Between 2007 and 2016, while the overall federal prison population increased by less than 5 per cent, the number of Indigenous prisoners rose by 39 per cent, Zinger reports. The auditor general found that in 2015-16 most Indigenous offenders weren’t released from custody until their statutory release date, after serving two-thirds of their sentence. In response to the AG’s report, Corrections Canada promised to expand programs tailored to the needs of Indigenous offenders, including preparing them for early release. And once inside, Indigenous prisoners suffer more than others: they are over-represented in segregation cells, use-of-force interventions, maximum-security institutions and incidents of self-injury. Reversing the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in our prison population is an important measure of reconciliation.

Source: thestar November 06, 2017 11:03 UTC