Canada’s
Black Justice
Strategy.

Justice Canada’s 2020–2021 national engagement process included Black youth aged 18–29 reflecting on experiences at ages 12–17, alongside families and stakeholders across six cities, including Toronto. The presentation cites Jeffers and Owusu-Bempah (2021).

The report describes a “revolving door” of custody. Young people reported stigma, limited rehabilitation, and insufficient reintegration support after release. The presentation identifies over-policing and offences linked to survival or identity as two pathways shaped by anti-Black racism.

Young people described unmet financial needs, family responsibilities, and systemic exclusion from the labour market as factors drawing them into criminalized activity.

Arrests rose from 41 during January–July 2022 to 107 in the same period in 2024, an increase of approximately 161%. Adult firearm arrests rose 2% over that period. This measure concerns Toronto youth overall, rather than a Black-youth-specific arrest count.

The presentation reports national Black unemployment at roughly 1.7–2 times the overall rate, citing 11.1% versus 6.4% in the 2026 State of Black Economics Report and a separate 11.8% measure from 2021 Census analysis. It also reports that 15% of Canadian youth, or 376,000 people, were not in education, employment, or training in 2017–2018. Of those youth, two-thirds were not looking for work and one-third were actively seeking work. These measures cover different populations and years.

The presentation cites Deloitte/The King’s Trust Canada (2024): unaddressed youth unemployment could cost Canada $18.5 billion in GDP and $5.3 billion in government revenue by 2034.

Presentation-derived estimate: applying a 5.6% Black youth population share produces approximately $1.04 billion in GDP and $297 million in revenue. This is a proportional calculation in the presentation, rather than a separate forecast for Black youth.

Black people accounted for 6% of accused adults and youth, compared with a 3% population share at the time. The presentation cites Justice Canada’s 2022 JustFacts summary.

Black people accounted for 20% of people accused of homicide. The reported rate was 8.17 per 100,000, compared with 1.43 for non-racialized people.

The reported homicide victimization rate for Black people was 7.72 per 100,000, compared with 1.81 for non-racialized people, approximately four times higher.

The presentation reports approximately 102 Black victims among 788 homicides nationally, citing Statistics Canada (2025).

Presentation-derived estimate: applying a societal cost of $4.8–$5.9 million per homicide gives approximately $490–$602 million, expressed in 2014 dollars. This is a calculation based on the cost range attributed to Public Safety Canada.

The presentation describes rising homicide in lower-income, majority-Black neighbourhoods over the preceding decade and limited access to survivor and bereavement supports. It does not provide a dated dataset for this neighbourhood-level claim.

Black people represented 39% of those involved in use-of-force incidents, compared with 10.2% of Toronto’s population, according to the presentation.

Black people represented 9% of the federal offender population, compared with approximately 4% of the national adult population.

The presentation reports Black people as 18% of offenders in custody in the region. At one maximum-security institution, it reports 41% of offenders identified as Black, compared with 2% of front-line correctional officers and no front-line parole or program officers. The slide does not specify the reference year.

Black and Indigenous offenders were placed in higher security levels on admission at twice the average rate of other offenders, according to the finding cited in the presentation.

The presentation reports that 85.8% of Black offenders were not readmitted to federal custody within five years of sentence expiry. It contrasts that result with assessments of higher risk and lower reintegration potential. The slide does not specify the cohort or reference year.