Executive Sub-Committee’s  work serves to address systemic barriers, from the perspectives of both the clients we serve and the people who work with us, and will continue with renewed focus in years to come.  
This past year, CSC’s dedicated staff worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of offenders and coworkers in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. They did so while continuing to deliver and enhance services, supports and interventions to Indigenous offenders. I look forward to supporting a doubling-down on our collective efforts in the coming year, so that Indigenous offenders may return home to make positive contributions to their communities. 
Alain Toutsignant 
SENIOR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER 
 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
In 2020-2021, there was a marked decline in a number of performance indicators measuring correctional outcomes for Indigenous offenders. Some pre-existing disparities in correctional outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders widened, pointing to a disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous offenders.  
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on CSC operations. In particular, modifications were made to core services in order to allow safe delivery in light of risks presented by the COVID19 pandemic. Group sizes for Correctional Programming were restricted and Elders were required to shift to a telework approach. Correlating interventions for Indigenous offenders were impacted, such as Elder’s services, Correctional Programming, and releases pursuant to Section 84 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA).  
Despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, CSC demonstrated positive progress in key areas, including in the work of the Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections, Indigenous Interventions Centres, as well as Healing Lodges and Section 84 releases .  
Since its inception in 2019, the EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections has led the way on a number of policy and program delivery changes, including: 
The introduction of criteria for referral to lower-intensity programming, augmented with culturally responsive interventions 
Measures to increase access to culturally-restorative interventions (i.e. Indigenous Intervention Centres and Pathways) 
A streamlined s. 84 release process 
Changes to contracting approaches and rates of pay for Elders 
Indigenous representation objectives based on Indigenous offender representation and Workforce Availability 
Enhanced horizontal collaboration across Government of Canada departments and with Indigenous governing bodies and communities 
Participation in CSC’s Indigenous Intervention Centre (IIC) model of interventions continued to produce positive results. The IIC model of interventions was designed to accelerate access to programming, conditional releases, transfers to Healing Lodges, and comprehensive section CCRA 84 release planning. Across all of these areas, Indigenous offenders participating in IIC interventions experienced more positive outcomes than non-participants. These results were achieved in spite of public health measures imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19 among inmate populations and staff, which negatively impacted the availability of services and support.  
Performance indicators associated with healing lodges and Section 84 releases remained positive. A majority of offenders with CCRA Section 84 release plans acquired discretionary release at first release. Additionally, a majority of Indigenous offenders released from a Healing Lodge acquired a discretionary release, and most Indigenous offenders who reached their Sentence Expiry Date at a Healing Lodge completed their supervision successfully. 
 
 
COMMITMENTS & DRIVERS 
The Government of Canada has prioritized efforts toward reconciliation through a renewed, nation-to-nation, government-to-government, and Inuit-Crown relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership as the foundation for transformative change. CSC affirms commitments to advance meaningful reconciliation by addressing gaps in correctional results between Indigenous and non-Indigenous federally-sentenced persons. 
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission 
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) issued 94 Calls to Action urging all levels of government—federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous—to work together to change policies and programs in a concerted effort to repair the harm caused by the Indian Residential School system and move forward with reconciliation. The Calls to Action specifically directed at CSC call for the elimination of barriers to the creation of additional Healing Lodges and for all levels of government to work with Indigenous communities to provide culturally relevant services to inmates on issues such as substance misuse, and family and domestic violence. CSC is using these Calls to Action as a guide to further address the gaps in correctional results between Indigenous and non-Indigenous federally-sentenced persons. 
 
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls 
In June 2019, the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) was published. The report, Reclaiming Power and Place, outlines the persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses that are the root cause behind Canada’s staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people. Additionally, the report calls for “transformative legal and social changes to resolve the crisis that has devastated Indigenous communities across the country” and delivers 231 Calls for Justice, 12 of which are directed at CSC and four directed to all levels of government tied to corrections. CSC continues to address the Calls to Justice #157-
167 & #169. These Calls for Justice guide CSC’s work towards enhancing correctional outcomes for Indigenous women and gender-diverse people. 
 
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration) affirms and sets out a broad range of collective and individual rights that constitute the minimum standards to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples and to contribute to their survival, dignity and well-being. These include rights related to: self-determination and self-government; equality and non-discrimination; Indigenous institutions and legal systems, among others. The Declaration provides the Government of Canada with a road map to advance lasting reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.  
 
In June 2021, Bill C-15 - An Act Respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of 
Indigenous Peoples received Royal Assent, reaffirming Canada’s commitment to Indigenous peoples and communities. Bill C-15 affirms the Declaration as a universal international human rights instrument with application in Canadian law, and provides a framework for the Government of Canada’s implementation of the Declaration. 
 
 
Indigenous Justice Strategy 
The Government of Canada has committed to develop an Indigenous Justice Strategy to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice systems. The federal government will invest in research and data collection to better understand the role of different social systems in preventing involvement with the criminal justice system, the effectiveness of criminal justice processes in addressing overrepresentation, working with Indigenous people to develop research tools and methodologies to end systemic racism in the criminal justice system. 
 
Senate Report on the Human Rights of Federally-Sentenced Persons 
On June 16th 2021, the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights tabled the Final Report on The Human Rights of Federally Sentenced Persons. The report found that human rights of people serving federal sentences are too often sacrificed in the name of security constraints and budgetary concerns. Focusing on equality rights, non-discrimination, and the improvement of services and supports offered to incarcerated individuals, the report cites 71 recommendations to safeguard human rights in federal prisons, including 18 that are specific to Indigenous corrections. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OVERARCHING THEMES: 2020-2021  
 
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had profound affects across Canada in 2020-2021. Communities and individuals faced challenges as they adapted to evolving health, social, and economic complexities, and ongoing efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19. Vulnerable and disadvantaged groups across the country experienced particularly severe impacts which created new inequalities and exacerbated existing ones. 
Throughout 2020-2021, CSC responded to the evolving threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the establishment of a risk framework, which detailed safety measures in response to varying levels of pandemic risk and spread, CSC instituted measures to help combat the spread of COVID-19 within its institutions and facilities, including: 
Providing Personal Protective Equipment and testing for staff and offenders; 
Vaccination of staff and offenders; 
Remote program delivery and facilitation, where possible; 
Virtual counseling services for offenders; 
Increased release planning times for offenders scheduled to be released into the community; and 
Parole hearings via video teleconferences. 
The measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 impacted correctional routines, interventions and services across institutions and communities. Correctional programs were sometimes postponed or prioritized based on the need to limit the spread of COVID-19 in institutions. Additionally, public health measures led to a lack of in-person interventions and programs, limited travel and weekend leave for offenders under community care and supervision, and reduced availability of services as service providers, including Elders, Chaplains, Counselors, and others were compelled to adapt to virtual platforms.  
In line with broader patterns in Canada, the negative impacts from pandemic-related disruptions to institutional routines and correctional services fell disproportionately on historically disadvantaged groups in CSC's care, including the Indigenous offender population. Various important cultural and spiritual interventions were limited or shifted to virtual spaces. While Elders adapted the way they supported Indigenous offenders to provide services via videoconference and/or by telephone, the transition created delays for Indigenous offenders who relied on these services. Due to the centrality of cultural and spiritual supports in 
Indigenous-specific interventions, such as IICs and Pathways, many Indigenous offenders faced increased challenges to complete their specific correctional programming. 
Moreover, in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 within CSC facilities, certain programming and interventions were cancelled or delayed for short periods of time. These cancellations and delays disproportionately impacted Indigenous offenders, who tend to have greater educational, training, and employment needs than non-Indigenous offenders.  
Additionally, many Indigenous communities faced serious challenges during the pandemic. As communities implemented measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, businesses, residential dwellings, and other services were impacted. This exacerbated the challenges Indigenous individuals faced in securing employment, furthering their education or vocational training, and meeting residency conditions upon release. The compound effects of pandemic disruptions on Indigenous communities made community corrections significantly more difficult, impacting correctional outcomes for many Indigenous offenders. 
Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in CSC custody, and calls for systemic change to address ongoing gaps are louder and more pressing than ever before. 
Reports such as The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 
Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and 
Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and the Senate report on the Human Rights of 
Federally-Sentenced Persons all draw clear connections between the over-representation of Indigenous people in federal correctional institutions and systemic racism in Canada. Policies such as the Indian Residential School system, the Pass System, and the Eskimo Identification System have contributed to the ongoing marginalization of many Indigenous people and communities in Canada. 
Systemic racism is a form of racism that is embedded into the laws and regulations of a society or organization and can manifest in all aspects of human life, including criminal, justice, employment, housing, health care, education and child welfare. Additionally, systemic racism goes beyond laws and policies, as it reverberates into broader societal and intergenerational injustices. While policies and practices may appear neutral, the enforcement of them can have discriminatory impacts on racialized people. Furthermore, individuals, who work for these organizations, and who enforce (or not enforce) these policies, may have their own conscious or unconscious racial biases.  
The interconnection of racism on an individual, institutional and societal level embeds racism into every level of a system or organization, making it difficult to identify, particularly for individuals who do not experience the consequences of this persistent discrimination. Due to the complex and all-encompassing nature of systemic racism, addressing it requires the upheaval of deeply rooted systems, which is often met with significant resistance and opposition from general society.  
The compounding effects of historical and contemporary systemic racism and discrimination have resulted in an inter-generational legacy of poverty, homelessness, trauma, abuse, lower levels of education, and challenges with mental health and substance use among Indigenous populations. This legacy exists before an Indigenous person comes in contact with the Canadian criminal justice system and amplifies challenges once they do. 
In order to meaningfully and sustainably address systemic racism, efforts must center around the voices and experiences of the marginalized and engage every level of an organization. CSC shares the responsibility with the rest of the criminal justice system in Canada to address the over-incarceration of Indigenous people. Commitments summarized in the Speech from the Throne (2021) and the most recent Mandate Letters to the Minister of Public Safety and the Commissioner of CSC prioritize working horizontally with public safety departments and other government departments to ensure a whole of government approach toward reconciliation. CSC will work to uphold these commitments by exploring initiatives and opportunities to strengthen horizontal collaboration. 
The Calls to Action outlined in the TRC offer a clear path towards reconciliation, “repairing damaged trust by making apologies, providing individual and collective reparations, and following through with concrete actions that demonstrate real societal change” (Executive Summary, TRC). The core of meaningful societal change is relationship, and a commitment to ongoing healing and reflection. In this report, CSC seeks an honest and truthful examination of Indigenous corrections and plans to work along side Indigenous communities and organizations to address endemic gaps and bring about systemic change. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2020-2021 RESULTS 
 
   POPULATION PROFILE  
During the reporting period, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of individuals under CSC’s jurisdiction. As waves of COVID-19 infections spread throughout Canada, the courts primarily suspended or scaled back operations, before resuming some services with restrictions. Additionally, the Canadian justice and correctional systems took a number of steps to reduce health risk in institutions. These steps included early releases of low-risk offenders, extended periods for parole hearings and alternatives to incarceration for those awaiting trials, sentencing and bail hearings. As well, offenders sentenced to federal sentences remained in provincial custody longer than normal. Provincial health restrictions required inmates to quarantine before receiving clearance to transfer to a federal site, and CSC’s health restrictions required newly arrived inmates to quarantine for 14 days. These measures restricted the flow of admissions from provincial to federal custody. 
According to the 2016 Census, Indigenous people represent 4.9% of the Canadian population. However, by the end of the 2020-2021 fiscal year, Indigenous people represented 27% of the overall population under CSC jurisdiction. Therefore, the Indigenous offender population remained significantly overrepresented in the federal correctional system. 
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE REPRESENT  
 
 
OF THE OVERALL POPULATION UNDER CSC JURISDICTION 
 
* According to Statistics Canada’s 2016 Census, Indigenous Peoples comprised 4.9% of the total Canadian population.   
 
 
 
 
INDIGENOUS OFFENDER POPULATION PERCENTAGE CHANGE FROM 2016-2017 TO 
2020-2021 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Since 2016-2017, the percentage of Indigenous offenders relative to the overall population has increased in every region except the Quebec Region, as indicated in the graphic above. A larger percentage of Indigenous offenders tend to be housed in the Prairie Region, which houses the highest number of Indigenous offenders (n=2931) anywhere in the country.  
INDIGENOUS WOMEN 
The overrepresentation of Indigenous people under CSC jurisdiction is particularly evident among women, with the population of Indigenous women offenders having increased 14.3% since 2016-2017. At the end of 2020-2021, Indigenous women represented 36% of all women under CSC jurisdiction. This over-representation is even more pronounced for the in-custody population, as Indigenous women made up 43% of the total population of women in custody at year-end 2020-2021.  
 
 
10-YEAR TREND: WARRANTS OF COMMITTAL AND OFFENDERS IN CUSTODY 
 
31.6%
77.7%
  
The above graphic illustrates the continued increase in the number and percentage of Indigenous offenders in CSC institutions over a 10-year period.  
The percentage rates for Warrants of Committal and in-custody population for Indigenous offenders have steadily increased. Inversely, the same rates have been continuously decreasing for non-Indigenous offenders over the same period.  
Warrants of Committal (WOC) provide the legal authority for the administration of an offender’s sentence. The rate of WOC outlines the rate at which offenders enter CSC’s custody. For Indigenous offenders, the in-custody population percentage has been consistently higher than 
WOC rates for the past seven years. The data suggest that increasing percentages of Indigenous offenders are admitted to federal custody, and that Indigenous offenders stay in custody at higher rates than they are admitted, resulting in an increasing population of Indigenous offenders in custody. These rates are compared to the non-Indigenous offender population, which is experiencing the inverse effect, with the non-Indigenous offenders’ incustody rate decreasing faster than their WOC rate. The result of this effect is a decrease of non-Indigenous offenders in CSC custody.  
While CSC does not control the imposition of federal sentences (or offenders admitted on WOC), CSC can influence the time offenders spend incarcerated and their likelihood to reoffend by providing timely access to effective rehabilitation and promoting conditions favorable to successful reintegration. Providing effective and culturally appropriate rehabilitation and reintegration supports and services for Indigenous offenders is an enduring priority for CSC.  
 
