3. Results by Expected Outcome

Expected outcome 1: Safe Communities

Expected outcome 1 of the Framework monitors the performance of the youth criminal justice system (CJS) in ensuring youth, families and communities in Canada are and feel safe.

Police-reported youth crime (2018 to 2022)

In 2022, youth crime reported to police increased by 18% compared to 2021, but remained 24% lower than in 2018.

Violent crime

Decreased by 22% from 2018 to 2020, then increased by 6% in 2021 and 19% in 2022.

Property crime

Decreased by 50% from 2018 to 2021, then increased by 23% in 2022.

*For historical trends, see Annex III.

Youth crime severity (CSI) (2018 to 2022)

From 2018 to 2022, the Youth CSI decreased by 11%. This was mainly driven by the Youth Non-violent CSI, which decreased by 35% over this time period, while the Youth Violent CSI saw an increase of 7%.

The youth violent CSI saw a marked increase from 2021 to 2022. This was attributed to increases in assaults, sexual assault (level 1), robbery and uttering threats.

*For historical trends, see Annex III.

Expected Outcome 1: Safe Communities

Youth victimization

Adverse childhood experiences like physical and sexual assault, harsh parenting, or neglect and witnessing family violence have all been linked with subsequent experiences of victimization and criminal behaviour in adulthood.^{Footnote 14}

Self-reported victimization (2019)

Research has found that young people, aged 15 to 24, are more likely to experience victimization than individuals over the age of 25, with a sharper decline seen in those aged 35 and older.^{Footnote 16}

In 2019, youth aged 15 to 17 had statistically similar total victimization rates to other age groups but higher rates of violent victimization compared to those 35 to 39.

Gender differences

Female youth aged 15 to 17 had higher self-reported victimization rates than male youth of the same age group. This difference was more pronounced when looking specifically at violent victimization.

Satisfaction with personal safety from crime among youth (2019)

In 2019, more than three-quarters of Canadian youth were satisfied with their personal safety from crime. Those who were satisfied were less likely to have been a victim of violent or household crime in the past year than those who were dissatisfied with their safety.

Gender differences

A lower percentage of female youth (68%) reported being satisfied with their personal safety from crime compared with male youth (88%).

E = The number should be used with caution.

Expected Outcome 1: Safe Communities

Self-reported physical and sexual abuse during childhood (2018)

In 2018, about one in seven youth aged 15 to 17 and over one in four adults reported physical abuse during childhood, meaning before the age of 15.

Although sexual abuse during childhood was reportedly less common than physical abuse, it was found to increase the odds of any subsequent victimization.^{Footnote 19}

Gender differences

Male (15%) and female youth (15%) were equally likely to report abuse during their childhood.

Data on the type of abuse (i.e., physical and sexual) experienced by youth cannot reliably be disaggregated by gender. However, when looking at all Canadians aged 15 and older, data show that men were more likely to report physical abuse than women, while women were more likely to report sexual abuse during their childhood than men.

Witnessing family violence during childhood (2019)

In 2019, one in ten youth aged 15 to 17 and approximately one in five adults reported witnessing family violence during their childhood.

Gender differences

No gender differences were found among youth. Among adults, women (23%) were more likely than men (19%) to report witnessing family violence during their childhood.

Expected Outcome 2: Fair and Accessible

Expected outcome 2 of the Framework monitors the extent to which the youth criminal justice system (CJS) is fair and accessible to all people.

Public perception that the youth criminal justice system is fair and accessible to all people (2022)

51% of Canadians were moderately confident or confident that the youth CJS is fair to all people.

63% of Canadians were moderately confident or confident that the youth CJS is accessible to all people.

Confidence levels varied by respondent characteristics

Gender differences

Women were more likely than men to report not being confident that the youth CJS is fair and accessible to all people.

Age variations

Respondents aged 45 and over were more likely than those aged 18 to 44 to report being confident that the youth CJS is fair and accessible to all people.

Indigenous identity

Indigenous people were more likely than White people to report being not confident that the youth CJS is fair and accessible to all people.

Black identity

Black people were more likely than White people to report being not confident that the youth CJS is accessible to all people.

