How we are doing now

Individuals sentenced for criminal convictions have varying risk levels and receive different kinds of sentences
depending on their record and the severity of the offence and the strength of the case against them. For this
reason, Justice tracks seven different recidivism rates, three for adults and four for youth, according to the types
of sentences imposed.

Some sentence types (non‐probation sentences for Youth, and conditional sentences for Adults) show
considerable variation in their recidivism rates from quarter to quarter, which makes it difficult to identify up‐ or
downward trends in these measures. For measures where trends are easier to discern:

• The recidivism rate for youth following a probation sentence increased in the last quarter, from 16% to 21%.
• For adults following a probation sentence, recidivism rates have been consistent around 12‐14% in the last
  five quarters after having been 15‐16% the year before.
• For adults following a custody sentence, the recidivism rate has been successfully reaching the target at the
  range of 22‐26% in the last six quarters, compared to 30‐33% in the four quarters before that.

Data Source

These measures are provided by Manitoba Justice’s community safety division using data from their Corrections
Offender Management system.

There is no global standardized definition or method of calculating recidivism, the rate at which people become
re‐involved in criminal activity or re‐convicted of a crime. Manitoba Justice gathers recidivism data quarterly,
which means our calculation counts the number of people whose sentences expired two years earlier and were
re‐convicted in the three‐month time period we are looking at. When reviewing quarterly data, it is important to
note that one individual could be re‐convicted more than once over the two years since they were first released
from jail or supervision, so a single person may be included in multiple quarterly reports. However, we do not
believe that this occurs often enough to meaningfully affect the overall results. Other jurisdictions use different
criteria, so their recidivism rate will look different from ours.

Why This Matters

Lowering recidivism rates means the system is succeeding in rehabilitating offenders, which means less crime in
our communities and that offenders are increasingly able to live more fulfilled lives.

Next steps

Manitoba’s Criminal Justice System Modernization Strategy (CJSM) contains a number of elements designed to
reduce recidivism.

Strategies aimed generally at crime prevention, by focusing on community mobilization, collaboration with police,
and mental health and addictions, will also help to reduce crimes committed by individuals with previous
involvement in the justice system. Timely disposition of criminal matters also helps accused individuals enter
rehabilitative programming earlier and for longer periods. The Responsible Reintegration Initiative ensures that
individuals released from custody have a plan and resources in place to assist with successful reintegration into
society and reducing the risk of further criminal involvement.

Other related links

• For full details, please see https://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/pubs/criminaljusticereform.pdf