Gender diverse offenders with sex offence histories compared to offenders with sex offence histories in the general offender population

Research Highlight: Although higher in static risk and dynamic need than the other study groups, the majority of gender diverse offenders with sex offence histories had completed correctional programming.

Why we did this study

Previous research indicated that almost one-third of self-disclosed gender diverse offenders under the management of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) had sex offence histories.Footnote 1 This study compares the characteristics, sentence/offence information, and criminogenic risk and need profile of gender diverse offenders with sex offence histories to offenders in men’s and women’s institutions with similar offence histories.

What we did

Gender diverse[GD] offenders with sex offence histories (SOH) accounted for 37% (n = 57) of the 155 gender diverse offenders identified during the study period (December 2017 to September 2021); 86% were transgender women, 0% were transgender men, and 14% identified as “other” gender diverse offenders.Footnote 2 This group was compared to offenders with sex offence histories at men’s ([M]; n = 3,496; 30% of in-custody population) and women’s ([W]; n = 31; 6% of in-custody population) institutions.

What we found

On average, gender diverse offenders were older than offenders with SOH in women’s institutions (42 versus 38 years old), but were close in age to offenders with SOH in men’s institutions (43 years old). Over half of offenders in all three groups were single (51%[GD]; 54%[M]; and 55%[W]) and half to two-thirds of the study groups were White offenders (51%[GD], 53%[M]; and 65%[W]). A greater proportion of gender diverse offenders (46%) and offenders with SOH in women’s institutions (54%) were in the Ontario Region while one-third of offenders with SOH in men’s institutions were in the Prairie and Ontario Regions.

Gender diverse offenders and offenders in men’s institutions were more likely to be serving a second or subsequent sentence (35%[GD] and 32%[M] versus 0%[W]). Gender diverse offenders with SOH were more likely to be serving a sentence of 10 years or more, including indeterminate sentences (44%[GD], 13%[W], and 36%[M]). Gender diverse offenders were less likely than the other two groups to have female victims (61%[GD], 71%[W], and 78%[M]), especially female children (33%[GD], 65%[W], and 40%[M]). Gender diverse offenders and offenders in women’s institutions with SOH were comparable in the proportion with male victims, particularly male children (28%[GD] and 29%[W] versus 12%[M]). Gender diverse offenders and offenders in men’s institutions with SOH were most likely to have three or more victims (35%[GD] and 30%[M] versus 13%[W]).

Examination of criminogenic risk and need information indicated that gender diverse offenders were more likely than the other groups to be classified as maximum security at admission (32%[GD] versus 3%[W] and 24%[M]). Gender diverse offenders with SOH were more likely than the other groups to have high static risk (82%[GD] versus 54%[W] and 76%[M] at intake), high dynamic need (89%[GD] versus 72%[W] and 79%[M]), and low reintegration potential (64%[GD] versus 36%[W] and 54%[M]). They were less engaged than offenders at women’s institutions with SOH but comparable to those at men’s institutions (55%[GD] and 58%[M] versus 84%[W]).

Gender diverse offenders were more likely to have institutional guilty charges (42%[GD] versus 35%[M] and 36%[W]) or institutional incidents (68%[GD] versus 51%[M] and 48%[W]). They were as likely as offenders in women’s institutions with SOH to complete correctional programming (86%[GD] and 84%[W]).

What it means

Gender diverse offenders had criminal histories similar to offenders in men’s institutions with SOH. Yet, their participation in correctional programs was comparable to offenders in women’s institutions with SOH.

For more information   

Please e-mail the Research Branch. You can also visit the Research Publications section for a full list of reports and one-page summaries.

Prepared by: Shanna Farrell MacDonald, Angela Smeth, & Sarah Cram

Footnotes

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