Expected Outcome 2: Fair and Accessible

Pre-trial detention (2017/2018 to 2021/2022)

Pre-trial detention occurs when a young person accused of a crime is temporarily held before trial or sentencing. While this plays a role in the protection of society and the administration of justice, pre-trial detention can lead to certain issues pertaining to human rights (such as poor conditions), as well as access to justice challenges, such as unfair treatment and the lack or limited contact with supports and services.^{Footnote 25}

Between 2017/2018 to 2021/2022, youth in pre-trial detention accounted for over half of all youth held in provincial and territorial detentions. While the number of youth in pre-trial detention generally decreased or remained stable, there was an increase in their percentage of all youth in detention in 2021/2022.

*For historical trends, see Annex III.

Supports and services provided through federal funding initiatives such as legal assistance and the indigenous Courtwork Program

Youth criminal legal aid (2017/2018 to 2021/2022)

Legal aid supports justice access for the economically disadvantaged, ensuring fairness, relevance, accessibility in the justice system, and maintaining public confidence.

Number of youth criminal legal aid applications

Applications^{Footnote 29} for youth criminal legal aid decreased by 42% from 2017/2018 to 2021/2022, partly due to declining youth crime rates (see Expected outcome 1).

Impact of COVID-19

The largest decrease occurred in 2020/2021, possibly due to pandemic-related factors like court closures and reduced legal aid availability.^{Footnote 30}

Approval rate

The percentage of applications that were approved remained high over the five-year period (ranging from 96% to 99%).

Expected Outcome 2: Fair and Accessible

The Indigenous Courtwork Program (ICW) (2017/2018 to 2019/2020)

Established in 1978 to address discrimination and reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous individuals in the justice system, the ICW aims to ensure fair, just, and culturally relevant treatment for Indigenous people involved in the criminal justice system. It offers information, referrals, assistance to victims and survivors, advocacy, and promotes community-based justice initiatives.

Number of youth clients served

The number of youth clients served by the ICW decreased by 26% from 2017/2018 to 2019/2020, likely influenced by declining youth crime rates.

Gender differences

Male clients experienced a more significant decrease in numbers (-29%) compared to female clients (-21%). This resulted in female youth making up an increasingly higher percentage of female youth clients over the three-year period, while the percentage of male youth clients decreased.

Expected outcome 3: Confidence

Expected outcome 3 of the Framework monitors whether Canadians understand the role of and express confidence in the youth criminal justice system.

Public awareness of the role of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (2022)

In 2022, more than half of Canadians were not aware of the role of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).^{Footnote 33}

Compared with White people, Indigenous and Black people were more likely to report being aware of the YCJA, while Latinx people were more likely to report being not aware of it.

Awareness levels were generally similar regardless of gender.

Youth victimization incidents reported to the police (2019)

Many incidents of victimization, including both violent and non-violent ones, go unreported to the police, possibly due to low confidence in them and the criminal justice system.

12%E of youth victims of crime reported the incident to the police in 2019.

E = the number should be used with caution.

Expected outcome 3: Confidence

Confidence in the criminal justice system (2019)

Youth confidence in the police

Confidence in the police is influenced by factors such as previous contact with them.^{Footnote 38} Youth who had contact with police due to emotional issues, mental health, substance use, or crime, reported lower levels of confidence.^{Footnote 39}

In 2019, most youth aged 15 to 17 reported confidence with the police.

Youth confidence in the criminal courts

In 2019, almost two-thirds of youth reported confidence in the criminal courts.

Gender differences

Female youth (18%E) were more likely to report low confidence in the criminal courts compared to male youth (3%E).

E = the number should be used with caution.

Youth perception of the prison system

In 2019, about one-third of youth felt the prison system was doing a good or average job in helping prisoners become law-abiding citizens, while over half reported not knowing how the prison system was performing.^{Footnote 40}

Expected Outcome 4: Operation of the Youth Criminal Justice System

Expected outcome 4 of the Framework monitors whether the youth criminal justice system operates efficiently and promptly.

Youth case completion time (2017/2018 to 2021/2022)

Median number of days for a youth case to be completed

The median time to complete a youth court case increased by 61% from 2017/2018 to 2021/2022.

Impact of COVID-19

Youth case completion time spiked in 2020/2021, in part due to COVID-19 court case backlogs.^{Footnote 42}

In 2021/2022, cases involving crimes against the person had the longest median completion time, followed by other Criminal Code offences and crimes against property. Cases involving administration of justice offences (AOJOs) had the shortest completion time.

Gender differences

From 2017/2018 to 2021/2022, male youth cases took on average 21 days longer to complete than female youth cases, except for AOJO cases (10 days longer for female youth cases).