 
 
OFFENDER POPULATION PROFILE 
When compared to non-indigenous offenders, Indigenous offenders tend to: 
  
As indicated by the graphic above, the Indigenous offender population differs markedly from the non-Indigenous population in a number of areas. Indigenous offenders tend to be younger, have higher education needs, higher OSL and CRI ratings, and a higher dynamic need level compared to non-Indigenous offenders. Indigenous offenders also tend to serve shorter sentences than non-Indigenous offenders. 
Differences also exist in criminogenic profiles between  First Nations, Métis and Inuit federally sentenced persons. These patterns pose challenges to ensuring alignment between policy initiatives, decision-making regarding correctional interventions, and the criminogenic  profiles and unique needs of different Indigenous offender groups. Although Indigenous offenders are often examined as one sub-population, First Nations, Métis and Inuit offenders have distinct traditions, cultures and world views. CSC research underscores that they have unique characteristics that need to be understood and taken into account by decision- and policy-makers. 
   ADMISSION & ASSESSMENT  
Following admission to CSC care, offenders undergo an intake assessment process. This process is utilized to gather vital information about an offender, which will help determine several aspects of their sentence – such as security level, overall needs, and more. In the case of Indigenous offenders, the assessment process presents opportunities for CSC to gather and consider relevant information that is applicable to Indigenous-specific services, supports, interventions and programs. These services include the support of Elders and Spiritual Advisors, Indigenous Liaison Officers, access to cultural and spiritual programs, the Indigenous Continuum of Care, Healing Lodges, care at a section 81 facility, and releases pursuant to section 84 the CCRA. Additionally, during the assessment stage for Indigenous offenders, the collection and consideration of Indigenous Social History (ISH) factors begins. 
 
Over the reporting period, Indigenous people represented more than 30% of all offenders admitted to CSC on WOC. Overall admissions remained relatively stable in the last five (5) years, with the total number of individuals admitted on WOC, both Indigenous and nonIndigenous, slightly decreasing in recent years.  
OFFENDERS ADMITTED ON WARRANT OF COMMITTAL SINCE 2016-2017 
100% 90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% 0%
Over the past five years, Indigenous people have represented an increasing percentage of offenders admitted to CSC on WOC. 
Offender Security Level recommendations are an important part of the intake assessment process. They are based on the Custody Rating Scale (CRS), as well as the analysis of Institutional Adjustment risk, Escape risk, and risk to Public Safety, and additional factors, where applicable. 
Initial security classification can influence access to programs and interventions. It can also influence decisions with respect to temporary absences, work releases, and discretionary release. Higher CRS classifications are associated with higher levels of need. They are also associated with lower levels of motivation and reintegration potential.  
Initial placement can influence the likelihood of discretionary release and length of incarceration prior to release. For example, research has shown that inmates rated at minimum by the CRS and initially placed at a minimum-security institution have much higher discretionary release rates than offenders initially rated at either a medium or maximum on the CRS and then placed in either a medium or maximum security institution. 
  
Indigenous offenders continue to receive first OSL assessments of Medium and 
Maximum at higher rates than non-Indigenous offenders. In 2020-2021, 16% of Indigenous offenders were assessed with a Minimum OSL, compared to 34% of nonIndigenous offenders.  
Conversely, 73% of Indigenous offenders were assessed with a Medium OSL in 2020-2021, compared to 59% of non-Indigenous offenders, while 11% of Indigenous offenders were assessed with a Maximum OSL this year, compared to 7% of non-Indigenous offenders. 
INDIGENOUS WOMEN 
The increasing over-representation of Indigenous offenders in admissions on WOC is particularly pronounced among women. In 2020-2021, Indigenous women represented 37.6% of admissions on WOC, an increase from 32.4% in 2016-2017. This compares to 62.4% of admission for non-Indigenous women in 2020-2021, which is down from 67.6% in 2016-2017. 
 
  To learn more about Indigenous Social History refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 18).  
 
 
 
 
 
100%
90%
80%
70%
 
OFFENDERS WITH A MINIMUM CRS RECOMMENDATIONS WHO RECEIVED                     A HIGHER OSL DECISION 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Over the past five years, Indigenous offenders continued to be assessed with higher OSL than their initial CRS, when compared to non-Indigenous offenders.  
For this indicator, the gap between the two populations has been widening since 20162017.  
The CRS is an actuarial tool that is utilized by Parole Officers during the offender intake assessment. The CRS is used to provide a score for each offender according to several factors, including history of institutional involvement, alcohol and drug use, and severity of current offense,  gathered during assessment and other collected documents, such as police reports. Each institutional security level (minimum, medium, maximum) has a cut-off score. Parole Officers will then will make a recommendation on the security level based on the CRS score and the assessment of Institutional Adjustment risk, Escape risk, and risk to Public Safety. As such, the CRS is only part of the Parole Officer’s recommendation. 
Additionally, an offender’s OSL decision is determined in part based on the recommendation by the Parole Officer, as other factors may be considered by the ultimate decision maker, such as Security Threat Group affiliation, health needs, and more. Therefore, it is possible for an offender to receive a CRS score that indicates a lower or higher level of security than their eventual OSL decision - as it is only a part of the security level determination. 
 
 
Importantly, an Indigenous offender’s ISH is closely considered during the security classification stage. During the security assessment, offender’s ISH is utilized to examine circumstances of the Indigenous people and to seek alternative options to normal procedures to manage the Indigenous offender so that a more responsive decision can be made. ISH considerations are not risk factors and should never result in a more restrictive decision. It is possible that the end result may be the same but it is also possible that the consideration of ISH could result in a decision that is more restorative. 
 To learn more about Indigenous specific interventions, refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 26).  
 As per section 79.1(2) of the CCRA, an Indigenous offender’s ISH factors are not to be taken into consideration for decisions respecting the assessment of the risk 
posed by an Indigenous offender unless those factors could decrease the level of 
risk. An understanding of ISH allows CSC employees to better address an offender’s needs, thus increasing their reintegration potential and enhancing opportunities for healing.  . 
 
PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS EXPERIENCING A CHANGE IN SECURITY ENVIRONMENT FROM  THEIR INITIAL SECURITY LEVEL 
   
INDIGENOUS OFFENDERS
15.3% 13.5% 71.2%
NON-INDIGENOUS OFFENDERS 
In 2020-2021, Indigenous offenders experienced changes in security classification at similar rates as non-Indigenous offenders.  
Indigenous offenders were slightly more likely to experience a change to a higher security environment, while non-Indigenous offenders were more likely to experience a change to lower security. 
  
CORRECTIONAL INTERVENTIONS  
CSC uses a unique approach for Indigenous corrections called the Indigenous Continuum of Care. The Indigenous Continuum of Care model provides culturally responsive approaches to address the needs of Indigenous offenders, taking into account Indigenous culture, identity, and social history. The interventions discussed in this section include Correctional Programs and Education, Pathways, Healing Lodges, Section 84 releases, and transfers of offenders to the care and custody of Indigenous governing bodies pursuant to Section 81 of the CCRA. 
During the reporting period, pandemic-related restrictions impacted offender interventions. Restrictions were placed on offender movement, gathering sizes, and staff numbers in institutions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. CSC staff adopted new work practices to continue providing correctional interventions, irrespectively of the fact that CSC’s services were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. 
NUMBER OF ENROLMENTS IN CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS: INDIGENOUS SPECIFIC VS. NON-INDIGENOUS SPECIFIC 
100%  
 
 
  Over the past five years, Indigenous offenders have enrolled in Indigenous-specific  programs at an increasing rate, while Indigenous enrollments in non-Indigenous specific programs have decreased - a development which demonstrates Indigenous offenders accessing culturally responsive interventions.  
PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS WITH AN IDENTIFIED NEED WHO COMPLETE A CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM PRIOR TO FULL PAROLE ELIGIBILITY DATE 
100%  
 
 
The percentage of Indigenous offenders with an identified need who completed a correctional program decreased in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. A gap in results between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders has persisted over the past five years. 
Results specific to correctional programming for all offenders in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 were negatively impacted by restrictions on in-person program delivery as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The gaps in results may be partially attributable to differences in offender profiles between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders: Indigenous offenders tend to have higher dynamic needs, higher occurrences of violent offences, and have static risk assessed as higher- all aspects which require more intensive programming, which may be challenging to complete during an offender’s sentence, especially for offenders with short sentence lengths of two to four years. 
Another factor likely to have contributed to the gap in results between Indigenous and nonIndigenous offenders was the resourcing and retention of Indigenous Correctional Program Officers (ICPOs) who deliver Indigenous Correctional Programs. CSC research indicates that culturally responsive programming, preferably delivered by Indigenous people, is one of the factors contributing to the successful reintegration of Indigenous offenders. Challenges in the recruitment and retention of ICPOs led, at times, to non-Indigenous staff delivering Indigenous programs, which may have negatively impacted program completions. The EXCOM SubCommittee on Indigenous Corrections identified resourcing and retention of Indigenous staff as one of its focus priorities. A Tiger Team was convened to increase the number of Indigenous staff and implement retention strategies to support a greater Indigenous workforce representation at all levels of the organization. 
OFFENDERS WITH A CORRECTIONAL INTERVENTION BOARD - ACCEPTED REFERRAL TO EDUCATIONAL UPGRADING WITHIN 120 DAYS FOLLOWING ADMISSION OUT OF ALL OFFENDERS WITH AN IDENTIFIED EDUCATION NEED 
100%  
 
 
Referrals for educational upgrading after admission are higher for Indigenous offenders than non-Indigenous offenders. 
Relative positive results in educational upgrading for Indigenous offenders may be attributable to continued focus by CSC on identifying educational needs for Indigenous offenders and appropriate referrals for upgrading within 120 days of admission. The decrease in results in 2020-2021, compared to previous years, may be attributable to impediments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including intermittent restrictions on in-person delivery and lack of access to online or other remote learning alternatives. 
 
 
 
 
PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS WITH AN IDENTIFIED EDUCATIONAL NEED WHO HAVE UPGRADED THEIR EDUCATION PRIOR TO FULL PAROLE ELIGIBILITY DATE 
 
100%  
 
90%  
 
 
Over the past five years, Indigenous people have achieved percentages equal to or higher than non-Indigenous offenders in the area of educational upgrades prior to Full Parole Eligibility Date (FPED). 
Results for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders decreased during the pandemic due to the adaptation of education delivery methods in order to observe public health restrictions.   
MEDIAN DAYS FROM ADMISSION TO FIRST ENROLMENT IN A READINESS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM 
 
Over the past five years, the median days from admission to first enrolment in a Nationally Recognized Correctional Program have risen. The increase has been more pronounced for Indigenous offenders. 
MEDIAN DAYS FROM ADMISSION TO START OF FIRST NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM 
 
 
Over the past five years, the median days from admission to start of first Nationally Recognized Correctional Program (NRCP) have risen. The increase has been more pronounced for Indigenous offenders. 
Correctional program delivery has been modified, reducing the median days from an offender’s admission to the start of their NRCP. The Integrated Correctional Program Model (ICPM) and the Inuit Integrated Correctional Program (IICP) were implemented in 2017. However, staffing levels have not kept pace with higher resourcing requirements associated with the new programming models, affecting the availability of programs. 
 
Additionally, restrictions implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in institutions had a negative effect on program commencement and further increased the median days from admission to start of first NRCP. Any delays from admission to the start of an offender’s readiness programs directly affect overall results specific to correctional programming. 
 
A persistent gap in results between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders can also be observed over the last five years, with Indigenous offenders having higher median days from admission to start of first NRCP. However, following the implementation of ICPM and IICP, the inventory of correctional programs increased for Indigenous offender. Conversely, as the program inventory increased, delivery of certain programs was delayed as group size requirements.  
 
 
 
 
SERIOUS INSTITUTIONAL CHARGES PER 1,000 OFFENDERS 
 
 
The above graphic illustrates that over the past five years, Indigenous offenders have consistently received Serious Institutional Charges at nearly twice the rate of non-Indigenous offenders.  
Serious Institutional Charges decreased significantly for both populations in 2020-2021 due to restrictions on offender movement as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, a gap in results for Indigenous offenders remained. 
When compared to non-Indigenous offenders, the Indigenous offender population tends to be younger, have higher CRI and OSL ratings, be more likely to be admitted for violent offences, and have higher dynamic needs. These various aspects of the Indigenous offender profile likely may contribute to higher results in serious institutional charges. 
CSC is currently implementing newly developed training on Indigenous Corrections for Correctional Officers. The goal of the training is to raise awareness for Correctional Officers in regards to Indigenous Social History. The training provides key information on specific historical and social factors that contribute to the over-representation of Indigenous offenders in the criminal justice system, their offender profile, and how CSC addresses these factors with interventions based on law and policy, and through the engagement of Indigenous communities.  
The higher representation for Indigenous offenders in the area of serious institutional charges may have a negative impact on key drivers of reintegration success, such as escorted and unescorted absences, positive recommendations for day and full parole, and reclassification to lower security level.  
 
