Examining involvement status of security threat group affiliated men offenders

Research Highlights: STG affiliated men identified as inactive in the STG are more likely to have committed violent offences and serve longer sentences.

Security Threat Group^{Footnote 1} (STG) affiliation remains a unique operational and population management concern for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). A recent study indicated that 11% of men offenders were STG-affiliated, with higher proportions among in-custody and Indigenous sub-populations.^{Footnote 2} The involvement status of STG affiliated offenders has not yet been examined. This study was conducted to explore differences between actively engaged versus inactive^{Footnote 3} STG affiliated men offenders.

Federal men offenders assessed as STG affiliated in the Offender Management System (OMS) were included. In total, 3,889 men offenders were examined; 42% were Indigenous, 31% were White, 16% were Black, 5% were Asian and 6% were members of other racialized groups. Sixty percent were identified as active (n = 2342) and 39% were inactive (n = 1504).^{Footnote 4}

Although almost three-quarters of STG affiliated men were 39 years or younger, actively affiliated men were more likely to be 18 to 29 years old than inactive men (39% versus 26%). Actively affiliated men were less likely to have been a key player or full member compared to those who were inactive (64% versus 70%).

Active engaged men were more likely to be serving their first federal sentence than those inactive (71% versus 45%) and were less likely to be serving an indeterminate sentence or sentence of 10 years or more (19% versus 28%). Fifty-eight percent of active and 73% of inactive affiliated men committed a violent offence; actively involved men were more likely to commit drug related offences whereas those inactive were more likely to commit homicide-related, robbery, or assault.

Overall, actively affiliated men had lower criminogenic risk and need ratings compared to inactive men. Sixty-eight percent of active and 75% of inactive were currently engaged in their correctional plan.

Comparisons of DFIA-R need domains for actively and inactively involved men showed that those still active had greater need in associates and attitudes, while those inactive had greater identified need in the remaining domain areas: community functioning, employment/ education, marital/family relations, personal/emotional orientation, and substance abuse.

Among men in-custody,^{Footnote 5} actively affiliated men were less likely those inactive to have institutional incidents (82% versus 89%), disciplinary charges (63% versus 68%), or institutional transfers (75% versus 82%), although the proportions were high in both groups.^{Footnote 6} However, they were also less likely to complete correctional programming during their sentence (70% versus 81%).

In the community, actively engaged men were less likely than those who were inactive to have a suspension of release or a return to custody (38% versus 48%; 12% versus 18%, respectively).

Among STG affiliated men offenders, there are distinct characteristics of those who remain actively engaged in the STG versus those who do not. The higher proportion of inactive STG affiliated men who committed violent offences and are serving longer sentences may indicate, in line with the literature, that STG affiliates seek to leave the group because they wish to avoid further consequences of their affiliation.^{Footnote 7} Future research could explore the reasons for STG disengagement and how offenders identified as inactive navigate the correctional environment.

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Prepared by: Sarah Cram and Shanna Farrell MacDonald