*For historical trends, see Annex III.

Expected Outcome 4: Operation of the Youth Criminal Justice System

Administration of justice offences in youth courts (2017/2018 to 2021/2022)

Offences committed against the integrity of the criminal justice system, such as failure to appear, failure to comply with an order or breach of probation, also known as AOJOs, have been identified in the literature as a contributor to justice system delays.^{Footnote 46}

Number and percentage of AOJO cases in youth courts

From 2017/2018 to 2021/2022, the number of AOJO^{Footnote 47} cases in youth courts decreased by 61%, while their percentage of all youth cases remained stable at 9%.

*For historical trends, see Annex III.

The most common type of AOJO was failure to comply with an order.

Gender differences

Between 2017/2018 and 2021/2022, most (61%) completed AOJO cases involved male youth accused, while 24% involved female youth accused.

Both female and male youth accused experienced a decrease in AOJO cases during this time.

Expected Outcome 5: Resolution Mechanisms

Expected outcome 5 of the Framework monitors whether the criminal justice system provides youth victims, survivors, accused, offenders, and families with various community-based and culturally based options to address crime.

Youth incarceration rate (2017/2018 to 2021/2022)

The Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) prioritizes community-based responses to youth crime to minimize the harmful impact of custody on the development of youth. A lower youth incarceration rate may show a justice system favouring non-custodial options like diversion, restorative justice, or community-based Indigenous justice programs when suitable.^{Footnote 50}

The youth incarceration rate decreased by 44% from 2017/2018 to 2021/2022.

*For historical trends, see Annex III.

Youth court cases receiving a custodial sentence as the most serious sentence (2017/2018 to 2021/2022)

While the youth incarceration rate monitors the average number of youth in custody (both temporary detention and sentenced custody), this indicator monitors the percentage of youth cases receiving custodial verses non-custodial sentences.

The percentage of guilty youth court cases receiving a custodial sentence as the most serious sentence decreased by 4 percentage points from 2017/2018 to 2021/2022.

*For historical trends, see Annex III.

Gender differences

Custodial sentences were more common for male youth cases, but a similar decrease was found for both male and female youth over time.

Expected Outcome 5: Resolution Mechanisms

Restorative justice (youth and adults) (2018/2019)

Restorative justice focuses on repairing the harm caused by crime while holding the offender accountable for their actions, by providing an opportunity for the parties affected by crime – victims, offenders and communities – to communicate about and address their needs following a crime. It supports meaningful engagement and accountability and provides an opportunity for healing, reintegration, the prevention of future harm, and reparation, where possible. Many Indigenous Justice Programs may also use restorative justice processes.^{Footnote 53}

In 2018/2019, provincial, territorial, or Indigenous Justice Programs received 30,658 referrals to a restorative justice program or process.

27,592 adult and youth offender participants + 5,623 adult and youth victim participants were accepted into a restorative justice process or program.^{Footnote 54}

Indigenous Justice Program referrals (2017/2018 to 2019/2020)

The Indigenous Justice Program (IJP) supports Indigenous community-based justice programs, providing culturally relevant alternatives to mainstream justice processes when suitable, aiming to:

• empower Indigenous communities in justice administration;
• integrate Indigenous values into the justice system; and,
• reduce victimization, crime, and incarcerate rates among Indigenous peoples.^{Footnote 56}

Number of youth referrals to an IJP

The number of youth referrals to an IJP increased by 17% between 2017/2018.

Improvement in this indicator may be the result of changes in data collection. More data are needed for a better assessment of progress in this area.

Gender differences

Overall, male youth (60%) made up a larger percentage of referrals to an IJP than female youth (40%).

Expected Outcome 6: Correctional Supervision

Expected outcome 6 of the Framework monitors whether the criminal justice system provides youth in the correctional system with services and supports to rehabilitate them and integrate them back into the community.

Youth under provincial and territorial community supervision (2017/2018 to 2021/2022)

While the number of youth admissions to community supervision decreased by 51% from 2017/2018 to 2021/2022, their percentage of all admissions to youth correctional services increased 20 percentage points.

*For historical trends, see Annex III.

Gender differences

The percentage increase was more pronounced among female youth (+13% points) than male youth (+8% points).

