Introduction

This concept contains information relating to “charges” in the Canadian Criminal Justice System. Information on charges is complex, dynamic, and can change as data is collected on an accused person proceeding through the justice system. There are three main datasets available in the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository that collect information on individuals who have had contact with the Justice System. They are the:


• Prosecutions Information and Scheduling Management System (PRISM)
  
• Criminal Courts Automated Information Network (CCAIN) and
  
• Corrections Offender Management System (COMS) .

Background Information

The type of information collected on “charges” varies between the datasets. The charge variable in the PRISM dataset is called PRISM_CHARGE. The PRISM dataset contains information about the charges, charge status, charge count, and the Act and section of the Criminal Code where the charge appears. PRISM data contains information about the initial charge but does not contain information about the outcome of that charge. PRISM only tracks incidents and the initial charge(s) relating to each incident.

The charge variable in the CCAIN dataset is called CHARGEINFO. The CCAIN dataset contains information about the charge description, category description, police department or agency that laid the charge, the location of the charge, time to disposition from the time the charge was laid, section of the Criminal Code the charge was laid under, whether the charge was laid on a youth/adult/business, offence type, the disposition (outcome) of the charge, and more. CCAIN tracks people and incidents as they appear before the Manitoba courts. It contains case specific information on the incidents and the charges involved.

The charge variable in the Corrections Offender Management System (COMS) dataset is called CHARGE. The COMS dataset contains information about the charge details (date of offence, description, location), type of offence, and records of the court’s decision(s) for the charge (disposition). COMS is a system that tracks offenders and their associated data.

Information collected through CCAIN and COMS is updated at different times during the criminal justice system process. The CCAIN system tracks people and incidents as they appear before the Manitoba provincial courts. CCAIN generates a courtroom document for each sitting in every courtroom. At the time of disposition information on the outcomes of the case is recorded. COMS is a system that tracks all offenders and their associated data. Every offender has a file containing current and historic term-related information.

Definition

A charge is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. For example, “the accused was charged with murder.” A charge is the reason an individual is participating in the justice system and is the first step in the prosecution process. It is important to note that an individual being “charged with a crime” does not necessarily mean that they are guilty. Once a person is charged, they go to trial in front of a judge or jury. It is only once that individual is “convicted of a crime” that they are found guilty. (Source: Steps to Justice website - Charge definition - Accessed April 10, 2024)

To determine the status of a charge, the charge status / charge type term has been developed.