NCJ Number
95415
Date Published
1984
Length
93 pages
Annotation
An overview of a number of major trends related to the Canadian criminal justice system is provided.
Abstract
During the 20-year period 1962-81, total offense rates in Canada almost tripled, rising from 4,287 offenses per 100,000 Canadians to 11,782 offenses. Violent crimes remained a small proportion of the total -- less than 7 percent -- while property crimes were much more prevalent (approximately 50 percent of the total). The Canadian Urban Victimization Survey reveals that in seven Canadian cities (Greater Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax-Dartmouth, and St. John's) more than half of the crimes reported to interviewers were never reported to the police. The crime most likely to be unreported was theft of personal property, with 71 percent being unreported. The crime least likely to be unreported was theft of a motor vehicle, with only 11 percent being unreported. Risk of victimization was closely tied to age and sex, with those under 25 the most frequent victims of personal offenses. Women were seven times more likely than men to be victims of sexual assault, and they were also more likely to be victims of theft of personal property. Results of the February 1982 Gallup National Survey indicate citizens perceived the courts as sending fewer people to prison for robbery, breaking and entering, and assault causing bodily harm than, in fact, they do. Furthermore, the courts were seen as making only slight differentiation among these offenses, when in reality the difference in treatment was dramatic. Twenty-four graphs, 37 tables, and 2 references are included.