Madam Speaker, I always look forward to my colleague from Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston's comments and interventions in the House. He always seems to elevate the level of debate and discussion.
I am thankful for the opportunity to rise in the House this evening to speak to the positive benefits offered by Correctional Service Canada's employment and employability program. Employment programs and services help build essential skills related to employment while connecting offenders with resources that assist them with finding community employment after release.
The benefits associated with correctional programming have long been demonstrated. In fact, going back a decade, research has noted a direct impact between employment and positive reintegration results upon release. We know that inmates who participate in CORCAN employment programs while incarcerated are more likely to be granted parole. Similarly, inmates who participate in CORCAN employment programs while incarcerated are more likely to get a job in the community. Also, offenders under community supervision who find employment in the community have reduced recidivism rates.
Without the holistic approach of the CORCAN offender employment and employability program, offering a diverse range of correctional interventions and services over the course of their sentence, offenders would not be as well positioned to find employment. As research has demonstrated, programming works to build safer communities for all Canadians to enjoy by providing them with the skills necessary to safely adapt to life upon release.
That is not the only benefit to Canadians. Additionally, community programming works to save Canadians money. The daily cost of maintaining an inmate in prison amounts to six figures annually. When an inmate can be safely returned to the community and find employment, they are working to financially support themselves, are required to pay taxes and are no longer incurring six figures to the Canadian public. That is why I am happy to note that there has been a year-over-year increase in opportunities for inmates to undertake CSC programming.
In fiscal year 2023-24, employment coordinators, including staff and contractors, directly assisted offenders under community supervision to obtain 2,441 community job placements. In 2023-24, on-the-job training opportunities were provided to 2,624 offenders, within one of CORCAN's five business lines. I am proud to note that a total of 22,300 vocational training certificates were earned by inmates of all backgrounds in 2023-24, representing an increase of 5,855 from the previous year.
Throughout the apprenticeship program, offenders have the opportunity to register, accumulate hours and take block training to become Red Seal journeymen in a specific trade. Since September 2020, a total of 201 offenders participated in apprenticeship programs, of whom 68 have completed certification, with many more continuing to work toward it.
It has been alleged that vocational certificates offered to inmates are meaningless participation awards. This is an unfair characterization considering the nature of Correctional Service Canada's agreements and partnerships for vocational training and employment services. For example, CSC forms partnerships directly with indigenous communities to further increase project availability, and they provide indigenous offenders with additional on-the-job training opportunities.
CSC works with provincial trade associations to track apprenticeship hours in a number of different trades. It also works directly with colleges and universities, as well as private industries that provide established curricula to provide vocational training to offenders. These curricula are also offered to Canadians coast to coast and in the ridings that we represent in a number of different trades and jobs. I am—