NCJ Number
185848
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 12 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2000 Pages: 10-15
Editor(s)
Larry Motiuk
Date Published
September 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Producing meaningful, timely, and accurate profiles of selected offender characteristics can raise awareness about the composition of the long-term offender population in Canada.
Abstract
As of December 31, 1999, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) identified 6,040 long-term offenders under Federal jurisdiction; 3,728 were sentenced to life, 247 were under indeterminate sentences, and 2,065 were sentenced to 10 years or more. Ontario and Quebec accounted for the most long-term offenders. Of 2,235 long-term offenders on conditional release, 1,366 were sentenced to life, 9 were under indeterminate sentences, and 860 were sentenced to 10 years or more. Data indicated the number of long-term offenders in Canadian correctional facilities and on conditional release was increasing. As a group, long-term offenders were likely to have been convicted of a serious offense, to have had extensive involvement with the criminal justice system as young people and as adults, and to possess unique criminogenic needs at admission and on conditional release. Findings pointed to the need to offer specialized programs and services for long-term offenders and demonstrated the importance of careful attention to these offenders during the reintegration process. Major offense categories of long-term offenders were examined (homicide, sex offenses, robbery, and drug offenses), and consideration was paid to the time served by long-term offenders (0.1 to 44 years), criminal histories, needs at admission, and needs on conditional release. 4 footnotes and 7 tables