Aboriginals in Canadian correctional systems make up a disproportionate percentage of the country’s prison population. Aboriginal people — First Nations, Métis and Inuit – account for 4.3% of the Canadian population, but as of recent comprise 24.4% of the total inmate population (source). In the 10-year period between March 2005 and March 2015, the Aboriginal inmate population increased by more than 50% compared to a 10% overall population growth during the same period (source). This paper explores Aboriginal offender vulnerability and overrepresentation and the challenges faced by correctional agencies in managing this prison population in Canada’s correctional institutions.
For the longest time in Canada’s history, Aboriginals have been victims to its discriminatory past which not only incepted from public disliking, but also government-wide disapproval of First Nations (Monchalin, 2010). Many parliamentary prohibitions were placed on the varying traditional practices of Aboriginal peoples such as denying them basic rights, forcefully moving them to reserve lands, and forcing them to be educated through residential schools. This supports the idea that past discrimination against Aboriginals quite possible led to the current overrepresentation and vulnerability of Aboriginal offenders.
Denial of basic rights and amenities can make any population more vulnerable to stepping outside of societal norms and finding balance in other ways. Due to the fact that many Aboriginals were treated (source) cruelly growing up and while in their adulthood, it is no surprise as to why many resulted to committing crime to ease their frustration. This can be a contributing factor as to why Aboriginals are so overrepresented in federal correctional institutions, in the writer’s opinion. Also, when someone’s basic rights are denied, they would feel like outsiders in that specific society and try t
Despite having been the native people of the land, Aboriginals were subjected to no voting rights until the mid 1960s (source). According to (source), laws that seemed to apply to all members of society equally were much more often applied a lot more harshly towards Aboriginal people (source). “For many years, for example, young indigenous first-offenders were imprisoned for crimes which, had they been white and from “nice middle class homes”, would have resulted in probation, a fine or some other much more lenient sentence”. Also, it is worth noting that seeing situations like the aforementioned are still very prevalent where Aboriginal first-time offenders will be treated more harshly throughout the criminal justice system in Canada. Furthermore, institutions and government officials had specific roles to impose the racism-fueled laws which were commissioned by members of government. The same harsh treatment applied throughout Canadian courts where judges, prosecutors, police, and defense lawyers were products of that racism era.
A lot of research has revealed that Aboriginal peoples experience marginalization and disadvantages at a much higher degree than non-Aboriginal peoples (Monchalin, 2010). The process of residential schools has been typically correlated to racism, colonization of traditional values and culture, and abuse according to Monchalin (2010). Detrimental effects have been passed down from generation to generation as a dire result of the imposition of residential schools (source). In the writer’s opinion, these detrimental effects are most likely associated with the abuse that Aboriginal youth had to harbour during their time spent at residential schools. “Residential schools were church-run institutions, and Aboriginal children required to attend them” (Monchalin, 2010, p. 122). It can be argued that residential schools were, instead of learning centres for young Aboriginals, a measure taken by the Canadian government to assimilate Aboriginals from their cultural and traditional values and deprive them of their rights. The children that were taken away from their families were often unable to speak their language with family members upon returning and this caused emotional problems such as loss of bonding between family members and children (source).
both previous to and after Confederation many steps were taken to mediate the blunt racism that grew against Aboriginals in Canada. However,
Unfortunately, meaningful long-term assistance has proven to be an issue for Aboriginals as they enter Canadian correctional institutions (source). Programs that are culturally relevant abide as a continuing challenge for Corrections Canada as culture plays a deeply significant role in initiating and developing relationships with inmates due to the vast diversity of Aboriginal backgrounds according to (source). Additionally, due to the diversity of Aboriginal culture and the values it entails, the possibility of opposite cultures can make room for a clash between the two. It can also be argued that cultural clashes can cause for uncertainty, skepticism, and distrust to grow for Aboriginal inmates when being offered to enroll in restorative programs. Currently, there are four total healing lodges, three male and one female, which are operated unconditionally to Aboriginal values and principles (source). However, the issue stems from the fact that only a few hundred Aboriginal inmates can be housed out of a total of a few thousand (source). Also, this could mean that only western Aboriginal values and traditions are showcased in western Canadian correctional institutions which cause for attempts to accommodate all Aboriginal inmates to disappoint.
but the faces of the guards don’t match the faces on the other side of the bars, Canada’s prisons watchdog said today.