Expected Outcome 6: Correctional Supervision

Cases of youth under Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision receiving specialized treatment (2017/2018 to 2021/2022)

The federal Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision Program (IRCS) is a contribution program with provinces and territories to provide specialized therapeutic programs and services for youth with mental health needs convicted of a serious violent offence.^{Footnote 59}

Number of new IRCS youth cases

The number of new IRCS youth cases receiving specialized treatment varied between 21 and 39 from 2017/2018 to 2021/2022.

Funding rate

IRCS maintained a 100% success rate in providing funding to all newly submitted cases over the five-year period.

Expected Outcome 7: Victims and Survivors

Expected outcome 7 of the Framework monitors the extent to which the criminal justice system (CJS) contributes to respecting youth victims’ and survivors’ rights and addressing their needs.

Youth victim satisfaction with actions taken by police (2019)

Data on the satisfaction of youth (ages 15 to 17) with police actions are not reliable enough to report. But, for those aged 15 to 34, data show that in 2019, over half were satisfied with police actions. This is consistent with Expected Outcome 3’s findings, where most youth aged 15 to 17 report being confident in the police.^{Footnote 61}

F = the number is too unreliable to publish.

E = the number should be used with caution.

The unreliability of these data and their status as the only indicator for this outcome highlight the need for better data collection and reporting on the rights and needs of young victims and survivors.

Victims’ roles and rights in the youth CJS

Crime victims including those of youth crime, have specific rights in Canada, detailed in the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights (CVBR):

• The Right to Information: Victims can request and receive details about the criminal justice system (CJS), their role in it, available services, and updates on their case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing of the offender.
• The Right to Participation: Victims can share their views on decisions affecting their rights and present impact statements during proceedings. They can also participate in youth justice conferences and committees.
• The Right to Protection and Privacy: Victims’ security and privacy must be considered, with measures to protect them from intimidation. Those under 18 have their identity and information kept private automatically. Young victims also have the right to supports like testimonial aids, when testifying.
• The Right to Seek Restitution: Victims can ask courts to order offenders to pay for financial losses due to the crime and enforce unpaid amounts through civil courts.
• The Right to File a Complaint: If victims feel their rights have been ignored or violated by federal bodies, they can file a complaint with the appropriate department or agency, like the RCMP, the National Office for Victims and Correctional Services Canada.

The Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) declares that victims deserve to be treated with courtesy, compassion, and respect for their dignity and privacy, facing minimal inconvenience while involved with the criminal justice system (CJS).

To learn more, check out Victims of crime – Canada.ca.

Expected Outcome 8: Indigenous Youth

Expected outcome 8 of the Framework monitors the overrepresentation of Indigenous youth in the criminal justice system (CJS) by comparing their representation (i.e., percentage) among victims/survivors and accused/offenders to their representation in the Canadian population, as well as monitoring the extent to which they disproportionately experience certain negative outcomes in the CJS.

Canada’s colonial history has caused profound harm to Indigenous peoples^{Footnote 63} through systemic discrimination,^{Footnote 64} economic hardship, child welfare issues, loss of culture and community, and exposure to social determinants of crime, causing trauma across generations. These issues contribute to the high presence of Indigenous youth and adults in the CJS, both as victims and accused.^{Footnote 65} This phenomenon is complex and will take time to see improvements in reducing the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in CJS data.

For more information on the context of Indigenous people’s lives in Canada, see: the SOCJS Dashboard’s page on Indigenous Youth.

Indigenous people make up a larger percentage of Canada’s youth population than adult population.

In 2021, Indigenous people represented 4% of the Canadian adult population, while Indigenous youth represented of 8% the Canadian youth population aged 12 to 17.^{Footnote 66}

Self-reported violent victimization among Indigenous youth (2019)

Data on Indigenous youth aged 15 to 17 are too unreliable to report. But, for those aged 15 to 34, Indigenous people report violent victimization at a rate statistically similar to non-Indigenous people in the same age group.

Expected Outcome 8: Indigenous Youth

Homicide (2018 to 2022)

From 2018 to 2022, the rate of Indigenous children and youth who were victims of police-reported homicide generally decreased.

Their representation (percentage) among all victims of homicide decreased over this period, but remains higher than that in the Canadian youth population.

From 2018 to 2022, the rate of Indigenous youth being accused of homicide by police generally increased.

Their representation (percentage) among all accused of homicide increased over this period, higher than their representation in the Canadian youth population.

