Parliamentary Committee Notes: Corrections and Criminal Justice System

Commitments:

Public Safety Canada and portfolio agencies are actively engaged in upholding the rule of law in pursuit of a safe, secure, just, and equitable society.
In addition to combatting crime, the government is taking action to address factors that contribute to systemic racism and discrimination in the criminal justice system and in Canadian communities.

The Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism (the Framework) was tabled in Parliament in June 2022, identifying crucial factors that can impact why people reoffend and how to support their successful reintegration into the community. The Implementation Plan for the Framework (the Plan) was publicly released on November 15, 2023, setting out actions that will take place over the next two years. Public Safety, in partnership with other government departments and agencies, will report back to Parliament on the progress made on the Framework in 2025.
Although this mandate letter commitment is considered met with the release of the Plan, Public Safety will continue its work with partners to advance the objectives of the Framework and reduce barriers to reintegration, and ultimately, create safer communities).

The stigma associated with having a criminal record creates barriers to important milestones of a successful reintegration, such as limiting access to meaningful employment, safe housing, and educational and volunteer opportunities.
These barriers are often disproportionately felt by members of marginalized and racialized communities who are overrepresented in all stages of the criminal justice system, and lead to social exclusion, homelessness, decreased mental health, poverty, and family instability.
Budget 2021 included $18 million over four years to support community-based organizations to provide accurate information and support to those seeking a record suspension.
In addition, on January 1, 2022, the Government reduced the record suspension application fee from an all-time high of $657.77 to $50 in an effort to improve accessibility and make record suspensions more affordable, especially for those with lower incomes.
Consultations have taken place with various criminal justice stakeholders and provinces and territories to begin identifying the gaps and considerations associated with the potential development of an automated sequestering of criminal records (ASCR) system.

The overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples and Black Canadians in the criminal justice system remains a pressing and serious concern.
The 2022 Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview highlights that Indigenous Peoples are overrepresented at 5.6 times their presence in the general population, while Black Canadians are overrepresented at 1.9 times.
Public Safety Canada and the portfolios are working to address systemic racism and discrimination impacting Indigenous Peoples and Black Canadians, and are active in the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy and Indigenous Justice Strategy to address the root causes overrepresentation in the criminal justice system.
These efforts include a number of strategic investments designed to empower and support Canadian communities. For example, the Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative supports the development of alternatives to custody and to support reintegration for Indigenous offenders. In 2023-2024, the ICCI was renewed and expanded with a total of $5.21 million and $12.7 million ongoing thereafter.