STRUCTURED INTERVENTION UNITS  
 To learn more about the Structured Intervention Unit (SIU) model, refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 32).  
CSC is currently developing new data indicators to accurately measure the operation of SIUs. Specifically, these new indicators will measure median days spent in an SIU and the percentage of successful transfers out of an SIU. Mirroring the other indicators detailed in this report, the data will be disaggregated for Indigenous and non-Indigenous offender populations. However, until new indicators are developed, data on SIUs remains unavailable through the Indigenousspecific correctional accountability framework. Similar to serious institutional charges, SIU data correlates to impacts in other key areas of rehabilitation and reintegration. 
PATHWAYS  
 To learn more about the Pathways model, refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 34).  
Pathways initiatives help prepare inmates for transfers to lower security and conditional release, which contributes to the successful continuation of their healing journey into the community. 
Indigenous offenders who participate in Pathways achieve a higher percentage of discretionary releases, as well as higher percentages of transfers to a lower security level before release, compared to Indigenous offenders who do not participate in Pathways. In 2020-2021, 52% of offenders released from a Pathways unit were released on discretionary release, compared to 34% of Indigenous offenders who did not participate in Pathways. Additionally, 55% of Pathways participants were released from a minimum-security environment, compared to 29% of Indigenous non-participants. 
The EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections has identified Pathways initiatives as one of its focus priorities. In 2020-2021, the Pathways model and admission criteria were revised to expand access to Pathways at Medium-security sites, and consultation with the Regional Deputy Commissioners took place to ensure implementation of the revised Pathways model.  Additionally, the EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections reviewed the extent to which enhanced focus on maximization of Pathways bed utlilization, in conjunction with measures to increase participation in the IIC model and transfers to healing lodges, could create a misconception that Indigenous offenders are expected to complete all three interventions prior to being eligible for release, thereby potentially delaying their eventual release. Regional consultations revealed a need to clarify that institutional staff are to consider IICs, Pathways and healing lodges as complementary alternatives designed to lessen the over-securitization of Indigenous offenders and to accelerate their release, and that these interventions should not be seen as sequential or interdependent. The Sub-committee’s plan for fiscal year 2021-2022 includes further discussions on the need to revise, regionally adapt and/or clarify the role of IICs within the overall model for Indigenous corrections, thereby mitigating unintended pressures on other culturally specific accommodations.  
PATHWAYS DEPARTURES 
In 2020-2021, there were a total of 370 departures from Pathways, of which 47% were successful. Successful departures include all offenders who depart from a Pathways unit due to day parole, full parole, successful transfer to a Healing Lodge or successful transfer to lower security. The 2020-2021 results represent a decrease from the previous fiscal year, which saw a success rate of 53% . 
Of the Indigenous paritipants who successfully departed from a Pathways unit in 2020-2021: : 
47.4% received either day or full parole; 
52.6% were transferred to lower security or to a Healing Lodge. 
The operation of Pathways was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pathways Pathways are designed to be Elder-driven, healing-intensive interventions involving offenders who are committed to developing responsible behaviors. However, with COVID-19 outbreaks in institutions, Pathways units were repurposed as quarantine units in order to prevent the spread of infection among the offender population. As a result, offenders were housed in Pathways units who were not participating in Pathways interventions and did not demonstrate the same levels of commitment to responsible behaviour. Additionally, Elders and Indigenous Liaison Officers often faced limitations in entering units due to health restrictions. As a result, Pathways units did not operate to their full potential in 2020-2021, which may have contributed to fewer departures and a lower success rate for the fiscal year.  
SECTION 84 RELEASE PLANNING 
 To learn more about Section 84 release planning, refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 23).  
 
In 2020-2021, 6.1% of Indigenous offenders in custody were released pursuant to 
Section 84 of the CCRA. The numbers of Indigenous individuals who are informed of and interested in Section 84 of the CCRA remained low, compared to the overall Indigenous population at CSC.   
 
Offenders who are released to a Section 84 location tend to achieve better release results than Indigenous offenders not released on a Section 84 release. In 2020-2021, 67% of Indigenous offenders on a Section 84 release received a discretionary release, as opposed to 32% of Indigenous offenders who were not involved in the Section 84 release process, a trend that has been consistent over the past five years. Additionally, Indigenous offenders with a Section 84 release plan complete their supervision at higher rates than those without a Section 84 release plan. Yet, only 18.5% of Indigenous offenders interested in a Section 84 release were released to a Section 84 location in 2020-2021. Moreover, 22% of Indigenous offenders with a Section 84 release plan did not receive a Section 84 release. 
Although not all Indigenous offenders will seek a Section 84 release, the successful results from those who do signal the need to focus on expanding the effective use of Section 84 of the CCRA to its full legislative intent in coming years. 
A number of factors inhibited the full and effective use of the Section 84 release process and contributed to lower than expected utilization in 2020-2021. Inefficiencies in tools and processes, such as limitations on the ability to accurately document an offenders interest in the Section 84 release process, as well as gaps in staff training, and resistance to participating in the Section 84 process on the part of offenders and/or implicated Indigenous communities may have contributed to lower participation rates in 2020-2021. Some Indigenous partners chose to restrict access to their communities in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19. This may have also contributed to the lower participation rates. 
The EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections has identified expanding the use of the Section 84 release process as one of its focus priorities. In 2020-2021, a working group was convened to review internal processes to streamline Section 84 release planning in order to enhance participation. Additionally, memoranda were issued to all Regions to reinforce the need to reconfirm interest in the Section 84 process at intake, and to deactivate interest flags within an offender’s profile, where applicable. These memoranda helped to address the issue of false positive identification of interest in Section 84, thereby enhancing the integrity of performance data related to the Section 84 release process.  
 
 
SECTION 81 HEALING LODGES 
 
The number of Indigenous individuals transferred to a Healing Lodge in 2020-2021 was low, compared to those informed of and interested in transferring to a Section 81 facility over the same time frame. Specifically, there were 135 successful transfers to CSC-run Healing Lodges and 50 to Section 81 Healing Lodges. 
Correctional results suggest that Healing Lodges contribute to improved release outcomes for 
Indigenous offenders. 70.1% of all Indigenous offenders with a minimum OSL released from a 
Healing Lodge acquired discretionary release. 87% of Indigenous offenders with a minimum OSL who reached SED and were released from a Healing Lodge completed their supervision successfully. Therefore, current low utilization rates demonstrate significant opportunity costs as only a fraction of those eligible ultimately benefit from the targeted, culturally restorative interventions offered at Healing Lodges. 
Low utilization rates can be partially attributable to the fact that all Section 81 Healing Lodges are located in the Prairie and Quebec Regions, leaving all other Regions underserviced. In those Regions that have Healing Lodge capacity, existing bed spaces were under-utilized. Additionally, there continued to be a lack of parity in the way programming offered by Section 81 partners is perceived, in comparison to research-validated CSC programming, as well as a general lack of timely access to programming. 
In order to expand access to Healing Lodges in underserviced Regions, CSC continued to work with Indigenous communities who expressed interest in establishing a Section 81 Healing Lodge, and reviewed statements of interest from Indigenous communities from coast to coast to coast. To address underutilization of Healing Lodge capacity in Regions that were adequately serviced, CSC improved processes which cascade offenders to lower security levels, thereby increasing the pool of eligible candidates to transfer to Section 81 facilities. Additionally, CSC initiated efforts to develop options to address the lack of parity between CSC programs and interventions offered by Section 81 partners. 
 
 
 
 
   REINTEGRATION  
CSC remains focused on addressing long-standing differential release outcomes for Indigenous offenders. Improving discretionary release and successful supervision results in meaningful ways contributes to addressing the over-incarceration of Indigenous federally-sentenced persons. Additionally, reintegration results speak to the effectiveness of correctional programs and interventions in the healing and rehabilitation of offenders and their safe reintegration into the community.  
Reintegration is a joint process between CSC and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC), with both agencies seeking to assist offenders as they transition from incarceration and return safely to their communities. CSC offers offenders correctional programing and interventions to better facilitate this transition and assist in the planning for their release. When an offender is reviewed for conditional release, CSC assesses the suitability of the offender for release and provides the information and a recommendation to the PBC. Assessment considerations include the offender’s risk to reoffend and the extent to which that risk can be safely managed in the community.  The decision whether or not to grant parole and conditions of release is determined by the PBC. Under the CCRA, offenders have the right to appear before the PBC on the date they are eligible for parole. Offenders may waive or postpone their consideration for parole for any of number of reasons, including non-completion of correctional programming. As part of the decision-making process, PBC considers a range of factors, including social and criminal history, progress made in custody, victim statements, offenders’ release plans, and community supports. 
In order to provide a responsive hearing process for Indigenous offenders, Elder-assisted and 
Community-assisted hearings are available. To learn more about Elder- and Community- assisted parole hearings, refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (page 37). 
PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS WHO WITHDREW THEIR DAY PAROLE HEARINGS  
 
100% 90%  
80%  
70%  
60%  
50%  
 
 
PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS WHO WAIVED THEIR FULL PAROLE HEARINGS  
 100%  
 90% 80%  
 
70%  
  60%  
 
For the last five years, the percentage of Indigenous offenders who withdrew their day parole hearings has decreased. A similar trend is observable in the percentage of offenders who waived their full parole hearing over the last five years.  
Despite these positive developments, Indigenous offenders continued to withdraw their day parole hearings and waive their full parole hearings at higher rates than non-Indigenous offenders, though the gap is narrowing.  
Offenders may choose to withdraw or waive parole hearings if they feel they are not prepared or ready for a parole hearing. Many factors contribute to the decision to withdraw or waive a parole hearing, including incomplete programming, lack of support from the offender’s Parole Officer, recent charges incurred in the institution, or to avoid a negative decision. The gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders could also be explained by higher security classifications, institutionalisation and language barriers, particularly for Inuit offenders. 
Discretionary release, including day parole and full parole, are the most favourable release types for all offenders. They allow an offender to engage and participate in community-based activities before their Statutory Release and Warrant Expiry Date, preparing them for their eventual release from CSC supervision. The prioritization of parole early in an offender’s sentence facilitates a gradual return to the community, increasing the likelihood of success upon release. 
 
A waiver is a written declaration given voluntarily by an offender that explicitly  relinquishes the offender's legal right to a hearing and/or a review by the National  Parole Board.  
A withdrawal is a voluntary request from an offender advising the National Parole Board that he or she no longer wishes to be reviewed for a day or full parole review as indicated by his or her earlier application. 
PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS WHO AQUIRED A DISCRETIONARY RELEASE AT THE TIME OF FIRST RELEASE SINCE 2016-2017 
100% 90%  
 
 
 A persistent gap of approximately 20% remained in the rate of discretionary release  at the time of first release between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders every year over the last five years.  
 
PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS INCARCERATED PAST STATUTORY RELEASE DATE 
  
As per section 127 of the CCRA, offenders may receive a statutory release and subsequent community supervision after serving two-thirds of a fixed-length sentence. However, offenders who have received life or indeterminate sentences are not eligible for statutory release. 
Additionally, pursuant to s.130(3) of the CCRA, the PBC may order an offender to be detained beyond their statutory release date if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the offender is likely to commit: 
An offence causing serious harm or death, • A sexual offence involving a child, or • A serious drug offence. 
FIRST RELEASE BY RELEASE TYPE 
An offender’s statutory release can be revoked if a condition of their release has been breached. 
  
Employment plays an important role in successful reintegration. CSC research indicates that Indigenous offenders are more likely to be unemployed on admission and have lower levels of education than non-Indigenous offenders. CSC research also supports the notion that maintenance of a community job, at any skill level, is related to a reduced likelihood of recidivism, highlighting the importance of employment in successful reintegration. 
  Prior to 2020-2021, the percentage of employment intervention referrals actioned within 120 days of admission for Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders were 
 
comparable. In 2020-2021, for the first time since 2016-2017, an observable gap 
  existed between the two groups. 
PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYMENT INTERVENTION REFERRALS ACTIONED WITHIN 120 DAYS OF ADMISSION TO FEDERAL CUSTODY  
  PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS WITH AN IDENTIFIED EMPLOYMENT NEED WHO HAVE  RECEIVED VOCATIONAL TRAINING OR CERTIFICATION PRIOR TO FIRST RELEASE 
 
 
OF OFFENDERS WITH AN IDENTIFIED NEED FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE COMMUNITY, THE PERCENTAGE WHO SECURE SUCH EMPLOYMENT PRIOR TO SENTENCE EXPIRY DATE 
  
PERCENTAGE OF TIME SPENT EMPLOYED, FOR OFFENDERS UNDER COMMUNITY  
  SUPERVISION  
100% 90%  
 
 
The COVID-19 pandemic, and public health measures designed to curb the spread of infection, impacted businesses across the country, as these faced closure and capacity limitations. These impacts undoubtedly affected offenders’ abilities to find and maintain employment in the community in 2020-2021, leading to a decrease in the number of offenders with an identified need for community employment securing employment upon release. 
 
CORCAN INDIGENOUS OFFENDER EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE (IEOI) 
 
CORCAN’s IEOI continued to be implemented in the Prairie, Ontario and Pacific Regions,  building on successes since launching in 2017. The IOEI enhances on-the-job and vocational  training, apprenticeships related to employment in construction and manufacturing. The IOEI also provides transitional employment and enhances support services to assist offenders in 
 securing and maintaining employment in the community.  
 In November 2020, the Nekaneet First Nation was gifted a house that was built by the residents of the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge (OOHL) for female offenders. Residents of OOHL learned every aspect of building a house, including how to read blueprints, how to frame exterior and interior walls, and interior finishing. The skills and training residents acquired through the IEOI allowed them to build employment skills and confidence to aid their reintegration to the community.  
   SUPERVISION  
Offenders can be granted various types of conditional release from an institution to the community during their sentence, including temporary absences, day parole, full parole, or statutory release. When the PBC grants a release to an offender, there are a number of conditions that can be set, in addition to the standard release conditions. Offenders remain supervised by CSC and are required to uphold standard, special, and/or residency conditions, as applicable. While the standard conditions are the same for each offender, special and residency conditions are specific to both the individual and place of residency within the community.  
If an offender breaches their release conditions while in the community, their conditional release may be suspended, resulting in a return to a CSC institution. Offenders may also return to a CSC institution if they were charged with and/or convicted of another offense while on supervised release.  
CSC research shows that offenders granted day or full parole have lower rates of reoffending before Sentence Expiry Date (SED) than those released at statutory release. Research also indicates that most offenders who are assessed as having a low risk of reoffending are more likely to be successfully supervised in the community, with a lower likelihood of reoffending before the end of their sentence. 
  PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS WHO REACHED THEIR SENTENCE EXPIRY DATE WITHOUT EXPERIENCING A REVOCATION, CHARGE AND/OR CONVICTION WHILE ON SUPERVISION 
 
100% 90%  
66.6% 67.2% 67.2%
80%
 
The rate of Indigenous offenders reaching SED without revocation, charge, or conviction when supervised increased over the past five years. However, a persistent gap remained between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders. 
 
