Posted: February 20th, 2023

Problems in the Criminal Justice System in Canada

Problems in the Criminal Justice System in Canada

The primary function of criminal justice systems – Canada’s included- is the prevention of crime, control of illegal activities, and provision of justice for the crime occurrences. Notably, these functions get impeded with the challenges faced by the system. Canada’s criminal justice system faces several problems that hinder the achievement of the set goals and responsibilities.
The Challenges In Canada’s Criminal Justice System
The correctional facilities are facing numerous challenges that the goal of rehabilitating individuals and making them better citizens is hardly on its achievement path. One of them is that the prison system has become a legal method of abducting and institutionalizing the caging of individuals who mainly come from underprivileged groups. A considerable percentage of the population in correctional facilities come from either the minority racial groups or are from the lower social classes in the society. Research would find that 36% of Canada’s prison population has an education level lower than the grade 9 level, and 50% of the individuals were unemployed before engaging in criminal activities.
While heeding to the slogan of “keeping them behind bars,” the facilities have to handle a tremendously high number of inmates in different criminal justice system stages. It becomes even more overwhelming when the number of correction officers deployed is not proportional to the increasing number of inmates. Therefore, the prison systems end up caging the persons for more hours than required. It becomes difficult to engage in other activities in the premises in the move of improving them, thus beating the logic of prisons meant to bring out better persons.
Another challenge is on these facilities having a few correctional officers who have undergone a bare minimum in training (Paikin, 20190. The move of having a fewer number of correctional facilities was a cost-saving measure by the government. However, this leads to an inadequate number having to deal with a dynamic group of people. The lack of training means the system has incompetent handling the vast population. It is effortless to find a number of them becoming unscrupulous to doing things such as bringing in phones into the system. This is affirmed by the fact that they are the only allowed near the prisoners, together with other officers in the facilities (Paikin, 2019). Lawyers and families mostly communicate through skype, so no chance for them to interact physically. This illustrates the illegal things found within the facilities.
The majority of the prison population in Canada are parents or guardians to children in society. This means that many dimensions of family functioning change when a member is in prison. The family structure, relationships, levels of income, the emotional support systems are negatively impacted, and unfortunately, the children end up being the most affected (Travis, 2006). Moreover, the criminal justice system has failed in bringing in programs that could increase the interactions between the children and parents. Therefore the children grow up lacking the necessary provisions from the parents. If the child lacks proper guidance, they can get themselves to commit crime, thus hindering the objective of reducing crime rates.
Conclusion
Canada’s criminal justice system has numerous challenges in many aspects. It is prudent that proper research and development is done to bring in strategies that are fair and effective for the whole population in the country.

References
McMurtry, J. (2000). Caging the Poor: The Case Against the Prison System. The Case for Prison Abolition, 167-87.
Paikin, S. (2018). The Agenda with Steve Paikin [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRMO2PPnNzo
Travis, J. (2006). Families left behind: The hidden costs of incarceration and reentry.

The Challenges of Canada’s Criminal Justice System

Introduction
Canada’s criminal justice system is designed to ensure the safety of all its citizens by preventing crime, controlling illegal activities, and providing justice for criminal offenses. However, this system faces several challenges that hinder the achievement of these goals. This article will explore some of the challenges faced by Canada’s criminal justice system, including the over-representation of underprivileged groups in correctional facilities, inadequate training for correctional officers, and negative impacts on families.

The Over-Representation of Underprivileged Groups in Correctional Facilities
One of the significant challenges faced by Canada’s criminal justice system is the over-representation of underprivileged groups in correctional facilities. Individuals from minority racial groups and lower social classes are disproportionately represented in the prison population (Paikin, 2018). Research indicates that 36% of Canada’s prison population has an education level lower than grade 9, and 50% of inmates were unemployed before engaging in criminal activities (Paikin, 2018). This is a clear indication of the socio-economic barriers that many offenders face in Canadian society.

Inadequate Training for Correctional Officers
Another challenge faced by Canada’s criminal justice system is the inadequate training provided to correctional officers. The government’s cost-saving measures have led to fewer correctional facilities, resulting in a smaller number of officers handling a dynamic group of individuals (Paikin, 2018). The lack of proper training means that the system has incompetent personnel handling the vast prison population, which has led to the infiltration of illegal items such as phones within the facilities (Paikin, 2018).

Negative Impacts on Families
The criminal justice system has also failed to address the negative impacts on families of individuals in correctional facilities. A significant percentage of Canada’s prison population are parents or guardians to children in society, and their incarceration has a significant impact on family functioning (Travis, 2006). The family structure, relationships, levels of income, and emotional support systems are negatively impacted, and unfortunately, the children end up being the most affected. The criminal justice system has failed to bring in programs that could increase the interactions between the children and parents, leading to children growing up lacking the necessary provisions from their parents.

Conclusion
Canada’s criminal justice system faces significant challenges that hinder the achievement of its primary objectives. The over-representation of underprivileged groups in correctional facilities, inadequate training for correctional officers, and negative impacts on families are some of the significant challenges faced by the system. It is crucial that proper research and development is done to bring in strategies that are fair and effective for the whole population in the country.

References
McMurtry, J. (2000). Caging the Poor: The Case Against the Prison System. The Case for Prison Abolition, 167-87.
Paikin, S. (2018). The Agenda with Steve Paikin [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRMO2PPnNzo
Travis, J. (2006). Families left behind: The hidden costs of incarceration and reentry.