Black and indigenous prisoners are still at a disadvantage in Canada

The Correctional Service of Canada has not adapted its programs and interventions to the diversity of the offender populationcan we read in the report of Canada’s Auditor General, Karen Hogan. This has created systematic barriers that continue to be detrimental to some groups of prisoners.

These issues have already been raised in audits conducted in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

These differences are evident in admission to a federal institution. Noticeable, twice as many Aboriginal and Black offenders are placed in the highest security institutions than other groups. They also serve more time behind bars before they are released.

Among men, twice as many Aboriginal and Black men were placed in the highest security facility.

Among women, this is three times the higher rate of Aboriginal women being placed in a top security institution, compared to non -Aboriginal women. These provide nearly 70% of the maximum security placement, the report says.

This over -representation in the highest security institution is due to the Custody Rating Scale. This tool places more emphasis on, among other things, the age of the offender on sentencing, age in first federal custody, and number of previously convicted. Aboriginal and Black offenders were, on average, younger than other offenders admitted to custody.

” The variability of these outcomes for certain groups of inmates with race and Indigenous persists for a very long time. Correctional Service Canada must identify and destroy systematic barriers to eliminate systematic racism in the correctional system. “

A more difficult reunion

Black and Indigenous inmates also meet larger barriers to safe and gradual reunification than other groupsis it written.

For example, Aboriginal and Black offenders “are over -represented in maximum security prisoners who are directly released into the community upon statutory release.”

“However, offenders who are incarcerated in a top security institution and then released for the first time on their statutory release date do not receive all the benefits of a planned and gradual community release” , explanation of VG.

Aboriginal women make up 66% of prisoners from the highest security institutions released directly into the community.

The staff is still not very representative of the prison population

Excessive representation of Indigenous peoples in the federal correctional system has worsened, VG confirmed in his report. Although they make up 4% of Canada’s adult population, they make up 27% of all people incarcerated in federal institutions in the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

This is even worse among women, where aboriginals make up 43% of inmates in federal institutions.

Black prisoners are also highly represented in federal institutions, making up 3% of the adult population in Canada, but 8% of all inmates in federal institutions.

However, these two groups remain under -representation among Canadian corrections staff. The Correctional Service of Canada has not kept its promise to establish a workforce that better reflects the diversity of the offender population.

In particular, the Auditor General noted gaps in the representation of Aboriginals among correctional officers at all Canadian institutions.

Differences in program and parole officers were also noted at institutions with high numbers of Black inmates.

Finally, gaps in women’s representation were seen among correctional officers in women’s institutions.

These gaps between inmates and correctional staff allow obstacles to be enduredsaid the Auditor General.

The AG also noted that Correctional Service Canada has not set any deadlines for achieving its goal of having a worker that better reflects the diversity of the offender population.

Recommendations

Among its recommendations, the AG asked Correctional Service Canada:

• improve the initial security classification process for offenders;
• improve its method of collecting data on diversity within the inmate population to ensure that the data collected is comprehensive;
• to identify the roots of delays in the preparation of prisoners, particularly Indigenous people, for parole on their first date of eligibility, and to take steps to address them;
• set representation goals appropriate to inmate populations, with particular attention to over -represented groups;
• and strengthen diversity and inclusion among its workers.

All recommendations are accepted by the Correctional Service of Canada.