 
The EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections has identified Suspensions and Revocations as one of its priority areas of focus. In 2020-2021, a working group was convened to assist in developing short- and long-term strategies to improve suspension and revocation rates for Indigenous offenders. Additionally, the Sub-Committee conducted qualitative and quantitative reviews of gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women offenders in suspension and revocation rates. CSC also collaborated with the PBC on efforts to improve suspension and revocation rates for Indigenous offenders. 
 
PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS WHO REACHED THEIR SENTENCE EXPIRY DATE WITHOUT  EXPERIENCING A REVOCATION, CHARGE AND/OR CONVICTION WHILE ON SUPERVISION  (OFFENDERS ON SECTION 84 RELEASE AND OFFENDERS WITHOUT A SECTION 84 RELEASE) 
 
 
Indigenous offenders with a Section 84 release reached their Sentence Expiry Date on supervised release without revocation at higher rates than Indigenous offenders without a Section 84 release.  
 
RATE OF CONVICTIONS ON SUPERVISION FOR MINOR/MODERATE OFFENCES PER 1,000 
  OFFENDERS 
 
 
 
RATE OF CONVICTIONS ON SUPERVISION FOR SERIOUS OR VIOLENT OFFENCES, PER 1,000 
  OFFENDERS 
  
 
 
The rate of conviction on supervision for minor/moderate offences per 1,000 remained higher for Indigenous offenders, when compared to non-Indigenous offenders. Minor and moderate convictions on supervision include any offence listed in Schedule II of the CCRA or any nonschedule offence. However, both population groups saw a decrease in the rate of minor and moderate convictions over the past five years, with the non-Indigenous group decreasing 30% and the Indigenous population group decreasing 23% since 2016-2017.   
Serious convictions on supervision include any offence listed in Schedule I of the CCRA. Indigenous offenders incurred a higher rate of serious convictions than non-Indigenous offenders. Both groups saw a decrease in conviction rates over the past five years, with the Indigenous group seeing a 36% decrease since 2016-2017, compared to a 33% decrease for the non-Indigenous group. 
 
REGIONAL APPROACHES TO SUPERVISION  
 
In order to address the persistent gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders in s upervision results, CSC surveyed best practices across regions. In the Atlantic Region, Indigenous Suspension Review Boards were used to incorporate Indigenous perspectives to 
 
the suspension process, helping to implement mitigation measures prior to full supervision suspension, while also helping to increase  operational knowledge and competency surrounding the application of Indigenous Social History. In the Ontario Region, work was done to improve supervision services for Indigenous offenders in rural locations, with the  Region looking to develop Memoranda of Understanding with provincial entities to increase release support services. Similarly, in the Quebec Region, supervision staff made several visits a year to remote locations to ensure face -to-face and in-person meetings could be held with offenders under supervision. In the Prairie  Region, Indigenous post-suspension review boards were  established to ensure that all Indigenous suspensions were considered in a culturally relevant manner. Finally, the Pacific  Region instituted specialized Indigenous teams to facilitate supervision, collaboration, early intervention, and the sharing of information or resources on Indigenous issues, along with Indigenous Supervision Teams  who supervise the vast majority of Indigenous cases.  Br bringing to bear regional best practices, CSC worked to implement an array of initiatives to better serve Indigenous offenders while they are on supervised release in the community.   
 
PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS WHO WERE NOT RE-ADMITTED TO FEDERAL CUSTODY ON A  NEW SENTENCE WITHIN FIVE (5) YEARS FOLLOWING SENTENCE EXPIRY DATE 
 
 
The percentage of offenders who were not re-admitted to federal custody on a new sentence within five years following Sentence Expiry Date has improved slightly but steadily since 2016-2017. However, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous offenders remains. 
 
The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on offenders under supervision in 20202021. The various measures to help curb the spread of infection increased the challenges offenders faced in accessing accommodations, training, services, and employment in the community, as many businesses and organizations were impacted by capacity limitations and intermittent closures throughout the year. These challenges negatively impacted offenders’ abilities to adhere to supervision conditions, many of which relate to employment and residency. Remote Indigenous communities tended to be disproportionately impacted by pandemic-related restrictions.  
As reflected in the Indigenous Offender profile on page 14 Indigenous offenders tend to have higher needs, be classified as higher risk, and be admitted for violent offences when compared to non-Indigenous offenders. These factors present added challenges for community supervision, with more conditions and supports required upon release. These offender profile aspects, in combination with the substantial impact from COVID-19, combined to compound the challenges Indigenous offenders faced under supervision in 2020-2021. As Indigenous offenders continue to face higher rates of minor/moderate and serious/violent charges, convictions, and revocations while on supervision than non-Indigenous offenders, the gap between these two groups for re-admission to federal custody will remain. Successful supervision is vital in ensuring offenders are not readmitted to CSC’s custody following their release. 
 
        TRANSFERS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A slight decrease in successful transitions to lower security for Indigenous offenders was anticipated for the reporting period, given operational adjustments to curb the spread of COVID-19 in CSC institutions. Specifically, Elder services shifted to a telework approach and certain interventions, such as program delivery, were put on hold or adjusted, as facilitators were not permitted to enter facilities. As a result, key components of the correctional process that could trigger a transition to a lower-security environment did not take place for a period of time, thus delaying impacted individuals’ rehabilitation. Despite these challenges, results remained high, with Indigenous IIC participants generally achieving more positive outcomes than the overall Indigenous population at CSC.   
 
  Since 2017-2018, the percentage of successful transfers to healing lodges steadily increased. In 2020-2021, 95.9% of transfers to healing lodges were successful, representing a four year high. The continued success reflected in this indicator over the past four years validates the importance and effectiveness of Healing Lodges, as unique, 
culturally-grounded, and Elder-driven rehabilitative environments distinct from 
mainstream institutions, in the reintegration of Indigenous offenders. Positive trends highlighted through this indicator are consistent with the existing body of 
literature, as well as recently developed internal research, which underlines the 
distinctive, culturally specific aspects of Healing Lodges that, collectively, help guide residents through their healing journeys and support gradual, safe reintegration. 
The percentage of successful transfers to healing lodges remained high over the past four years. However, the overall number of transfers to a healing lodge remains relatively low. 
 
While transfers to healing lodges are widely successful, the option remains underutilized. The number of transfers to Healing Lodges has steadily decreased, from 290 in 2017-2018 to 193 in 2020-2021. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, CSC recorded a significant decrease in transfers to healing lodges. To address this identified challenge and increase bed capacity utilization in healing lodges, CSC issued a memo in October 2020 encouraging all Institutional Heads and their teams to continue to offer transfers to Section 81 healing lodges and CSC healing lodges as part of an individual’s rehabilitation and in preparation for their gradual transition to the community. 
   INDIGENOUS WOMEN OFFENDERS  
Across a majority of correctional performance indicators, such as those related to interventions, supervision, and reintegration, Indigenous women offenders tended to suffer adverse differential outcomes, when compared to non-Indigenous women offenders. Gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women offenders remained relatively stable over the past five years. Encouragingly, however, Indigenous Women offenders participating in the IIC model of interventions tended to achieve more positive results than non-participants 
Overall, the Indigenous women offender population increased by 69 individuals, or 14.3%, in the past five years, with Indigenous women now representing 36% of all women under CSC jurisdiction. However, the bulk of this increase stemmed from an increase among the incommunity population. Since 2016-2017, the Indigenous women population on release in the community increased by 55 individuals (162 to 217), or 25.3%, while the in-custody Indigenous women population rose by 14 individuals (253 to 267), or 5.5%. In all, the increase to the incommunity population represented 79.7% of the total population increase for Indigenous women over the past five years. Said changes in demographics are suggestive of early indications that strategies instituted to ensure Indigenous offenders had adequate access to community release at first eligibility were delivering results.  
The overrepresentation of Indigenous women under CSC jurisdiction was particularly pronounced when looking at the in-custody population. In 2020-2021, Indigenous women represented 43% of all women in custody at CSC, a five percentage point increase from 2016-2017.  Comparatively, the non-Indigenous women offender population, which represented 57% of the overall women offender population in custody, decreased five percentage points from five years ago. 
The EXCOM Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections identified the need to address differential outcomes for women serving federal sentences as one of its areas of strategic focus. In 2020-2021, in order to identify trends and set targets for interventions, quantitative and qualitative reviews were conducted to analyze conditional release suspension and revocation rates, time to start of first NRCP, and the adequacy of program delivery approaches for women. These reviews will be utilized by the Sub-Committee to enhance outcomes for Indigenous women offenders. 
 
 
 
     INDIGENOUS WOMEN OFFENDER POPULATION PERCENTAGE CHANGE FROM 
2016-2017 TO 2020-2021 
  
Across all Regions, except for the Quebec Region, the Indigenous women offender population increased from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021. 
WOMEN OFFENDERS IN-CUSTODY AT CSC 
100%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WOMEN OFFENDERS – INITAL OFFENDER SECURITY LEVEL DISTRIBUTION  
 
Indigenous women offenders were more likely to have an initial security classification of Medium or Maximum, when compared with non-Indigenous women offenders, who were more likely to have an initial classification of classified as Minimum security. 
 
Responding to the over-representation of Indigenous women in federal corrections continued to be a strategic priority for the Sub-committee on Indigenous Corrections in 2020-2021. Specifically, the Sub-committee examined factors related to program participation and completion, recidivism and community reintegration, as well as the training of front-line staff, with the ultimate objective of supporting women in re-establishing safe, healthy and productive lives upon release. 
 
 
MEDIAN DAYS FROM ADMISSION TO START OF FIRST INSTITUTIONAL MAIN NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM 
 
 
Since 2016-2017, increases in wait times to start correctional programs occurred for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous women offenders. However, the increase was more pronounced for Indigenous women, creating a widening gap over the past five years.  
 
In 2020-2021, a review was undertaken to assess why Indigenous women offenders were waiting longer to start their first institutional NRCP. Information gathered identified the following: 
Indigenous women were over-represented in Maximum security (Secure Unit) and,  therefore, had more limited access to NRCPs; 
Challenges with the resources required to deliver programs, including infrastructure; 
Offender mental health concerns might influence access to programs and/or impact an offender’s degree of responsivity; 
Issues with Elder availability and required levels of Elder participation; 
high turn-over rates among Correctional Program Officers (CPO) and Indigenous Correctional Program Officers (ICPO); 
Inter-regional transfers could cause delays in the commencement of NRCPs; and, 
Covid-19 protocols had a significant impact on the ability of sites to deliver programming, starting in March 2020. 
 
As part of a broader review and revision of correctional programs, CSC reviewed options to support Indigenous women in Secure Units to have increased access to NRCPs, provide enhanced staff training in responsivity issues, as well the possibility of modifying the Indigenous Women Offender Moderate Intensity Program to allow for additional entry points, in order to increase opportunities to begin programming on a timely basis. 
CSC explored additional options to reduce the timeframe to commence programming, such as alternative work schedules for Elders to provide greater flexibility for them to tend to their community duties, and the possibility of Elder participation via video-conference where mobility limitations existed. Despite longer wait times to commence first institutional main NRCP, Indigenous women offenders achieved a very high NRCP completion rate, prior to their first release.  
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN WHO WAIVED THEIR FULL PAROLE HEARING 
 
 
Unlike day parole withdrawals, the rate at which Indigenous women waived their full parole decreased since 2016-2017, despite the recent spike. Accounting for the spike in 2020-2021, the rate of day parole hearing withdrawals over the past five years decreased by nearly five percent. This general decrease was also observable among non-Indigenous women, whose full parole waiver rate decreased more than six percent from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021. A gap in results between these groups persisted despite the positive trends, though the gap narrowed.     
CSC research shows that, regardless of Indigenous group, gender or risk level, the two most common reasons provided by Indigenous offenders for waving or withdrawing their parole review were program non-completion and to avoid a negative decision.  
 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN ACQUIRING A DISCRETIONARY RELEASE AT THE TIME OF THEIR FIRST RELEASE DATE 
 
 
In 2020-2021, Indigenous women offenders acquired a discretionary release at the time of first release at lower rates than non-Indigenous women. In the past five years, Indigenous women acquired discretionary releases at decreasing rates, while non-Indigenous women acquired discretionary releases at increasing rates, resulting in a widening gap. 
 
RELEASES BY TYPE, 2020-2021 
 
In 2020-2021, Indigenous women received day parole and full parole at lower rates than nonIndigenous women. While the majority of releases for Indigenous women in 2020-2021 were day parole, close to 40% were statutory releases. This compares to only 16.8% for nonIndigenous women, who were primarily released on day parole (78%). Full parole represented 5.1% of all releases for non-Indigenous women in 2020-2021, compared to less than one percent for Indigenous women.  As earlier reported, Indigenous women had higher rates of withdrawing day parole and waiving full parole hearings. These increased rates meant fewer Indigenous women sought the opportunity for a day parole or full parole release in 2020-2021. This development could, in part, have contributed to lower parole releases over the reporting period, when compared to non-Indigenous women. 
 
  PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN WITH AN IDENTIFIED EMPLOYMENT NEED WHO RECEIVED VOCATIONAL TRAINING OR CERTIFICATION PRIOR TO FIRST RELEASE 
 
  
 
The Indigenous Offender Employment Initiative (IOEI), launched in 2017-2018 in the Prairie 
Region, contributed to positive results, including by reducing gaps between Indigenous and nonIndigenous offenders. Through the IOEI initiative, Indigenous individuals earned hours of onthe-job training, vocational certifications, and started career paths with transitional employment through the two Prairie Region Community Industries. To build on these successful outcomes, CSC expanded to IOEI initiative to the Ontario and Pacific Regions in 2019-2020. However, public health restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections negatively impacted operations. The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges in the community and in institutions, which affected results in 2020-2021, which were not only influenced by interventions, but also by the availability and accessibility of training and employment opportunities in the community. 
  
In order to identify trends and areas where interventions could be targeted, CSC undertook a preliminary qualitative review of a small sample of community releases that were revoked without a new offence by the PBC. 
The review showed that Indigenous women continued to experience a greater rate of revocations without offence than non-Indigenous women, as shown in the graphic below. In an analysis of the previous five years of data, results steadily rose between 2016-2017 and 20192020, however, improved in 2020-2021.  
The observations gleaned from the revocation review were used to inform a broader review of conditional release suspensions in order to identify reasons for the suspensions and suggest possible measures to improve results for Indigenous women.   
  SUPERVISION SUSPENSIONS, PER 1000  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The findings included the following: 
Indigenous women were more than twice as likely as non-Indigenous women to be suspended, and they were more likely to be suspended to prevent a breach and for the protection of society; 
The majority of the suspended women offenders had completed a main program prior to release; 
Indigenous women were slightly more likely to have responsivity issues at release;   
On average, Indigenous women offenders were in the community for shorter periods before being suspended;  
The majority of women were released on day parole; however, for those released on statutory release, Indigenous women were more likely to have residency conditions imposed; 
Indigenous women offenders, who were suspended, were rated as having higher risk and need areas and tended to be serving sentences for more violent crimes.   
 
As a follow up to the review, CSC started exploring culturally relevant community supervision practices, methods and tools to ensure Indigenous women receive equitable access to reintegration. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   INUIT CONSIDERATIONS  
Working with Inuit offenders involves unique linguistic, cultural, spiritual, and geographic considerations. While Indigenous people within Canada may share similarities in worldviews, each group has unique spiritual and cultural values, languages, dialects, and customs. 
Inuit speak Inuktitut, and there are numerous dialects that vary from region to region. Inuit also have unique spiritual beliefs, which are distinct from those of First Nations and Métis cultures, and have unique social ceremonies and cultural practices. 
In addition to these distinctions, many Inuit under federal correctional jurisdiction come from geographically isolated regions of Canada’s Arctic (the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Northern Quebec, and Labrador), and when incarcerated and supervised in the south, can experience a significant  culture shock.  
 To learn more about the Inuit population in Canada refer to the 2019-2020 ICAF (pages 67-76).  
The Regions with the highest number of Inuit offenders in 2020-2021 were the Ontario and Quebec Regions, who housed offenders coming primarily from Nunavut and Nunavik. 
indigenous offenders under csc jurisdiction 
56
 
  125 572
 
  1267
1056
  2733
 
In Community
In Custody
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
  Inuit   Métis   First Nations
 
In 2020-2021,  
 
45.2% of Inuit offenders were serving a sentence of less than four years  
 
76.9% of Inuit offenders were assessed as high-risk, and 20.3% as medium-risk 
72.4% of Inuit offenders were serving a sentence for a Schedule I offence 
42.6% of Inuit offenders were serving a sentence for a sex offence  
All Regions saw a decrease in Inuit offenders over the past five years, except the Pacific Region. The increase in the Pacific Region was due to transfers from their original Region of admission, in order to alleviate SIU status, or in some cases, due to a preference of Inuit offenders not to be housed with each other because of homesickness triggers. Given the overall size of the Inuit population under federal jurisdiction, the increase in the Pacific Region was relatively small, in terms of raw numbers (n=4), since 2016-2017. 
 
Short sentence lengths, high risk assessments, and high percentages of sex offences had implications on interventions and release outcomes for Inuit offenders. These factors likely limited opportunities for Inuit offenders to participate in programs and interventions designed to help offenders heal and reintegrate into the community following their release. Moreover, they increased the likelihood that offenders necessitated lengthier and more intensive programs to fully prepare for release.    
 
 
 
  elder reviews 
of Inuit offenders received an initial Elder review in 2020-2021, compared to 77.7% of First Nations and Métis offenders.  
Elders play an important role in providing cultural teachings and restorative support to offenders, and Inuit Elders are contracted to provide culturally appropriate care to Inuit offenders. 
CSC continued to address challenges in the hiring and retention of  Elders, including Inuit Elders. These challenges resulted in a lower number of Inuit Elders serving the Inuit population, as compared to the number of Elders serving the First Nations and Métis offender populations. NonInuit Elders may serve Inuit offenders when an Inuit Elder is not available, however, this may pose an issue in the completion of Elder reviews if the Inuit offender speaks only Inuktitut and the Elder does not.  
 
The percentage of program enrolments for Inuit offenders rose steadily for the past five years, with the exception of the 2020-2021 fiscal year.  
 
Success in this area may be partially attributed to the implementation of the Inuit Integrated Correctional Program in 2017-2018, as well as the establishment of the Inuit Centres of Excellence as part of the Anijaarniq strategy. 
 
 
 
  of the offenders with an identified need for a nationally recognized correctional program, THE PERCENTAGE WHO COMPLETE PRIOR TO FIRST RELEASE 
 
100%  
 
            The percentage of program completions before first release remained relatively                         steady in past years, before decreasing in 2020-2021. These results may be partially attributed to staffing challenges. Over the reporting period, there was a lack of staff to train facilitators to deliver Inuit-specific programs, which may have affected completion rates. Additionally, the high-intensity sex offender program is lengthy, which presented challenges for completion, given the high percentage of high risk Inuit sex offenders. This factor may have contributed to the decrease in results in the 2020-2021.  
 
For both enrollments and completions, restrictions on group sizes put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 in institutions contributed to the decreases in results in both areas in the 20202021 fiscal year. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
reintegration 
Inuit offenders showed the poorest release outcomes among all demographic groups. They were released at their Statutory Release date at higher rates than other groups, obtained the lowest percentages of release on day parole, and the highest percentages of release on Sentence Expiry Date. 
pg-61 release type 
 
 
 
  discretionary release 
100% 90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10% 0%
 
Inuit offenders obtained the lowest percentages of discretionary release at first release (which includes Day and Full Parole). However, discretionary release results in 20202021 (30.8%) represented a 13% improvement from results in 2016-2017 (18.2%).  
This improvement over the past five years is especially significant when compared to the nonIndigenous group, who achieved a 3.8% improvement over the same period of time. This notable improvement in results reflected CSC’s focus on enhancing discretionary release outcomes for Indigenous offenders; however, continued efforts are required in order to close the gap in results between Inuit and non-Indigenous offenders. 
As previously noted, shorter sentence lengths, greater need for lengthy high intensity and sex offender programming, and staffing challenges for program delivery likely contributed to comparatively limited opportunities for Inuit offenders to participate in programs and interventions designed to help them heal. These factors affected the completion of programs that were critical to facilitating a safe and successful discretionary release. Offenders who tended to be more likely to be high-risk offenders and/or to have committed sex offences faced additional barriers in receiving a discretionary release due to overriding public safety concerns. Overall, the totality of these factors likely contributed to a high percentage of Inuit offenders released on Statutory Release, and a correspondingly low percentage of Inuit offenders released on Day Parole.  
 
Inuit offenders saw the highest instances of release at Sentence Expiry Date. Many Inuit offenders under federal jurisdiction tended to come from geographically isolated regions in northern Canada, increasing the likelihood that they experienced significant culture shock when incarcerated and supervised in the southern parts of the country. Societal norms and realities of life in the North differ from those in the South, and can create challenges for Inuit offenders upon release, particularly in the case of urban releases to southern locations.  
Releases away from their home communities continued to present challenges for Inuit offenders. Substance misuse programs were at times unavailable in many of Canada’s northern remote locations, leading to Inuit offenders being released to a location in the South where these programs were offered. Many Inuit communities have banned the sale and consumption of alcohol. Therefore, when Inuit offenders were incarcerated and released in the South in order to attend substance misuse programming, they were at greater risk of being exposed to problematic substances. Moreover, for offenders with release conditions tied to abstaining from problematic substances, the exposure increased the risk of a breach of conditions and return to CSC custody – contributing to increased rates of releases at Sentence Expiry Date, rather than Parole.  
 
In 2020-2021, of 181 Inuit offenders under CSC jurisdiction:  
 
interested in section 84 
 
The high interest and low participation rates in the Section 84 release process may be attributable to conditions of release for parole, needs for programming that may have gone unfulfilled, or the dynamic of offenders returning to their remote and northern home communities, who may have had hesitations in accepting offenders back when they presented a public safety risk.  
Inuit offenders continued to face a number of challenges and barriers to participating in the Section 84 release process. For many Inuit offenders, historic substance use was noted during their admission to CSC custody. CSC research indicates that alcohol and drug abuse was implicated in the offence pattern of 90% of Inuit offenders. As a result, many Inuit offenders had release conditions for participation in and completion of substance misuse programming. However, these programs were often unavailable in Inuit offenders’ home communities, preventing a Section 84 release to their home community.  
Moreover, Inuit offenders were more likely to have been convicted of violent sex offences. These offences generate public safety concerns in communities, potentially preventing communities from participating in Section 84 release planning.  Additionally, due to smaller population sizes in many Inuit communities, offenders may not have wished to be released to their home community for fear of reprisal or shame. Smaller communities also tended to face capacity challenges and a lack of resources to support the Section 84 release process. These and other structural barriers were likely to have contributed to the low utilization of the Section 84 release process by Inuit offenders. 
  rate of revocations without offence per 1,000 offenders 
 
  Indigenous   Inuit   Linear (Indigenous)   Linear (Inuit)
In 2020-2021, Inuit offenders achieved positive results in regards to the rate of revocations without offence per 1,000 offenders.  
This positive development was likely attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health measures imposed to increase social distancing. However, prior to 2020-2021, Inuit offenders incurred higher rates of revocations than First Nations and Métis offenders.  
SUCCESSFUL SUPERVISION RESULTS FOR OFFENDERS WHO REACHED SENTENCE EXPIRY  DATE WITHOUT EXPERIENCING A REVOCATION, NEW CHARGE OR CONVICTION DURING 
SUPERVISION 
of Inuit offenders successfully reached SED without experiencing a revocation, new charge or conviction during supervision in 2020-2021. 
 
INUIT OFFENDERS NOT READMITTED TO FEDERAL CUSTODY WITHIN FIVE (5) YEARS 
  FOLLOWING SENTENCE EXPIRY DATE 
 admitted to federal custody within five years.  
The graphic above describes that overall, 79.7% of Inuit offenders were not readmitted to federal custody within five years following Sentence Expiry Date.  
This percentage was decreasing since 2015-2016, and was lower than results for First Nations (80.7%) and Métis (80.8%) offenders. 
   
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
INUIT REINTEGRATION IN THE ATLANTIC REGION  
 
The Atlantic region showed strong outcomes for successful Inuit reintegration. Regional staff  worked to foster community connections to support Inuit offenders, which led the Region to have  the most positive release outcomes for Inuit offenders in the country.  
 Due to the unique geographic nature of the Atlantic Region, Inuit offenders are released in St. John’s, Newfoundland to complete their parole. The parole office in this city created new positions  for Indigenous Cultural Liaison Officers, which provided increased support to parolees.  
 Critical to the work of CSC in this location was the partnership with a local friendship centre; the 
 First Light Friendship Centre. First Light worked closely with CSC (which provides support and funding) to tailor programs and services to the needs of Inuit offenders, which produced positive  results. Due to high percentages of sex offenders among the Inuit population, Inuit tended to face challenges reintegrating the community and accessing programs while observing conditions for  release, as in the case of sex offenders  who were restricted from being in proximity to women or children, or attending certain locations at certain times of day. First Light worked with CSC to  tailor programs so that Inuit offenders could participate while respecting their conditions of  release.  
 First Light not only offers programs, they also provide a diverse range of services which provide holistic support to offenders, including mental health supports, employment assistance, housing  assistance, assistance in obtaining identification and more. First light provides all of these supports, again, in a manner that will enable Inuit offenders to respect their release conditions.  For example, Inuit offenders require cell phones in order to keep in touch with their parole officers  as part of their release conditions. However, cell phones may be inaccessible to some offenders, and they may have release conditions that prohibit internet access. First Light will assist offenders  in obtaining and keeping a cell phone with no internet so they are able to abide by their release 
conditions. 
 
