This report presents the status of national data on Aboriginal people who come into contact with the criminal justice system as either alleged perpetrators or victims of crime, as well as the challenges in collecting and reporting these data.

Aboriginal people comprise 3% of Canada’s population, yet make up about 20% of the population serving sentences in custody. Sound data on their interactions with all levels of the justice system are essential for providing empirical evidence of justice outcomes for Aboriginal people. As shown in this report, many studies, commissions of inquiry and public policy statements have referred to the need for this type of information in order to monitor trends and to inform policy, programming and evaluation. (Authors)