Gender differences

The representation (percentage) of Indigenous female children and youth among victims of police-reported homicide showed a larger decreased over time than male children and youth.^{Footnote 69}

The representation (percentage) of Indigenous male youth among those accused of police-reported homicide increased over time while that of female youth decreased.

Expected Outcome 8: Indigenous Youth

Admissions of Indigenous youth to provincial/territorial correctional services (2017/2018 to 2021/2022)

The number of Indigenous youth admissions to correctional services (custody and community supervision) generally decreased between 2017/2018 and 2021/2022. Despite this, their representation among all youth admissions stayed the same, roughly 5X their representation in the Canadian youth population.

Overrepresentation was more pronounced in custody admissions; 6X their representation in the Canadian youth population.

*For historical trends, see Annex III.

Gender differences

The overrepresentation of Indigenous youth admissions in correctional services was higher for females than males, particularly among admissions to custody. In 2021/2022,

• Indigenous female youth
  were 7X their representation in the Canadian youth population.
• Indigenous male youth
  were 5.5X their representation in the Canadian youth population.

For more information on Indigenous youth and the CJS, see the report: Indigenous Youth Roundtables: Overrepresentation of Indigenous Youth in Canada's Criminal Justice System.

To address the systemic discrimination that leads to the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in Canada’s CJS, the Government of Canada is teaming up with Indigenous, provincial, and territorial partners to develop Canada’s Indigenous Justice Strategy. For more information, see Indigenous Justice Strategy.

Expected Outcome 9: Black Youth

Expected outcome 9 of the Framework monitors the overrepresentation of Black youth in the criminal justice system (CJS) by comparing their representation (i.e., percentage) among victims/survivors and accused/offenders to their representation in the Canadian population, as well as monitoring the extent to which they disproportionately experience certain negative outcomes in the CJS.

Canada’s Black communities have enriched the country for many years,^{Footnote 71} but they’ve also faced a long history of systemic anti-Black racism, from colonialism and slavery to segregation and strict immigration rules. This past shaped the lives of Black Canadians and newcomers today,^{Footnote 72} who still encounter systemic racism and discrimination. This affects jobs, health, education, and child welfare for Black individuals, sometimes leading to their higher involvement with the CJS.^{Footnote 73}

For more information on the context of Black people’s lives in Canada, see SOCJS Dashboard’s page on Black Youth.

Black people make up a larger percentage of Canada’s youth population than adult population.

In 2021, Black people represented 4% of the Canadian adult population, while Black youth represented of 7% the Canadian youth population aged 12 to 17.

Self-reported violent victimization among Black youth

Data on violence against Black youth (aged 15 to 17) are too unreliable to report, but past studies consistently show:

• Young people, aged 15 to 24, are more likely to experience violent victimization.
• Black people are overrepresented as victims in the CJS.^{Footnote 74}

Expected Outcome 9: Black Youth

Admissions of Black youth to provincial/territorial correctional services (2019/2020 to 2021/2022)

The number of Black youth admissions to correctional services (custody and community supervision) in three reporting provinces (Nova Scotia, Alberta and British Columbia) dropped by 46% between 2019/2020 and 2021/2022. Custody admissions saw a larger decrease (54%) than community admissions (41%).

Despite this decrease, Black youth continued to be overrepresented among admissions to correctional services in these three reporting jurisdictions during this period:

• 9% of youth admissions to correctional services, 2X their representation in this combined provincial youth population (4%)^{Footnote 76}
• 7% of all youth admissions to community supervision, 1.8X their representation in this combined provincial youth population
• 17% of all youth admissions to custody, 4X their representation in this combined provincial youth population

Note: Currently, data for this indicator come only from Nova Scotia, Alberta, and British Columbia. The information below doesn’t reflect the whole of Canada and shouldn’t be applied nationwide.^{Footnote 77}

Gender differences

Black male youth were more overrepresented than Black female youth, particularly among admissions to custody.

The representation (percentage) of Black male youth among custody admissions increased over the three years, while that of Black female youth decreased.

More data are needed to better understand Black youth experiences with the criminal justice system and to monitor their overrepresentation in it. For more information, see the report Black Youth and the Criminal Justice System: Summary Report of an Engagement Process in Canada.

To address anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination causing the overrepresentation of Black youth and adults in Canada’s CJS, the Government of Canada is collaborating with Black communities to create Canada’s Black Justice Strategy. For more information, see Canada’s Black Justice Strategy.