The relationship between First Light and offenders who used their services was one of trust. This  added incentive for offenders to be successful on parole as they did not want to betray the trust  bestowed upon them. CSC, First Light, and offenders worked together to share information, which allowed First Light to have the information needed to support offenders. The relationship of mutual 
 trust and respect produced successful outcomes for Inuit offenders in the Region. 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONCLUSION – THE WAY FORWARD 
 
The over-representation of Indigenous people in federal corrections has long-term impacts on Indigenous people, families, and communities. Addressing this issue demands acknowledgment of CSC’s role in perpetuating the cycle of violence and trauma, and its responsibility to help disrupt it. As a part of the federal department, CSC represents a government with a legacy of harm and violence against Indigenous people and communities, the same government that enforced Indian Residential Schools, the Pass System, and other policies with the intention to supress and eliminate Indigenous communities and ways of being and knowing. CSC is mindful of the fact that, individually and as an organization, it is a part of this tragic legacy, and that it bears part of the responsibility to reshape systems and defy practices that perpetuate harm against Indigenous people and communities.  
Systemic issues require concerted effort to make systemic change. Horizontal initiatives, such as the Indigenous Justice Strategy and the Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism, are opportunities to explore innovative approaches for meaningful and sustainable change. Collaboration across levels of government and with external partners to advance common goals, such as addressing systemic racism and discrimination, ensures a multi-pronged approach that leverages expert knowledge and fosters sustainable co-development. By engaging with horiztonal partners, such as Indigenous Services Canada, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Employment and Social Development Canada, CSC hopes to not only address over-representation of Indigenous people in federal corrections, but also support the improvement of housing, health and safety for Indigenous communities.  
Launching into the year ahead, CSC hopes to repair the relationship between CSC and 
Indigenous communities through the Indigenous Offender Reintegration Contribution Program 
(IORCP). The IORCP uses a holistic and inclusive approach to place funds into the hands of Indigenous communities to respond to and develop solutions for their own community safety needs. The IORCP is just one example of CSC’s ongoing commitment to work with and fund Indigenous organizations and communities and ensure that Indigenous offenders have access to culturally relevant programming and supports in their community.Trust and self-determination are foundational to meaningful community engagement and healing. We hope this program facilitates the exchange of expertise and learning to assist Indigenous offenders in their rehabilitation and reintegration prior to release into rural and remote areas.  
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Executive Summary notes that a part of reconciliation is “following through with concrete actions that demonstrate real societal change” (Executive Summary, TRC). Pursuing real societal change is a messy, complex and arduous process. CSC has an immense responsibility on the path towards reconciliation that requires iterative inward reflection to identify what practices hold Indigenous people back from healing. With immense responsibility comes immense possibility. Sustainable societal change requires thinking and working in ways that are innovative and challenging - ways that might initially feel uncomfortable or encounter significant obstacles, but will ultimately move us towards a place of shared accountability and a new way of healing together. 
 
REFERENCE INDEX 
Source (1): Aboriginal Corrections Accountability Framework 2019-2020 
Source (2): PD National Indigenous Report Fiscal Year 2020-2021 
Source (3): Statistics Canada. 2015. Aboriginal Statistics at a Glance: 2nd Edition. Statistics Canada. Ottawa. Ontario 
Source (4): Admission, 2021-04-11 
Source (5): Performance Direct (PD) Employment & Employability Module 
Source (6): Discretionary_release, 2021-04-11 
Source (7): DP_Hearings, 2021-04-11 
Source (8) : Edu_upgrade_prior_fped , 2021-04-11 
Source (9): Escorted_temporary_absence , 2021-04-11 
Source (10): FP_hearings , 2021-04-11 
Source (11): Institutional_Charge , 2021-04-11 
Source (12): PMMR, Offender Profile, 2021-04-11 
Source (13): PMMR, Offender Profile, 2020-04-12 
Source (14): PMMR, Offender Profile, 2019-04-07 
Source (15): PMMR, Offender Profile, 2018-04-08 
Source (16): PMMR, Offender Profile, 2017-04-09 
Source (17): Security Incidents, 2021-04-11 
Source (18): PD, Segregation admission 
Source (19): Successful_supervision, 2021-04-11 
Source (20): Unescorted_temporary_absence, 2021-04-11 
Source (21): Urinalysis, 2021-04-11 
Source (22): Vocational_training_or_cert, 2021-04-11 
Source (23): AI-IMSPathways, 2021-04-11 
Source (24): Education_level_completion, 2021-04-11 
Source (25): Education_upgrade_prior_to_FPED 2021-04-11 
Source (26): NRPC PD Completion prior to DPED, report as of 2021-03 
Source (27): NRPC PD Completion prior to FPED, report as of 2021-03 
Source (28): PD Percentage of initial Offender Security Level distribution, 2021-04-11 
Source (29): PD Percentage of successful transitions to lower security, report as of 2021-03 
Source (30): PD Rate of convictions on supervision for minor moderate offences, report as of 2021-03 
Source (31): PD Rate of convictions on supervision for serious or violent offences, report as of 2021-03 
Source (32): Percentage of educational referral 120, report as of 2021-03 
Source (33): PMMR Deaths in Custody, 2021-04-11 
Source (34): Prime Completion, 2021-04-11 
Source (35): Prime Enrolments, 2021-04-11 
Source (36): Prime NRCP Demand, 2021-04-11 
Source (37): PD Rate of Revocation without offence, report as of 2021-03 
Source (38): Readmission of Offenders to custody within 5 years post SED, 2021-04-11 
Source (39): Serious Institutional Charges, 2021-04-11 
Source (40): PD First main program for Non Indigenous offenders, report as of 2021-03 
Source (41): PD First main program for Indigenous offenders, report as of 2021-03 
Source (42): PD First Readiness program for Indigenous Offenders, report as of 2021-03 
Source (43): PD First Readiness program for Non Indigenous Offenders, report as of 2021-03 
Source (44): PD Offenders with an Identified need for Employment in the Community, the percentage who secure such employment prior to sentence expiry date, report as of 2021-03 
 
 
 
SUMMARY OF RESULTS BY INDICATOR 
 
Assessment
2016-2017 2020-2021 
Indigenous Non-Indigenous Indigenous Non-Indigenous 
# Indicator % # % # % # %
1 Number and percentage of newly admitted offenders screened by the Computerized 
Mental Health Intake Screening System 
(CoMHISS) within timeframes Data reported by Health Services
2 Number and percentage of offenders with an initial security level experiencing a change to higher or lower security environment Higher: 10.9% 
Lower: 14.5% Higher: 129 
Lower: 171 Higher: 489 
Lower: 515 Higher: 13.6% 
Lower: 14.4% Higher: 15.3% 
Lower: 13.5% Higher: 158 
Lower: 139 Higher: 342 
Lower: 332 Higher:14.5% Lower: 14.1% 
   
 
Admission
2016-2017 2020-2021 
Indigenous Non-Indigenous Indigenous Non-Indigenous 
# Indicator % # % # % # %
3 Number and percentage of Indigenous offenders informed of section 81 and section 84 at intake  
  Section 81: 
87.2% Section 81:  1081 n/a n/a Section 81: 
84.7%  Section 81:  800 n/a n/a 
Section 84:  
87.3% Section 84:  1082 n/a n/a Section 84:  
83.9% Section 84:  792 n/a n/a 
4 Number and percentage of Indigenous offenders informed and interested in section 81 and section 84 at intake 
  Section 81: 
61.5% Section 81:  665 n/a n/a Section 81: 
65.3%  Section 81:  522 n/a n/a 
Section 84: 
61.6%  Section 84:  667 n/a n/a Section 84: 
57.8%  Section 84:  458 n/a n/a 
5 Number and percentage of Indigenous offenders with an initial or progress Elder review at admission 92.4% 1149 n/a n/a 67.9% 851 n/a n/a 
6 Number and percentage of offenders with a Security Threat Group affiliation at admission Information currently not available due to data quality concerns
7 Number and percentage of offenders 30 years old or younger at admission 49.0% 608 36.2% 1323 45.8% 469 34.0% 739 
8 Number and percentage of offenders serving a sentence for Murder I, Murder II or Schedule 1 offence  67.8% 842 48.1% 1755 71.1% 727 59.7% 1297 
9 Number and percentage of offenders by dynamic need level (excludes blanks) High: 74.1% 
Med: 23.5% 
Low: 2.3% High: 919 
Med: 292 
Low: 29 High: 52.3% 
Med: 38.1% 
Low: 9.7% High: 1905 
Med: 1387 
Low: 352 High: 85.2% 
Med: 13.9% 
Low: 1.0% High: 866 
Med: 141 
Low: 10 High: 64.1% 
Med: 30.6% 
Low: 5.3% High: 1370 
Med: 655 
Low: 133 
10 Number and percentage of offenders by static risk level (excludes blanks) High:  52.5% 
Med: 40.6% 
Low: 6.9% High: 651 
Med: 503 
Low: 86 High: 39.8% 
Med: 42.6% 
Low: 17.6% High: 1451 
Med: 1552 
Low: 642 High: 57.9% 
Med: 37.2% 
Low: 4.9% High: 589 
Med: 379 
Low: 50 High: 47.4%  
Med: 11.5% 
Low: 41.1% High: 1014 
Med: 878 
Low: 246 
Admission
2016-2017 2020-2021 
Indigenous Non-Indigenous Indigenous Non-Indigenous 
# Indicator % # % # % # %
11 Number and percentage of offenders by reintegration level (excludes blanks) Multi-Level: 79.5% 
Max: 4.0% 
Med:16.4% Multi-Level: 
987 
Max: 50   
Med: 204 Multi-Level: 60.6% 
Max: 4.1% 
Med: 35.3% Multi-Level: 
2221 
Max: 151   
Med: 1293 Multi-Level: 77.0% 
Max: 3.0% 
Med: 19.9% Multi-Level: 
788 
Max: 31  
Med: 204 Multi-Level: 58.4% 
Max: 2.9% 
Med: 38.7% Multi-Level:1268 
Max: 62 
Med: 841 
12 Number and percentage of offenders admitted with a sex offence on sentence  18.5% 229 18.4% 673 11.9% 122 15.8% 342 
13 Number and percentage of offenders by institutional security level of admitting facility  Multi-Level: 79.6% 
Max: 4.0% 
Med: 16.4% Multi-Level: 
1135 
Max: 50 
Med: 56 Multi-Level: 60.6% 
Max: 4.1% 
Med: 35.3% Multi-Level: 
3139 
Max: 151 
Med: 375 Multi-Level: 77.5% 
Max: 3.1% 
Med: 19.4% Multi-Level: 
904 
Max: 31  
Med: 88 Multi-Level: 58.3% 
Max: 2.7% 
Med: 39.0% Multi-Level: 
1798 
Max: 62 
Med: 311 
14 Number and percentage of offenders by first Offender Security Level result (excludes blanks) Max: 12.4% 
Med: 68.5% 
Min: 19.2% Max: 155 
Med: 827 
Min: 258 Max: 7.9% 
Med: 53.4% 
Min: 39.7 Max: 301 
Med: 1875 
Min:1467 Max: 10.8% 
Med: 73.3% 
Min:15.9% Max: 106 
Med: 733 
Min:169 Max: 7.2% 
Med: 58.6% 
Min: 34.2% Max: 156 
Med: 1275 
Min: 663 
15 Number and percentage of offenders by first Custody Rating Scale result (excludes blanks) Max: 19.6% 
Med: 56.5% 
Min: 23.9% Max: 243 
Med: 701 
Min: 297 Max: 11.2% 
Med: 46.5% 
Min: 42.2% Max: 411 
Med: 1701 
Min:1543 Max: 18.4% 
Med: 59.7% 
Min: 21.9% Max: 188 
Med: 610 
Min: 224 Max: 12.6% 
Med: 49.3% 
Min:38.0% Max: 272 
Med: 1062 
Min: 818 
16 Number and percentage of offenders serving a sentence of less than 4 years 28.5% 353 26.3% 963 25.6% 242 26.6% 583 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Intervention
2016-2017 2020-2021 
Indigenous Non-Indigenous Indigenous Non-Indigenous 
# Indicator % # % # % # %
17 Number and percentage of offenders with an identified need who complete a correctional program prior to FPED  62.5% 643 56.2% 1385 33.1% 406 39.4% 1021 
18 Number and percentage of offenders with a CIB-accepted referral to educational upgrading within 120 days following admission out of all offenders with an identified education need  83.7% 575 69.9% 1229 73.3% 379 58.5% 603 
19 Median days from admission to first enrolment in a readiness nationally recognized correctional program  n/a 49.0 n/a 46.0 n/a 167.5 n/a 133.0 
20 Median days from admission to first enrolment in a main nationally recognized correctional program  n/a 148.0 n/a 165.0 n/a 257.0 n/a 252.0 
21 Number and percentage of offenders with an identified educational need who have upgraded their education prior to FPED  68.7%  527 53.8% 1319 42.2% 413 42.1% 800 
22 Number of deaths in custody (except death by natural causes).  n/a 3 n/a 6 n/a 11 n/a
23 Number and percentage of offenders who received an institutional mental health service  Data reported by Health Services 
24 Serious institutional charges per 1 000 offenders  n/a 587 n/a 383 n/a 355 n/a 211 
25 Number of offenders involved in security incidents per 1 000 offenders  n/a 680 n/a 328 n/a 840 n/a 537 
26 Number and percentage of positive results from random-sample urinalysis tests  6.8% 288 5.7% 655 14.0% 150 10.9% 307 
 
 
Reintegration
2016-2017 2020-2021 
Indigenous Non-Indigenous Indig enous Non-Indigenous 
# Indicator % # % # % # %
27 Number and percentage of offenders that acquired a discretionary release at the time of their first release 35.8% 418 54%. 2142 38.6% 467 58.2% 1798 
28 Number and percentage of Indigenous offenders with a Section 84 release plan prior to 1st release 40.9% 320 n/a n/a 36.2% 306 n/a n/a 
29 Number and percentage of offenders incarcerated past statutory release date (offenders detained) 8.0% 302 4.9% 506 7.5% 292 3.9% 328 
30 Number and percentage of successfully completed Unescorted Temporary Absences (UTAs) excluding medical UTAs 1270 99.2% 99.2% 2515 95.5% 21 94.1% 48 
31 Number and percentage of successfully completed Escorted Temporary Absences (ETAs) excluding medical ETAs 99.7% 14349 99.8% 34073 99.6% 822 99.5% 1749 
32 Number and percentage of offenders with mental health needs who are granted day or 
full Parole as their first release Data reported by Health Services
33 Number and percentage of successful offender transitions from maximum or medium security to a lower offender security level (OSL) per the total number of maximum or medium transitions to lower security 96.2% 554 96.2% 1124 93.2% 425 92.3% 454 
34 
  Number and percentage of offenders who withdrew their day parole hearing out of those eligible for review (data excludes waived decisions) 11.3% 178 8.2% 450 8.5% 199 6.8% 437 
 
