Canada has a two tier system of incarceration. The magical words that decide which of the two systems you go into, is this. If a judge sentences you to "two years" (or more), you go into the FEDERAL PENITENTIARY system. (In the U.S. this is called prison.) If he says "two years less a day" (or anything less, say "6 months") you go to the PROVINCIAL JAIL system.
The prisons are administered by the federal government, in Ottawa. But each province administers it's own jails, however it wishes.
In all of Canada, there are a total of 58 FEDERAL penitentiaries, and 16 community correctional centres, and 71 parole offices.
On any given day, in the whole country, there are approximately 12,700 incarcerated inmates in federal penitentiaries, and 8,400 formerly incarcerated, now on supervisory orders in the community. (Parole).
In addition, we have about 120 former inmates on Long-Term Supervisory Orders. (Paroled for life!)
Plus we have a "designated dangerous offender" category, who are in essence doing 'life without parole". We only have about 100 dangerous offenders, and they are all housed in one prison, in Kingston, Ontario.
We have NO DEATH PENALTY, and have executed no one since 1962! That's 45 years ago. The only "life" sentence we have is for 25 years. Then you are elegible to apply for parole (unless you were one of those 100 inmates, designated as a "dangerou offender, when you were sentenced.)
In addition, Natives (aboriginal) offenders are in a special category, and have entirely differrent constitutional rights, under section 81 and 84 of the CCRA. Natives are housed within the same prisons, but are governed by entirely different rules, responsibilities and rights.
The CCRA is the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, which outlines the rules and regulations of the entire prison system in Canada. (The CCRA is, in essence the "operating manual" for the whole system.)