“Shockingly high” crime rates continue to plague the territories, the publishers of an annual criminal justice system report card that hands NWT a “C” grade say.
The report, released Monday by independent think tank the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the criminal justice system in every province and territory in the country, ranking all 13 jurisdictions with a letter grade.
This year's review, the second of its kind since 2016's inaugural release, sees NWT slip to the 12th spot from its 11th-place ranking the previous year.
Taking the bottom position, unchanged from 2016, is the Yukon.
Grades and rankings are determined by weighing five areas within the criminal justice system: public safety, support for victims, cost and resources, fairness and access and efficiency.
While the territory scores an “A” for efficiency, a “D” for public safety and a pair of “F's” for cost and resources and support for victims hurt NWT's overall standing.
In a summary of the jurisdiction's strengths, the report notes the territory's high rate of clearances for violent and non-violent crimes, and highlights the efficiency of the courts, with NWT having “one of the shortest median criminal case lengths of any jurisdiction in Canada,” at 72 days.
The shortcomings, however, are stark. NWT has the second highest violent crime rate nation-wide and, while the rate has dropped significantly from 2016's report, incidences of property crimes are the highest in the country.
High rates of offenders breaching probation and failing to appear in court also account for the territory's lowly ranking.
A combination of the NWT's large size, sparse population and high crime rate contributed to the territory receiving a failing grade in respect to its expenditures and use of resources.
Six provinces received a “B” – the highest grade earned – with eastern provinces making up the bulk of the strongest performers. Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Ontario and Nova Scotia accounted for the top five spots, respectively.
Manitoba usurped the territory's 11th-place ranking, but still matched NWT and the Yukon's “C” grade.
Nunavut, along with Ontario, saw the biggest improvements, with the former rising from 10th place to 8th in 2017.
Nationally, overall crime rates have dropped, but glaring areas of concern – like Canada's Indigenous being “greatly over-represented” in prison – remain.