Reintegration
2016-2017 2020-2021 
Indigen ous Non-Indigenous Indigenous Non-Indigenous 
# Indicator % # % # % # %
35 Number and percentage of offenders who waived their full parole hearing out of those eligible for review 37.8% 1043 26.2% 2451 26.2% 840 15.4% 1518 
36 Number and percentage of offenders who postponed their day parole hearing out of those eligible for review (data excludes waived decisions) 29.8% 469 22.0% 1206 36.8% 867 32.8% 2102 
37 Number and percentage of offenders who postponed their full parole hearing out of those eligible for review 24.3% 669 19.5% 1885 30.6% 1156 25.4% 2506 
38 Number and percentage of offenders whose day parole hearing was adjourned out of those eligible for review (data excludes waived decisions) 1.7% 27 1.4% 75 1.9% 44 1.6% 102 
39 Number and percentage of offenders whose full parole hearing was adjourned out of those eligible for review 0.8% 21 0.6% 61 0.6% 21 0.9% 91 
40 
  Number and percentage of offenders who reached their SED without experiencing a revocation and/or charge and/or conviction while on supervision 41.6% 443 63.8% 2318 44.9% 540 67.2% 2333 
41 Number and percentage of offenders with an employment need who secured employment in the community prior to reaching SED 60.0% 394 80.4% 1167 56.3% 402 81.4% 1061 
42 Number and percentage of offenders with an identified employment need who have received vocational training or certification prior to first release 60.3% 511 57.4% 1045 61.6% 568 61.3% 833 
Reintegration
2016-2017 2020-2021 
Indigenous Non-Indigenous Indig enous Non-Indigenous 
# Indicator % # % # % # %
43 Percentage of time employed in the community 52.8% n/a 67.3% n/a 52.2% n/a 67.5% n/a 
44 
  Number and percentage of offenders who were re-admitted to federal custody on a new sentence within 5 years following SED 22.2% 220 13.4% 507 19.4% 217 10.4 382 
45 Number and percentage of offenders who received a community mental health service Data reported by Health Services
 
 
National Indigenous Plan   
2016-2017 2020-2021 
Indigen ous Non-Indigenous Indig enous Non-Indigenous 
# Indicator % # % # % # %
  Of the Indigenous offenders with an identified need for a nationally recognized correctional program, the percentage who 
enroll prior to first release 94.7% 923 n/a n/a 81.3% 867 n/a n/a 
  Of the Indigenous offenders who enrolled prior to first release, the percentage who enrolled in cultural-specific indicator 
Indigenous correctional programs compared to mainstream correctional programs 64.7% 597 n/a n/a 77.7% 674 n/a n/a 
  Of the Indigenous offenders with an identified need for a nationally recognized correctional program, the percentage with an accepted referral in concordance with their identified preference for cultural-specific Indigenous or mainstream correctional programs 76.3% 1113 n/a n/a 84.0% 853 n/a n/a 
  Of the Indigenous offenders with an identified need for a nationally recognized correctional program, the percentage who complete prior to first release 87.8% 856 n/a n/a 64.9% 692 n/a n/a 
  Of the Indigenous offenders who completed program prior to first release, the percentage 
who completed cultural- responsive programs indicator specific Indigenous correctional programs compared to mainstream correctional programs 62.9% 538 n/a n/a 77.0% 533 n/a n/a 
  Percentage of successful transitions to lower security for Indigenous offenders (successful if no reclassification to higher security within 120 days 96.2% 554 n/a n/a 93.2% 425 n/a n/a 
National Indigenous Plan   
  2016-2017 2020-2021 
Indigen ous Non-Indigenous Indigenous Non-Indigenous 
  Percentage of successful transfers to 
Healing Lodges for Indigenous offenders 91.5% 214 n/a n/a 95.9% 185 n/a n/a 
  Percentage of institutional random-sample urinalysis positives for Indigenous offenders 6.8% 288 n/a n/a 14.0% 150 n/a n/a 
  Percentage of institutional random-sample urinalysis refusals for Indigenous offenders 6.9% 296 n/a n/a 13.7% 147 n/a n/a 
  Rate of serious security charges per 1,000 offenders in federal custody for Indigenous offenders n/a 567.9 n/a n/a n/a 361.0 n/a n/a 
  Percentage of Indigenous offenders with an 
established CCRA Section 84 release plan prior to first release 40.9% 320 n/a n/a 36.2% 306 n/a n/a 
  Percentage of Indigenous offenders released to a CCRA Section 84 community (based on offenders with an established CCRA Section 84 release plan) 58.5% 367 n/a n/a 44.6% 239 n/a n/a 
  Percentage of Indigenous offenders who were granted a discretionary release at the time of their first release 35.8% 418 n/a n/a 38.6% 467 n/a n/a 
  Rate of supervision suspensions per 1,000 offenders for Indigenous offenders n/a 1230.8 n/a n/a n/a 1108.7 n/a n/a 
  Percentage of Indigenous offenders on conditional release successfully reaching sentence expiry date without re-admission (no revocation, charge or conviction) 41.6% 443 n/a n/a 44.9% 540 n/a n/a 
 
 
 
Human Resources Management
2016-2017 2020-2021 
Indigenous Non-Indigenous Indigenous Non-Indigenous 
# Indicator % # % # % # %
31 Number of Indigenous employees per occupational group as compared to nonIndigenous employees. Data reported by Human Resources
32 Number of CSC staff who receive Indigenous Perceptions Training. Data reported by Human Resources
33 Number of Indigenous staff receiving language training. Data reported by Human Resources
34 Number of Indigenous staff grievances. Data reported by Human Resources
35 The rate of promotion of Indigenous staff members in CSC. Data reported by Human Resources
 
 

The graphic above describes that overall, 79.7% of Inuit offenders were not readmitted to federal custody within five years following Sentence Expiry Date.

This percentage was decreasing since 2015-2016, and was lower than results for First Nations (80.7%) and Métis (80.8%) offenders. 

Inuit reintegration in the Atlantic Region 

The Atlantic region showed strong outcomes for successful Inuit reintegration. Regional staff  worked to foster community connections to support Inuit offenders, which led the Region to have  the most positive release outcomes for Inuit offenders in the country. 

 Due to the unique geographic nature of the Atlantic Region, Inuit offenders are released in St. John’s, Newfoundland to complete their parole. The parole office in this city created new positions  for Indigenous Cultural Liaison Officers, which provided increased support to parolees. 

 Critical to the work of CSC in this location was the partnership with a local friendship centre; the First Light Friendship Centre. First Light worked closely with CSC (which provides support and funding) to tailor programs and services to the needs of Inuit offenders, which produced positive  results. Due to high percentages of sex offenders among the Inuit population, Inuit tended to face challenges reintegrating the community and accessing programs while observing conditions for  release, as in the case of sex offenders  who were restricted from being in proximity to women or children, or attending certain locations at certain times of day. First Light worked with CSC to  tailor programs so that Inuit offenders could participate while respecting their conditions of  release. 

 First Light not only offers programs, they also provide a diverse range of services which provide holistic support to offenders, including mental health supports, employment assistance, housing  assistance, assistance in obtaining identification and more. First light provides all of these supports, again, in a manner that will enable Inuit offenders to respect their release conditions.  For example, Inuit offenders require cell phones in order to keep in touch with their parole officers  as part of their release conditions. However, cell phones may be inaccessible to some offenders, and they may have release conditions that prohibit internet access. First Light will assist offenders  in obtaining and keeping a cell phone with no internet so they are able to abide by their release conditions.

The relationship between First Light and offenders who used their services was one of trust. This  added incentive for offenders to be successful on parole as they did not want to betray the trust  bestowed upon them. CSC, First Light, and offenders worked together to share information, which allowed First Light to have the information needed to support offenders. The relationship of mutual  trust and respect produced successful outcomes for Inuit offenders in the Region.


Conclusion – the way forward 

The over-representation of Indigenous people in federal corrections has long-term impacts on Indigenous people, families, and communities. Addressing this issue demands acknowledgment of CSC’s role in perpetuating the cycle of violence and trauma, and its responsibility to help disrupt it. As a part of the federal department, CSC represents a government with a legacy of harm and violence against Indigenous people and communities, the same government that enforced Indian Residential Schools, the Pass System, and other policies with the intention to supress and eliminate Indigenous communities and ways of being and knowing. CSC is mindful of the fact that, individually and as an organization, it is a part of this tragic legacy, and that it bears part of the responsibility to reshape systems and defy practices that perpetuate harm against Indigenous people and communities. 

Systemic issues require concerted effort to make systemic change. Horizontal initiatives, such as the Indigenous Justice Strategy and the Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism, are opportunities to explore innovative approaches for meaningful and sustainable change. Collaboration across levels of government and with external partners to advance common goals, such as addressing systemic racism and discrimination, ensures a
multi-pronged approach that leverages expert knowledge and fosters sustainable co-development. By engaging with horiztonal partners, such as Indigenous Services Canada, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Employment and Social Development Canada, CSC hopes to not only address over-representation of Indigenous people in federal corrections, but also support the improvement of housing, health and safety for Indigenous communities. 

Launching into the year ahead, CSC hopes to repair the relationship between CSC and Indigenous communities through the Indigenous Offender Reintegration Contribution Program (IORCP). The IORCP uses a holistic and inclusive approach to place funds into the hands of Indigenous communities to respond to and develop solutions for their own community safety needs. The IORCP is just one example of CSC’s ongoing commitment to work with and fund Indigenous organizations and communities and ensure that Indigenous offenders have access to culturally relevant programming and supports in their community.Trust and self-determination are foundational to meaningful community engagement and healing. We hope this program facilitates the exchange of expertise and learning to assist Indigenous offenders in their rehabilitation and reintegration prior to release into rural and remote areas. 

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Executive Summary notes that a part of reconciliation is “following through with concrete actions that demonstrate real societal change” (Executive Summary, TRC). Pursuing real societal change is a messy, complex and arduous process. CSC has an immense responsibility on the path towards reconciliation that requires iterative inward reflection to identify what practices hold Indigenous people back from healing. With immense responsibility comes immense possibility. Sustainable societal change requires thinking and working in ways that are innovative and challenging - ways that might initially feel uncomfortable or encounter significant obstacles, but will ultimately move us towards a place of shared accountability and a new way
of healing together. 


Reference index
  • Source (1): Aboriginal Corrections Accountability Framework 2019-2020
  • Source (2): PD National Indigenous Report Fiscal Year 2020-2021
  • Source (3): Statistics Canada. 2015. Aboriginal Statistics at a Glance: 2nd Edition. Statistics Canada. Ottawa. Ontario
  • Source (4): Admission, 2021-04-11
  • Source (5): Performance Direct (PD) Employment & Employability Module
  • Source (6): Discretionary_release, 2021-04-11
  • Source (7): DP_Hearings, 2021-04-11
  • Source (8) : Edu_upgrade_prior_fped , 2021-04-11
  • Source (9): Escorted_temporary_absence , 2021-04-11
  • Source (10): FP_hearings , 2021-04-11
  • Source (11): Institutional_Charge , 2021-04-11
  • Source (12): PMMR, Offender Profile, 2021-04-11
  • Source (13): PMMR, Offender Profile, 2020-04-12
  • Source (14): PMMR, Offender Profile, 2019-04-07
  • Source (15): PMMR, Offender Profile, 2018-04-08
  • Source (16): PMMR, Offender Profile, 2017-04-09
  • Source (17): Security Incidents, 2021-04-11
  • Source (18): PD, Segregation admission
  • Source (19): Successful_supervision, 2021-04-11
  • Source (20): Unescorted_temporary_absence, 2021-04-11
  • Source (21): Urinalysis, 2021-04-11
  • Source (22): Vocational_training_or_cert, 2021-04-11
  • Source (23): AI-IMSPathways, 2021-04-11
  • Source (24): Education_level_completion, 2021-04-11
  • Source (25): Education_upgrade_prior_to_FPED 2021-04-11
  • Source (26): NRPC PD Completion prior to DPED, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (27): NRPC PD Completion prior to FPED, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (28): PD Percentage of initial Offender Security Level distribution, 2021-04-11
  • Source (29): PD Percentage of successful transitions to lower security, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (30): PD Rate of convictions on supervision for minor moderate offences, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (31): PD Rate of convictions on supervision for serious or violent offences, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (32): Percentage of educational referral 120, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (33): PMMR Deaths in Custody, 2021-04-11
  • Source (34): Prime Completion, 2021-04-11
  • Source (35): Prime Enrolments, 2021-04-11
  • Source (36): Prime NRCP Demand, 2021-04-11
  • Source (37): PD Rate of Revocation without offence, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (38): Readmission of Offenders to custody within 5 years post SED, 2021-04-11
  • Source (39): Serious Institutional Charges, 2021-04-11
  • Source (40): PD First main program for Non Indigenous offenders, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (41): PD First main program for Indigenous offenders, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (42): PD First Readiness program for Indigenous Offenders, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (43): PD First Readiness program for Non Indigenous Offenders, report as of 2021-03
  • Source (44): PD Offenders with an Identified need for Employment in the Community, the percentage who secure such employment prior to sentence expiry date, report as of 2021-03 

 

