Unknown Unknowns: We Need to Know How Many People Experience Imprisonment in Canada

1. BACKGROUND International and Canadian data reveal that the health of people who experience imprisonment is poor compared to the general population [1, 2]. The health of this population may affect the general population directly through the transmission of diseases such as hepatitis C, the costs of recidivism and health care due to untreated illness such as substance use disorders, and effects on public safety [3]. A focus on the health of people who experience imprisonment could reduce inequity and advance population health [3], and efforts to improve health could build on the emerging evidence base regarding effective interventions [4]. Over three hundred years ago, John Graunt articulated the value of population statistics for understanding the “nature of society, the changes taking place within it and the issues arising for government and policy-making” [5]. Data on the size of the population of persons who experience imprisonment could enhance our understanding of the burden of disease, the assessment of the impact of interventions, the development of health and social services and the measurement of trends in incarceration rates. In Canada, responsibility for correctional facilities is shared between provincial, territorial and federal governments. Provincial and territorial governments administer correctional facilities that hold persons who are detained prior to sentencing (“remand”) and those sentenced to less than two years in custody, and the federal government administers