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The Canadian rate of police-reported victimization has been falling since the early 1990s. In fact, statistics released in Ju

2013 note that this rate of victimization has reached its lowest level since 1972. Despite this, the Harper governme

continues to insist that now is the time to get toughon crimein Canada. In so doing, the Harper government has enacte

and continues to table significant legislative and policy changes that impact criminalization and punishment in Canada. Th

law and order legislative and policy changes are anticipated to have a profound impact on criminalized people, as well

other consequences for victims, families and public and private sectors.

The Canadian government is now choosing to lock up more people than ever before, for longer periods, even though ma

studies have shown that prison tends to make people more likely to reoffend. Meanwhile, the government has also slashe

proven and cost-effective rehabilitation programs. Prisons and jails are also increasingly crowded, leading to dangeroconditions for all people inside the institution, and self-injurious behaviour among prisoners is rising.

Even though many other government services are being cut in difficult economic times, and despite warnings fro

prominent U.S. Republicans about the massive social and financial costs of such initiatives in that country, we continue t

spend more and more on these get toughmeasures.

Prison population boom

Between 2006 and 2011, census data indicates that the general population grew by 5.9% while the prison population gre

by 17%. In 2012, it was reported that 21% of the federal prison population is Aboriginal and 9% are black Canadians. This f

exceeds their representation in the community. The Office of the Correctional Investigator noted in 2012 that there h

been a 40% increase in the number of federally incarcerated women. The increased federal prison population is matche

with a growing population in the provincial jail system where people are held on remand or serve sentences of less thatwo years.

People are in prison for longer periods of time

In 2009, credit for time served was limited to a 1:1 ratio and 1.5:1 ratio in special circumstances. Historically, 2:1 and

some circumstances 3:1 credits were given partly to acknowledge the deplorable conditions in remand centres.

In 2011, accelerated parole was abolished which permitted parole at 1/6 of a persons sentence if they were a first-tim

non-violent federally incarcerated person.

Mandatory minimum sentences remove judicial discretion at sentencing which rigidly forces judges to impose legislat

terms of imprisonment. There is currently a mandatory minimum sentence for producing 6 or more marijuana plants (Sa

Streets and Communities Act, 2012).

The financial cost

In 2011-2012, $20.3 billion was spent on criminal justice by federal, provincial and territorial governments. In 2010/201

the federal prison system alone cost $4.1 billion in salaries and operating cost. It costs, on average, $113, 000 in 2009/201

to keep a person federally incarcerated. It is approximately $578 per day to incarcerate a women and $300 per day t

incarcerate a male at the federal level.

Between 2006 and 2011, spending on federal corrections has increased approximately 44 per cent. Nationally, betwee

2002 and 2012, there has been an increase in provincial security expenditures, provincial court expenditures, feder

corrections expenditures and federal security expenditures.

Criminalization and Punishment in Canada

Prepared by the

Criminalization and Punishment

Education Project (CPEP)*

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There are proven and efficient alternatives that can be funded

Social scientific evidence supports prevention programs as more cost-effective measures to criminalization and punishmen

It has consistently been shown that for every $1 invested in prevention programming, $7 are saved in criminal justice cos

of police, courts and corrections. This could be matched with decriminalization and legalization of some prohibited activiti

where social-scientific evidence supports such efforts.

Cuts to programming for prisoners

The federal government cut the much-praised Prison Farm program, which involved about 300 people performi

agricultural tasks, interacting with the community and producing food for local food banks. While this cut was justifie

based on the lack of relevant employment skills in the contemporary work force, CORCAN programming at Correction

Service of Canada (CSC) facilities has been criticized for failing to provide adequate job skills for future employment.

In April 2012, the federal government also terminated its award-winning and much praised and imitated LifeLine Program

despite positive evaluations. Among other things, the program provided key rehabilitation and reintegration resources f

people on parole.

In October 2012, the Chaplaincy Program was also cut, removing 49 part-time chaplainsmostly non-Christianworking

federal prisons. The program provided spiritual guidance, crisis intervention, and workshops for incarcerated people. It h

since been replaced by a private contract for similar services.

In late 2012 in Ottawa, federal funding for the MAP Reintegration program was cut, just before the program won an awa

for community safety. The program was extremely economically efficient, as a yearly budget of only $70,000 saves almo

$2 million annually in costs related to victimization.

Early in 2013, CSC announced the closure of the Complex Needs Program, a specially-designed program for prisoners wh

regularly self-harm and require extra medical attention. This program termination follows the recommendation f

permanent program funding from the Office of the Correctional Investigator.

When programs do work, access to programs is an issue for incarcerated people. The Office of the Correctional Investigat

reported in 2012 that in seven randomly selected institutions, only 12.5% of prisoners were enrolled in a core correction

program. In these institutions, nearly a third of the population are on a wait-list for programming.

Crowding and increasing harm

When people are incarcerated in Canada, they also now experience harsher conditions. According to recent governme

reports and statistics, these conditions include increasing crowding and double-bunking, violence among prisoners, mouse of force by prison staff, and more incidents of self-harm.

There was a 33% increase in assaults and fights in prisons (or a total of 1248 incidents) in 2010-2011.There were 94 suicid

in federal penitentiaries between 2001 and 2011, 54 attempted suicides in 2010-2011, and 912 incidents of self-inju

during the same time frame. Serious self-injury has nearly tripled in the last five years in federal prisons.

More barriers to reintegration

Once released, people now find more barriers than ever to successfully reintegrating. Recent government changes make

harder for anyone with a criminal record to get a record suspension, and to secure legitimate employment.

There is currently a huge backlog for granting record suspensions, as over 20,000 await processing. A massive increase

fees for record suspensions (currently $631 but historically $50) has also put them out of reach of many poor, unemploy

people fighting to get jobs.

* The Criminalization and Punishment Education Project aims to bring researchers from Carleton University and th

University of Ottawa together with those affected by criminalization and punishment to identify key issues to be the foc

of criminological inquiry, develop collaborative research projects, as well as plan and carry-out related public educatio

initiatives. To find out more about us visit:

www.facebook.com/CPEPgroup

http://www.socialsciences.uottawa.ca/crm/criminalization-punishment-education-project

Please contact us if you would like more details or documentation on any of the above information.

http://www.facebook.com/CPEPgrouphttp://www.facebook.com/CPEPgrouphttp://www.socialsciences.uottawa.ca/crm/criminalization-punishment-education-projecthttp://www.socialsciences.uottawa.ca/crm/criminalization-punishment-education-projecthttp://www.socialsciences.uottawa.ca/crm/criminalization-punishment-education-projecthttp://www.facebook.com/CPEPgroup