Between 2007 and 2016, while the overall federal prison population increased by less than 5%, the Indigenous prison population increased by 39%. For the last three decades, there has been an increase every single year in the federal incarceration rate for Indigenous people. Today, while Indigenous people make up less than 5% of the Canadian population, as a group they comprise 26.4% of the total federal inmate population. 37.6% of the federal women inmate population is Indigenous. I cannot help but think that the over-incarceration of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in corrections is among the most pressing social justice and human rights issues in Canada today.
I recommend that CSC review its community release strategy for Indigenous offenders with a view to:
- increase the number of Section 81 agreements to include community accommodation options for the care and custody of medium security inmates;
- address discrepancies in funding arrangements between CSC and Aboriginal-managed Healing Lodge facilities, and;
- maximize community interest and engagement in release planning for Indigenous offenders at the earliest opportunity.
http://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/cnt/rpt/annrpt/annrpt20162017-eng.aspx – s5