On any average day in 2015/2016 there were a total of 40,147 adult offenders incarcerated in Canadian federal and provincial prisons (a rate of 139 per 100,000 population).  Incarceration is an expensive method of reform, and a highly debated topic when it comes to the outcome. 

The average annual cost per prisoner in federal prisons is around $115,000.  Total public spending on criminal justice in Canada per year is approximately $20 billion.

How does Canada’s approach compare to other countries, globally?  And how can we measure the effectiveness of the approach?  Is there a better way?​

Prisoners per 100,000 people, by country (2018)

SOURCE: World Prison Brief

Two Year Reconviction Rates in Released Prisoners

​SOURCE: National Center for Biotechnology Information
 
The data is complex, but there are several questions the above information brings to mind.  What are the different approaches to reform that result in such variable numbers?  And if one method is more effective why aren’t more countries adopting the philosophy?
 
Norway, for example, relies on a concept called “restorative justice”, which focuses on rehabilitating prisoners.   “The punishment is you lose your freedom.  If we treat people like animals when they are in prison, they are likely to behave like animals.”  20 years ago, Norway moved away from a punitive “lock-up” approach and sharply cut reoffending rates.  The focus is to prepare inmates for life on the outside with vocational programs: woodworking, assembly workshops, and even a recording studio.
 
America, by contrast, adopts a more punitive approach – Americans want their prisoners punished first and rehabilitated second.   While high-security prisons in the U.S. often involve caging and dehumanizing a prisoner, prisons in Nordic countries are designed to treat them as people with psychosocial needs that are carefully attended to.
 
If the restorative approach achieves the lowest reconviction numbers, why aren’t more countries adopting it?  One possible reason is cost – the “Nordic approach” is almost twice the price per inmate as a more punitive approach in the UK.  Ultimately though, a shift in thinking is required.  The same approach to crime has been taken for centuries, and an acknowledgement that it is not working is required before anything can change.
 
When looking at the number of prisoners, the cost of the incarceration, and our arguably sub-par reconviction rate, I am led to believe the approach to reform here in Canada warrants change.  How we begin to make that shift is another topic for discussion…

Plastic is everywhere in our lives, but just how much of it are we using?  And where is it all going when we are done with it? 

Global Plastics Production 

SOURCE: OECD

Plastic Waste Generation, per person, 2016

SOURCE: World Bank Group

Plastic Waste Generation, by country, 2016

SOURCE: World Bank Group

This is total plastic waste generation, and does not account for differences in waste management.  The  graph below shows how we are disposing of our plastic and how methods have changed over time.
 
Global Plastic Waste, by Disposal Method (1980 to 2015)

SOURCE: Our World In Data

An increase in recycling is of course a good thing.  However the first graph shows the increase in plastic production is outpacing our increased recycling.  The question is how do we decrease our plastic waste? 
The Canadian Federal government recently announced the intent to ban certain single use plastics by the end of 2021, including checkout bags, cutlery, straws. In my opinion this is a step in the right direction, but will it move the needle on our plastic waste?  I think there is more to be done – perhaps regulations on packaging? 
​
What do you think?  How do we improve our plastic waste situation?

SOURCE: OECD

The above indicates Canada is near the top of OECD / developed countries for healthcare spending.  However, Canada is the only country in the world with public health care and no universal public system for providing prescription drugs (pharmacare).  Ultimately this means Canada’s government spending (public) is lower than most other countries in the same category.

Of the above, 70% comes from public funding (government), and 30% from private (health insurance, out of pocket, etc.)  The graph below compares the public / private split between select OECD countries.
 
Public and Private Split for Total Healthcare Spending

SOURCE: OECD

This is of particular interest when jobs are shifted from employee positions to contract roles.  When an individual no longer has employer health benefits the private portion of the total health care spend shifts to out of pocket, often making it unaffordable for individuals to access the care required.  

In addition to not including prescription drugs in Canada’s universal health care, we also have less public coverage of home care, dental care, and non-physician care outside hospitals (this includes mental health care).

The lack of universal pharmacare may explain the lower percentage of government funded health care, but the questions it raises for me are around efficiency of the government funded portion.  I think there is a case for universal pharmacare, but I’m also interested in understanding what Canadians are getting for the publicly funded care we do have – my next topic!

There is much discussion in the news around climate change, greenhouse gas, carbon tax, etc., and many questions to be addressed.  An appropriate place to start seems to be around Canada’s emissions, relative to the rest of the world.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activity, accounting for over 80% of greenhouse gases. 

​% of Global CO2 Emissions, by Country (2017)

SOURCE: World Economic Forum

With the amount of data feeding into these numbers there is variability depending where the data comes from, however the values are within a reasonably close range.

Although Canada’s total emissions can seem relatively small, the per capita value offers a different perspective.
​
Per Capita CO2 Emissions, in the Worlds Largest Economies in 2016

​SOURCE: World Economic Forum

Where are Canada’s emissions coming from?

GHG Emissions Reported by Economic Sector

Source: Government of Canada

The above is a breakdown of total emissions, reported in carbon dioxide equivalent.  In addition to the carbon dioxide reported in the top two charts (~80%), it also includes methane (~10%), nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases.

​The Federal Government of Canada has indicated the intent to “make a significant, long-term, sustained investment to create a Canada-wide early learning and child-care system”.  The details are vague, but it does raise the question on what we, as a country, are paying for childcare.

Childcare Fees in Canada's Major Cities (2018)

SOURCE: Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives (CCPA)
​
As implied above, Quebec is unique in its' approach to childcare, offering low-fee, universal childcare in the province. 

Approximately 60% of children in Canada, under the age of six, participated in some form of formal or informal childcare, in 2019.

Portion of Children, Aged 0 to 5, Participating in Childcare

SOURCE: ​Statistics Canada – Survey on Early Learning and Childcare Arrangements

​The definition of Middle Class can vary greatly and it may depend on who is defining it.  Most of us probably think of ourselves as Middle Class, but are we?

The above is based on 2018 data for the Average Total Income of Individuals
 
Based on the definition from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Middle Class is defined as anywhere from 75% to 200% of the average income.  For individuals in Canada this would be between $42,000 and $130,000.
​
SOURCE: Statistics Canada Table 11-10-0239-01

A different perspective is the Total Income for a Family.  This is quite variable as there are many variations of “Family” and income into a Family.  The following diagram is based on 2018 data for the Median Income for Economic Families.

An Economic Family is defined as a group of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling and are related to each other by blood, marriage, common law, adoption or a foster relationship.
​
​Using the same OECD definition of Middle Income, families of income between $62,000 and $160,000 are middle income.

SOURCE: Statistics Canada Table 11-10-0190-01