Summary of results by indicator 

Assessment

 

2016-2017

2020-2021

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

#

Indicator

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

1

Number and percentage of newly admitted offenders screened by the Computerized
Mental Health Intake Screening System
(CoMHISS) within timeframes

Data reported by Health Services

2

Number and percentage of offenders with an initial security level experiencing a change to higher or lower security environment

Higher: 10.9%
Lower: 14.5%

Higher: 129
Lower: 171

Higher: 489
Lower: 515

Higher: 13.6%
Lower: 14.4%

Higher: 15.3%
Lower: 13.5%

Higher: 158
Lower: 139

Higher: 342
Lower: 332

Higher: 14.5% Lower: 14.1%


Admission

 

 

2016-2017

2020-2021

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

#

Indicator

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

3

Number and percentage of Indigenous offenders informed of section 81 and section 84 at intake

Section 81:
87.2%

Section 81:  1081

n/a

n/a

Section 81:
84.7% 

Section 81:  800

n/a

n/a

Section 84
87.3%

Section 841082

n/a

n/a

Section 84: 
83.9%

Section 84:  792

n/a

n/a

4

Number and percentage of Indigenous offenders informed and interested in section 81 and section 84 at intake

Section 81:
61.5%

Section 81:  665

n/a

n/a

Section 81:
65.3% 

Section 81:  522

n/a

n/a

Section 84:
61.6% 

Section 84:  667

n/a

n/a

Section 84:
57.8% 

Section 84:  458

n/a

n/a

5

Number and percentage of Indigenous offenders with an initial or progress Elder review at admission

92.4%

1149

n/a

n/a

67.9%

 851

n/a

n/a

6

Number and percentage of offenders with a Security Threat Group affiliation at admission

Information currently not available due to data quality concerns

 

7

Number and percentage of offenders 30 years old or younger at admission

49.0%

608

36.2%

1323

45.8%

469

34.0%

739

8

Number and percentage of offenders serving a sentence for Murder I, Murder II or Schedule 1 offence 

67.8%

842

48.1%

1755

71.1%

727

59.7%

1297

9

Number and percentage of offenders by dynamic need level (excludes blanks)

High: 74.1%
Med: 23.5%
Low: 2.3%

High: 919
Med: 292
Low: 29

High: 52.3%
Med: 38.1%
Low: 9.7%

High: 1905
Med: 1387
Low: 352

High: 85.2%
Med: 13.9%
Low: 1.0%

High: 866
Med: 141
Low: 10

High: 64.1%
Med: 30.6%
Low: 5.3%

High: 1370
Med: 655
Low: 133

10

Number and percentage of offenders by static risk level (excludes blanks)

High:  52.5%
Med: 40.6%
Low: 6.9%

High: 651
Med: 503
Low: 86

High: 39.8%
Med: 42.6%
Low: 17.6%

High: 1451
Med: 1552
Low: 642

High: 57.9%
Med: 37.2%
Low: 4.9%

High: 589
Med: 379
Low: 50

High: 47.4% 
Med: 11.5%
Low: 41.1%

High: 1014
Med: 878
Low: 246

11

Number and percentage of offenders by reintegration level (excludes blanks)

Multi-Level: 79.5%
Max: 4.0%
Med:16.4%

Multi-Level:
987
Max: 50  
Med: 204

Multi-Level: 60.6%
Max: 4.1%
Med: 35.3%

Multi-Level:
2221
Max: 151  
Med: 1293

Multi-Level: 77.0%
Max: 3.0%
Med: 19.9%

Multi-Level:
788
Max: 31 
Med: 204

Multi-Level: 58.4%
Max: 2.9%
Med: 38.7%

Multi-Level:1268
Max: 62
Med: 841

12

Number and percentage of offenders admitted with a sex offence on sentence 

18.5%

229

18.4%

673

11.9%

122

15.8%

342

13

Number and percentage of offenders by institutional security level of admitting facility 

Multi-Level: 79.6%
Max: 4.0%
Med: 16.4%

Multi-Level:
1135
Max: 50
Med: 56

Multi-Level: 60.6%
Max: 4.1%
Med: 35.3%

Multi-Level:
3139
Max: 151
Med: 375

Multi-Level: 77.5%
Max: 3.1%
Med: 19.4%

Multi-Level:
904
Max: 31 
Med: 88

Multi-Level: 58.3%
Max: 2.7%
Med: 39.0%

Multi-Level:
1798
Max: 62
Med: 311

14

Number and percentage of offenders by first Offender Security Level result (excludes blanks)

Max: 12.4%
Med: 68.5%
Min: 19.2%

Max: 155
Med: 827
Min: 258

Max: 7.9%
Med: 53.4%
Min: 39.7

Max: 301
Med: 1875
Min:1467

Max: 10.8%
Med: 73.3%
Min:15.9%

Max: 106
Med: 733
Min:169

Max: 7.2%
Med: 58.6%
Min: 34.2%

Max: 156
Med: 1275
Min: 663

15

Number and percentage of offenders by first Custody Rating Scale result (excludes blanks)

Max: 19.6%
Med: 56.5%
Min: 23.9%

Max: 243
Med: 701
Min: 297

Max: 11.2%
Med: 46.5%
Min: 42.2%

Max: 411
Med: 1701
Min:1543

Max: 18.4%
Med: 59.7%
Min: 21.9%

Max: 188
Med: 610
Min: 224

Max: 12.6%
Med: 49.3%
Min:38.0%

Max: 272
Med: 1062
Min: 818

16

Number and percentage of offenders serving a sentence of less than 4 years

28.5%

353

26.3%

963

25.6%

242

26.6%

583


Intervention

 

 

2016-2017

2020-2021

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

#

Indicator

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

17

Number and percentage of offenders with an identified need who complete a correctional program prior to FPED 

62.5%

643

56.2%

1385

33.1%

406

39.4%

1021

18

Number and percentage of offenders with a CIB-accepted referral to educational upgrading within 120 days following admission out of all offenders with an identified education need 

83.7%

575

69.9%

1229

73.3%

379

58.5%

603

19

Median days from admission to first enrolment in a readiness nationally recognized correctional program 

n/a

49.0

n/a

46.0

n/a

167.5

n/a

133.0

20

Median days from admission to first enrolment in a main nationally recognized correctional program 

n/a

148.0

n/a

165.0

n/a

257.0

n/a

252.0

21

Number and percentage of offenders with an identified educational need who have upgraded their education prior to FPED 

68.7% 

527

53.8%

1319

42.2%

413

42.1%

800

22

Number of deaths in custody (except death by natural causes). 

n/a

3

n/a

6

n/a

11

n/a

8

23

Number and percentage of offenders who received an institutional mental health service 

Data reported by Health Services 

 

 

24

Serious institutional charges per 1 000 offenders 

n/a

587

n/a

383

n/a

355

n/a

211

25

Number of offenders involved in security incidents per 1 000 offenders 

n/a

680

n/a

328

n/a

840

n/a

537

26

Number and percentage of positive results from random-sample urinalysis tests 

6.8%

288

5.7%

655

14.0%

150

10.9%

307

27

Number and percentage of offenders that acquired a discretionary release at the time of their first release

35.8%

418

54%.

2142

38.6%

467

 

58.2%

1798

28

Number and percentage of Indigenous offenders with a Section 84 release plan prior to 1st release

40.9%

320

n/a

n/a

36.2%

306

 

n/a

n/a

29

Number and percentage of offenders incarcerated past statutory release date (offenders detained)

8.0%

302

4.9%

506

7.5%

292

 

3.9%

328

30

Number and percentage of successfully completed Unescorted Temporary Absences (UTAs) excluding medical UTAs

1270

99.2%

99.2%

2515

95.5%

21

 

94.1%

48

31

Number and percentage of successfully completed Escorted Temporary Absences (ETAs) excluding medical ETAs

99.7%

14349

99.8%

34073

99.6%

822

 

99.5%

1749

32

Number and percentage of offenders with mental health needs who are granted day or
full Parole as their first release

Data reported by Health Services

 

 

 

33

Number and percentage of successful offender transitions from maximum or medium security to a lower offender security level (OSL) per the total number of maximum or medium transitions to lower security

96.2%

554

96.2%

1124

93.2%

425

 

92.3%

454

34
 

Number and percentage of offenders who withdrew their day parole hearing out of those eligible for review (data excludes waived decisions)

11.3%

178

8.2%

450

8.5%

199

 

6.8%

437

35

Number and percentage of offenders who waived their full parole hearing out of those eligible for review

37.8%

1043

26.2%

2451

26.2%

840

 

15.4%

1518

36

Number and percentage of offenders who postponed their day parole hearing out of those eligible for review (data excludes waived decisions)

29.8%

469

22.0%

1206

36.8%

867

 

32.8%

2102

37

Number and percentage of offenders who postponed their full parole hearing out of those eligible for review

24.3%

669

19.5%

1885

30.6%

1156

 

25.4%

2506

38

Number and percentage of offenders whose day parole hearing was adjourned out of those eligible for review (data excludes waived decisions)

1.7%

27

1.4%

75

1.9%

44

 

1.6%

102

39

Number and percentage of offenders whose full parole hearing was adjourned out of those eligible for review

0.8%

21

0.6%

61

0.6%

21

 

0.9%

91

40
 

Number and percentage of offenders who reached their SED without experiencing a revocation and/or charge and/or conviction while on supervision

41.6%

443

63.8%

2318

44.9%

540

 

67.2%

2333

41

Number and percentage of offenders with an employment need who secured employment in the community prior to reaching SED

60.0%

394

80.4%

1167

56.3%

402

 

81.4%

1061

42

Number and percentage of offenders with an identified employment need who have received vocational training or certification prior to first release

60.3%

511

57.4%

1045

61.6%

568

 

61.3%

833

43

Percentage of time employed in the community

52.8%

n/a

67.3%

n/a

52.2%

n/a

 

67.5%

n/a

44
 

Number and percentage of offenders who were re-admitted to federal custody on a new sentence within 5 years following SED

22.2%

220

13.4%

507

19.4%

217

 

10.4

382

45

Number and percentage of offenders who received a community mental health service

Data reported by Health Services

 

 

 


National Indigenous Plan

 

 

2016-2017

2020-2021

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

#

Indicator

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

 

Of the Indigenous offenders with an identified need for a nationally recognized correctional program, the percentage who
enroll prior to first release

94.7%

923

n/a

n/a

81.3%

867

n/a

n/a

 

Of the Indigenous offenders who enrolled prior to first release, the percentage who enrolled in cultural-specific indicator
Indigenous correctional programs compared to mainstream correctional programs

64.7%

597

n/a

n/a

77.7%

674

n/a

n/a

 

Of the Indigenous offenders with an identified need for a nationally recognized correctional program, the percentage with an accepted referral in concordance with their identified preference for cultural-specific Indigenous or mainstream correctional programs

76.3%

1113

n/a

n/a

84.0%

853

n/a

n/a

 

Of the Indigenous offenders with an identified need for a nationally recognized correctional program, the percentage who complete prior to first release

87.8%

856

n/a

n/a

64.9%

692

n/a

n/a

 

Of the Indigenous offenders who completed program prior to first release, the percentage
who completed cultural- responsive programs indicator specific Indigenous correctional programs compared to mainstream correctional programs

62.9%

538

n/a

n/a

77.0%

533

n/a

n/a

 

Percentage of successful transitions to lower security for Indigenous offenders (successful if no reclassification to higher security within 120 days

96.2%

554

n/a

n/a

93.2%

425

n/a

n/a

 

Percentage of successful transfers to
Healing Lodges for Indigenous offenders

91.5%

214

n/a

n/a

95.9%

185

n/a

n/a

 

Percentage of institutional random-sample urinalysis positives for Indigenous offenders

6.8%

288

n/a

n/a

14.0%

150

n/a

n/a

 

Percentage of institutional random-sample urinalysis refusals for Indigenous offenders

6.9%

296

n/a

n/a

13.7%

147

n/a

n/a

 

Rate of serious security charges per 1,000 offenders in federal custody for Indigenous offenders

n/a

567.9

n/a

n/a

n/a

361.0

n/a

n/a

 

Percentage of Indigenous offenders with an
established CCRA Section 84 release plan prior to first release

40.9%

320

n/a

n/a

36.2%

306

n/a

n/a

 

Percentage of Indigenous offenders released to a CCRA Section 84 community (based on offenders with an established CCRA Section 84 release plan)

58.5%

367

n/a

n/a

44.6%

239

n/a

n/a

 

Percentage of Indigenous offenders who were granted a discretionary release at the time of their first release

35.8%

418

n/a

n/a

38.6%

467

n/a

n/a

 

Rate of supervision suspensions per 1,000 offenders for Indigenous offenders

n/a

1230.8

n/a

n/a

n/a

1108.7

n/a

n/a

 

Percentage of Indigenous offenders on conditional release successfully reaching sentence expiry date without re-admission (no revocation, charge or conviction)

41.6%

443

n/a

n/a

44.9%

540

n/a

n/a


Human Resources Management

 

 

2016-2017

2020-2021

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

#

Indicator

%

#

%

#

%

#

%

#

31

Number of Indigenous employees per occupational group as compared to nonIndigenous employees.

Data reported by Human Resources

 

 

 

32

Number of CSC staff who receive Indigenous Perceptions Training.

Data reported by Human Resources

 

 

 

33

Number of Indigenous staff receiving language training.

Data reported by Human Resources

 

 

 

34

Number of Indigenous staff grievances.

Data reported by Human Resources

 

 

 

35

The rate of promotion of Indigenous staff members in CSC.

Data reported by Human Resources

 

 

 

Related information

Indigenous corrections: Interventions for Indigenous offenders, healing lodges, the National Indigenous Plan, Sections 81 and 84, Indigenous Intervention Centers.

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