Recommendations include work to reform record suspension or pardon system
Public Safety Canada’s 2025 progress report on the federal framework to reduce recidivism discussed the federal government’s efforts to combat crime by addressing reoffending and support those leaving federal correctional institutions by tackling the barriers preventing their safe, successful reintegration.
“I am pleased to share the first report to Parliament on the effectiveness of the Federal Framework to Reduce Recidivism, the Government of Canada's first step in putting together a plan that identifies crucial factors that impact why people reoffend and how to support safe and successful reintegration in the community,” said Gary Anandasangaree, Canada’s public safety minister, in a message in the report.
The report covered five priority areas: housing, education, employment, health, and positive support networks.
“This first report provides a snapshot of early implementation and outcomes,” Anandasangaree said. “It highlights the initiatives underway across the five priority areas of the Framework and emphasizes progress made in aligning federal efforts and fostering more coordinated, wraparound support for individuals exiting the federal correctional system.”
According to the report, to support those exiting correctional institutions, Canada launched pilot projects and other initiatives to improve housing stability, educational access, employment opportunities, health and mental health services, and positive support networks.
The report also addressed the federal government’s work to reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous individuals and Black Canadians in the criminal justice system, including initiatives to increase awareness and access to parole, finance Indigenous-specific reintegration projects, and create strategies to support Black Canadians in prisons.
The report acknowledged challenges Canada encountered in these efforts, including difficulties in accurately measuring recidivism, inconsistent data quality, and insufficient resources among community-based organizations.
Recommendations
The report suggested the following steps to enhance the federal framework:
- Invest more in community-based supports
- Obtain sustainable and long-term funding for reintegration programs and services
- Expand or improve criminal justice data collection, integration, transparency, and accountability
- Strengthen coordination across all government levels, including for federal-provincial agreements and municipal programs linking individuals with local services
- Tackle legislative barriers to reintegration
- Maintain efforts to reform the record suspension (pardons) system to ensure that low-risk individuals can access it and face reduced barriers to employment and housing
- Develop or deliver more targeted supports for at-risk populations, including trauma-informed programs, culturally appropriate services, and mental health supports
“Reducing recidivism is a shared responsibility—one that involves all levels of government, Indigenous partners, community organizations, people with lived experience, and Canadians from coast to coast to coast,” Anandasangaree said in the message.
“The Framework continues to represent a collaborative, whole-of-society approach to improving outcomes for individuals leaving federal custody, and ultimately, enhancing community safety for everyone,” Anandasangaree added.
