Ontario re-contact analytical file

Detailed information for 2008 to 2012

The primary objective of the proposed project is to establish baseline information about those who have been identified as either one time, repeat or chronic users of the Ontario justice system.

Data release - November 6, 2019

• Description
• Data sources and methodology
• Data accuracy

Description

The primary objective of the proposed project is to establish baseline information about those who have been identified as either one time, repeat or chronic users of the Ontario justice system.

The data were collected by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) in collaboration with the Durham Regional Police Service, Ottawa Police Service, Peel Regional Police, Greater Sudbury Police Service, Waterloo Regional Police Service, York Regional Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Ministry of Solicitor General, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and Ontario Ministry of Attorney General.

The Ontario re-contact analytical file will serve to address an important gap in existing knowledge by providing a better understanding about the nature of re-contact with the justice system within Ontario.

This data will be useful to policy-makers, justice partners, and academic researchers.

Reference period: The five-year period covering 2008 to 2012

Collection period: One time receipt of data from several municipal police departments (received 2016), Ministry of Solicitor General (received 2014), Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (2017) and Ontario Ministry of Attorney General (2015).

Subjects

• Crime and justice

Data sources and methodology

Target population

The Ontario re-contact analytical file contains information on those who came into contact with the police, the criminal courts and/or the correctional services in Ontario between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2013.

More specifically, the initial contact with police had to have occurred between April 1, 2008 and March 30, 2009, and the follow-up period is 1460 days after the initial contact.

Instrument design

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Sampling

This survey is a census with a longitudinal design.

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Data sources

Data collection for this reference period: April 01, 2014 to June 30, 2017

Responding to this survey is mandatory.

Data are extracted from administrative files.

The CCJS sent out official requests for microdata via e-mail to several municipal police departments in Ontario (Durham Regional Police Service, Ottawa Police Service, Peel Regional Police, Greater Sudbury Police, Waterloo Regional Police Service, and York Regional Police), Ontario Provincial Police, Ontario Ministry of Attorney General, Ontario Ministry of Solicitor General and Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

It was requested that data be extracted from municipal systems, according to the specifications provided. Data were submitted electronically via Statistics Canada's secure electronic file transfer (eFT) site. Additional support files and documentation, such as reporting manuals and code books, were also provided to the CCJS.

Follow-up was conducted via e-mail and/or telephone.

ADMINISTRATIVE DATA SOURCE
The administrative data were obtained from the various databases of the relevant justice sectors (policing, courts and corrections). Data were obtained under S.13 of the Statistics Act. Data were cleaned by a CCJS technical officer, ensuring that a unique identifier was present on every unique record in each analytical file (policing, courts and corrections) so that the files could then be linked.

The intended use of the data is to provide justice partners and academic researchers with policy and operation guidance that will respond to trends that are currently unable to be adequately identified. Furthermore, these data will assist our justice partners in the development of appropriate and efficient methods of helping to minimize re-contact with the justice system.

DATA INTEGRATION
Data files from the various Ontario justice sectors were linked using Statistics Canada's Social Data Linkage Environment (SDLE) to create an analytical file. This will allow further analysis on the social-economic characteristics of offenders, potentially providing insight into why some offenders only have contact with the justice system once versus multiple times.

Error detection

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Estimation

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Quality evaluation

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. 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.

More specifically, the CCJS has a policy of not releasing any tables or cross-tabulations that may identify a particular address or person.

While personal identifiers were collected for the purpose of being able to link individuals both within and across justice sectors, once the linkages were completed, all personal identifiers were removed from the file.

Revisions and seasonal adjustment

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Data accuracy

The Ontario re-contact analytical file was intended to be a census database. Formal data quality indicators were not part of the methodology.

RESPONSE RATE
The Ontario re-contact analytical file was intended to be a census database.

NON-SAMPLING ERROR
The Ontario re-contact analytical file was intended to be a census database. Formal data quality indicators in regards to non-sampling error were not part of the methodology.

NON-RESPONSE BIAS
The Ontario re-contact analytical file was intended to be a census database. Formal data quality indicators were not part of the methodology.

COVERAGE ERROR
The Ontario re-contact analytical file was intended to be a census database. Formal data quality indicators were not part of the methodology.

OTHER NON-SAMPLING ERRORS
The Ontario re-contact analytical file was intended to be a census database. Formal data quality indicators were not part of the methodology.