Corrections Key Indicator Report for Adults and Youth (CKIR)

Detailed information for 2010/2011

Status:

Active

Frequency:

Annual

Record number:

3313

The Corrections Key Indicator Report for Adults and Youth monitors trends in correctional populations and provides a basis for calculating incarceration rates based on the Canadian population. This survey describes average counts of adults and youth under custody and under community supervision, who are under the responsibility of provincial/territorial correctional services.

Data release - January 31, 2012

Description

The primary focus of the Corrections Key Indicator Report for Adults and Youth is on one aspect of correctional caseload data, namely, average counts. Counts are a major operational indicator and are used to describe the number of custodial inmates or offenders serving a sentence in the community at a given point in time. Typically, inmates are counted several times during the day, minimally at every shift change, although the midnight count is generally used as the indicator of the bed utilization space within an institution. Counts of offenders under community supervision are taken at month-end.

The use of key indicator data is particularly important for monitoring trends in correctional populations. These data assist policy makers and corrections managers in formulating decisions based upon historical comparisons. Key indicator data also give some indication of current trends and demands and provide a basis for calculating incarceration rates based on the Canadian population.

Statistical activity

The survey is currently administered as part of the National Justice Statistics Initiative (NJSI). Since 1981, the federal, provincial and territorial Deputy Ministers responsible for the administration of justice in Canada, with the Chief Statistician, have been working together in an enterprise known as the NJSI. The mandate of the NJSI is to provide information to the justice community as well as the public on criminal and civil justice in Canada. Although this responsibility is shared among federal, provincial and territorial departments, the lead responsibility for the development of Canada's statistical system remains with Statistics Canada.

Reference period: Fiscal year (April 1 to March 31)

Subjects

  • Children and youth
  • Correctional services
  • Crime and justice
  • Crime and justice (youth)

Data sources and methodology

Target population

This survey describes the monthly average counts of adults and youths in custody under the responsibility of provincial/territorial and federal correctional services as well as the month-end counts of offenders under the responsibility of provincial/territorial probation services.

Instrument design

The Corrections Key Indicator report data collection requirements were developed with the assistance of representatives from the federal, provincial and territorial agencies responsible for the delivery of average number of adult/young offenders by custody status and the average month-end community counts for adult/young offenders.

Sampling

This survey is a census with a cross-sectional design.

Data are collected for all units of the target population, therefore, no sampling is done.

Data sources

Data collection for this reference period: 2011-06-01 to 2011-10-31

Responding to this survey is mandatory.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents, extracted from administrative files and derived from other Statistics Canada surveys and/or other sources.

Provincial, territorial and federal jurisdictions responsible for the delivery of adult and youth custody and probation services complete a set of standard data tables with average daily custodial counts for each month and month-end community counts. Young offender data are provided for remand/temporary detention custody, sentenced secure custody, sentenced open custody, supervised probation, deferred custody, Intensive support and supervision programs and community portion of a custody sentence. For adult offenders, data are provided for remand custody, sentenced/other custody, supervised probation, conditional sentence and provincial parole.

Census of Population data are used in the calculation of rates.

View the Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s).

Error detection

The aggregate data outputs are reviewed by survey staff to identify missing or partial responses or other errors. The incoming cell counts are compared to the same cells from earlier years to check for outliers and general consistency. Further editing occurs when data are entered into Excel spreadsheets for completeness and calculated fields. Automated error procedures are not applied, partly due to the small number of respondents. However, issues that arise are reported to the local data suppliers to assess whether there is a problem and the actions to be taken. Aggregate data are visually edited for errors, such as missing values and reasonability.

Imputation

As the Corrections Key Indicator Report is an administrative census with a 100% response rate, imputation is not normally required. When respondents are not able to provide all counts for all categories, the data remain not available.

Estimation

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Quality evaluation

The incoming data are assessed for completeness, historical consistency, the existence of outliers and reasonability.

The measurement and assessment of data quality is a complex undertaking. There are several dimensions to the concept of quality, many potential sources of error and often no comprehensive measures of data quality.

The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) relies a great deal on the accuracy of respondent information and their verification of that information.

Errors arising in the original recording, coding, keying and transmission of data are difficult to measure and assess.

Errors in the Corrections Key Indicator for Adult and Youth survey are detected using several strategies. Data incoming to the CCJS are reviewed for the amount of change from one year to the next for the same jurisdiction (where possible). Ratios can be calculated to verify that basic relationships are not dramatically changing over time. For example, the ratio of remand inmates to sentenced inmates in some tables should be fairly consistent over time.

For some variables, the amount of data appearing in the published tables is a fraction of the total possible. Data are missing for a variety of reasons. In some variables, the data element is simply not collected by a jurisdiction or it is collected but not available for use in the Corrections Key Indicator Report survey for Adult and Youth. Where possible, feedback is given to the jurisdictions in order to improve data quality procedures and processes. Little statistical imputation methodology is currently used to handle missing or inconsistent data.

Survey staff contact individual jurisdictions regarding problems discovered after initial data processing with the objective to increase the useable amount of data for publication. In some cases, the errors are quickly fixed. In other situations, the errors are more difficult to correct with the result being that data from the jurisdiction may not be included in the publication.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any data which would divulge information obtained under the Statistics Act that relates to any identifiable person, business or organization without the prior knowledge or the consent in writing of that person, business or organization. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

The survey does not collect individual person data and the statistics reported are based on average values. It is not possible to relate a data value to a person.

No data suppression currently takes place.

Revisions and seasonal adjustment

Time series adjustments are not required for the information on average daily custody counts or month-end probation counts.

Data accuracy

This survey collects census data as extracted and compiled by local respondents. Formal data quality indicators, beyond annual respondent verification and review for accuracy and consistency, are not part of the survey methodology.

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