The rate of incarcerationhas risenin Canada for the first time in a decade, largely because courts are sending more people to jail to await trials and sentencing hearings, according to a Statistics Canada report released Wednesday.

Canada had 110 prisoners for every 100,000 people in 2005-2006, compared to 107 the year before. That is only about a two per cent increase, but it is the first increase since 1995-1996.

The report is based on daily and monthly prisoner counts done at facilities across Canada, except for Prince Edward Island, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, which did not have complete numbers.

Canada's rate is almost seven times lower than the rate in the United States, which had 738 prisoners for every 100,000 people in 2005-2006. The U.S. rate only counts adult prisoners, while the Canadian ratecounts all prisoners,including those under the age of 18.

Rates in western Europe, whichcount prisoners of all ages,werecloser to the Canadian rates in 2005-2006— Sweden's was 82, France's was 85 and in England and Wales it was 148.

Canada's rising rate is likely due to the fact that in 2005-2006 there were 12 per cent more adults in remand, waiting for trials and sentencing hearings, than the year before.

The report says the rising remand rate is partially due to the fact that court cases are becoming more complex and it takes longer to get cases to trial. Those who are sent to jail while awaiting trial end up spending more time there, boosting the total number of people in remandon any given day.

"Longer stays mean higher average counts," the report says.

The report also finds that: