For immediate Release
: October 16, 2006
Number of Aboriginal People in Canada’s Prisons Growing
New Investments to Address Poverty and Secure Better Education Outcomes
Needed to Address Crisis National Organizations Say
Needed to Address Crisis National Organizations Say
OTTAWA –
Corrections Canada, the agency responsible for the federal prison system, routinely
discriminates against Aboriginal offenders, according to a new report by the Correctional
Investigator, the federal ombudsman for prisons. The increasing numbers of First Nations, Métis
and Inuit people who are being incarcerated only compounds the seriousness of the Report’s
findings of pervasive discrimination against Aboriginal inmates at every step in the corrections
system.
The overall federal prison population declined by 12.5 percent from 1996 to 2004, however, the
number of First Nations people in federal institutions increased by 21.7 percent, a difference of
34%. The number of incarcerated First Nations women increased a staggering 74.2 percent over
the same period. (Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview, December
2004.) Equally alarming, Aboriginal young people are criminalized and jailed at earlier ages
and for longer periods of time than non-Aboriginal youth. In 2000, approximately 1,792 or 41.3
percent of all federally incarcerated Aboriginal offenders were 25 years of age or younger.
Experts believe that should the current trend continue unchecked, Aboriginal people could
comprise 25 percent of Canada’s correctional population in less than 10 years, even though they
are less than three percent of the adult Canadian population.
"First Nations poverty is the single greatest social justice issue in Canada today. Poverty breeds
helplessness and hopelessness, which results in far too many of our young men and women
committing crimes of despair," said AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine. "Ten years after the
Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples concluded that ‘the justice system has failed
Aboriginal people’, we have yet another report highlighting the fact that nothing has improved
within the corrections system for our people.
"Corrections Canada needs to back its words on paper with real action -- more resources,
increased accountability, and an ambitious timetable to produce measurable results," said
National Chief Fontaine. "We urge the agency to swiftly implement all of the recommendations
in the Correctional Investigator's 2006 report, and to finally act on his longstanding call for a
Deputy Commissioner for Aboriginal Offenders."
Responding to the report, The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) expressed anger
and frustration at the continued lack of progress by Corrections Canada on the key
recommendations made over 10 years ago by Madam Justice Arbour, following the commission
of Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston. NWAC also underscored
the critical need for the federal government to place an increased focus on closing the socioeconomic
gaps between Aboriginal people and other Canadians.
"The over-representation of Aboriginal women in federal corrections has worsened. This is a
blatant attack on Aboriginal women and the communities they come from. Poverty, inadequate
educational opportunities, unemployment, poor living conditions, alcohol abuse and violence all
contribute to Aboriginal peoples, especially Aboriginal women, coming into conflict with the
law,” said NWAC’s President, Beverley Jacobs “Many Aboriginal children in the child welfare
system go on to become young offenders, and eventually work their way through the criminal
justice system. There is a clear correlation between the poor socio-economic status of First
Nations, Métis and Inuit families and the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the
corrections system,” Ms. Jacobs emphasized.
The national organizations also expressed alarm at the over-representation of Aboriginal youth in
prisons, highlighting young people in urban centres may be especially vulnerable to recruitment
into youth gang activity.
“Today’s report is a wake-up call for Canadians. Warehousing young Aboriginal men and
women in our prisons is counterproductive to the best interests of Aboriginal families and
communities and counterproductive to sustaining a competitive and prosperous economy,” said
Ms. Vera Pawis Tabobondung, President of the National Association of Friendship Centres.
“Aboriginal children are the fastest growing demographic in Canada and, at a time when the
country faces a possible labour shortage as the boomer generation retires, it’s in everyone’s
interest to focus on positive investments that will reduce poverty and improve high school and
post secondary graduation rates for First Nation, Métis and Inuit children and youth,” she said.
The groups noted the importance of the ongoing support and involvement of elders, Aboriginal
liaison officers, community representatives and Aboriginal organizations as key to closing the
outcome gaps for First Nations, Métis and Inuit offenders highlighted by the Correctional
Investigator, and ultimately improving public safety.
These disparities include the discriminatory over classification of Aboriginal offenders, especially
women. In September 2006, native women made up 45 percent of federally sentenced women in
the maximum-security population, 44 percent of the medium-security population and just 18
percent of minimum-security women. The federal ombudsman’s report also found that
Aboriginal offenders do not benefit equally from rehabilitative programming intended to prepare
inmates for eventual release, and various forms of discretionary conditional release such as
temporary absences, work releases and parole.
The organizations also stressed their opposition to the federal government’s proposal to increase
the imposition of mandatory minimum sentences which will exacerbate the already huge overrepresentation
of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system.
Couresy AFN NAO pdf. http://www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=3
discriminates against Aboriginal offenders, according to a new report by the Correctional
Investigator, the federal ombudsman for prisons. The increasing numbers of First Nations, Métis
and Inuit people who are being incarcerated only compounds the seriousness of the Report’s
findings of pervasive discrimination against Aboriginal inmates at every step in the corrections
system.
The overall federal prison population declined by 12.5 percent from 1996 to 2004, however, the
number of First Nations people in federal institutions increased by 21.7 percent, a difference of
34%. The number of incarcerated First Nations women increased a staggering 74.2 percent over
the same period. (Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview, December
2004.) Equally alarming, Aboriginal young people are criminalized and jailed at earlier ages
and for longer periods of time than non-Aboriginal youth. In 2000, approximately 1,792 or 41.3
percent of all federally incarcerated Aboriginal offenders were 25 years of age or younger.
Experts believe that should the current trend continue unchecked, Aboriginal people could
comprise 25 percent of Canada’s correctional population in less than 10 years, even though they
are less than three percent of the adult Canadian population.
"First Nations poverty is the single greatest social justice issue in Canada today. Poverty breeds
helplessness and hopelessness, which results in far too many of our young men and women
committing crimes of despair," said AFN National Chief Phil Fontaine. "Ten years after the
Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples concluded that ‘the justice system has failed
Aboriginal people’, we have yet another report highlighting the fact that nothing has improved
within the corrections system for our people.
"Corrections Canada needs to back its words on paper with real action -- more resources,
increased accountability, and an ambitious timetable to produce measurable results," said
National Chief Fontaine. "We urge the agency to swiftly implement all of the recommendations
in the Correctional Investigator's 2006 report, and to finally act on his longstanding call for a
Deputy Commissioner for Aboriginal Offenders."
Responding to the report, The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) expressed anger
and frustration at the continued lack of progress by Corrections Canada on the key
recommendations made over 10 years ago by Madam Justice Arbour, following the commission
of Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston. NWAC also underscored
the critical need for the federal government to place an increased focus on closing the socioeconomic
gaps between Aboriginal people and other Canadians.
"The over-representation of Aboriginal women in federal corrections has worsened. This is a
blatant attack on Aboriginal women and the communities they come from. Poverty, inadequate
educational opportunities, unemployment, poor living conditions, alcohol abuse and violence all
contribute to Aboriginal peoples, especially Aboriginal women, coming into conflict with the
law,” said NWAC’s President, Beverley Jacobs “Many Aboriginal children in the child welfare
system go on to become young offenders, and eventually work their way through the criminal
justice system. There is a clear correlation between the poor socio-economic status of First
Nations, Métis and Inuit families and the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the
corrections system,” Ms. Jacobs emphasized.
The national organizations also expressed alarm at the over-representation of Aboriginal youth in
prisons, highlighting young people in urban centres may be especially vulnerable to recruitment
into youth gang activity.
“Today’s report is a wake-up call for Canadians. Warehousing young Aboriginal men and
women in our prisons is counterproductive to the best interests of Aboriginal families and
communities and counterproductive to sustaining a competitive and prosperous economy,” said
Ms. Vera Pawis Tabobondung, President of the National Association of Friendship Centres.
“Aboriginal children are the fastest growing demographic in Canada and, at a time when the
country faces a possible labour shortage as the boomer generation retires, it’s in everyone’s
interest to focus on positive investments that will reduce poverty and improve high school and
post secondary graduation rates for First Nation, Métis and Inuit children and youth,” she said.
The groups noted the importance of the ongoing support and involvement of elders, Aboriginal
liaison officers, community representatives and Aboriginal organizations as key to closing the
outcome gaps for First Nations, Métis and Inuit offenders highlighted by the Correctional
Investigator, and ultimately improving public safety.
These disparities include the discriminatory over classification of Aboriginal offenders, especially
women. In September 2006, native women made up 45 percent of federally sentenced women in
the maximum-security population, 44 percent of the medium-security population and just 18
percent of minimum-security women. The federal ombudsman’s report also found that
Aboriginal offenders do not benefit equally from rehabilitative programming intended to prepare
inmates for eventual release, and various forms of discretionary conditional release such as
temporary absences, work releases and parole.
The organizations also stressed their opposition to the federal government’s proposal to increase
the imposition of mandatory minimum sentences which will exacerbate the already huge overrepresentation
of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system.
Couresy AFN NAO pdf. http://www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=3