One of the key themes of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was that imprisonment should be a sanction of last resort.5 Although this principle is enshrined in legislation in most states, it is highly questionable whether it is followed in practice. Statistics, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2002, op.cit., p28, Table 4. Aboriginal people continue to be incarcerated at truly alarming rates. Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, reliable and courteous manner. reported that there were 1,148 Aboriginal youth incarcerated in Canada. As a result, the true rate of Aboriginal incarceration is higher than the official statistics indicate. Approximately 20% of Canada's Aboriginal population is located in Ontario and the majority of these individuals live off reserve in urban areas. This crisis is especially profound in the youth context. The agency ensures Canadians have the key information on Canada's economy, society and environment that they require to function effectively as citizens and decision makers. Aboriginal persons have a long history of documented economic, social and historical disadvantage in Canada. This Inquiry has one principal but constrained purpose. Data released by Statistics Canada shows aboriginal youth made up 46 per cent of admissions to correctional services in 2016-17 while making up only 8 per cent of the youth population. This article documents current and historical trends in levels of Aboriginal incarceration at the provincial/territorial and federal levels since 1978. Less sympathetic views on general aboriginal issues, as expressed by Quebec respondents in an Angus Reid poll in 1994, also do not translate into increased aboriginal incarceration levels. Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2002, op.cit., p31, Table 6. Statistics Canada—Catalogue no. Aboriginal prisoners. The figures, at the foot of this table and in the graphs, are for the 12 months ending on 31 March of the year indicated.) June 21, 2012 by Anita Grace 1 Comment. . According to Statistics Canada, in 2015–2016 there were a total of 40,147 adult offenders incarcerated in Canadian federal and provincial prisons on an average day for an incarceration rate of 139 per 100,000 population. 91. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal population sizes for each province were obtained from the 2011 National House-hold Survey and used as the population denominator [8]. Incarceration in Canada is one of the main forms of punishment, rehabilitation, or both for the commission of an indictable offense and other offenses.. As the chart above shows Aboriginal people represent on average 17% of the prison population except in Western Australia and the Northern Territory where they … But the Statistics Canada data from 10 reporting provinces and territories also showed the proportion of Aboriginal youth in custody has steadily increased. Statistics Canada is the national statistical office. Sentencing in Canada is beset by many problems, yet one weakness stands above the rest: the disproportionately high rates of Aboriginal incarceration. Canada - Aboriginal Issues, CSC (AISC Chair) Gina Wilson, Director General, Aboriginal Issues Correctional Operations and Programs Correctional Service Canada 340 Laurier Avenue West, 4th Floor, Section E Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0P9 Telephone: (613) 995-5465 Fax: (613) 943-0493 Email: wilsongm@csc-scc.gc.ca 3 Juristat Article—The incarceration of Aboriginal people in adult correctional services 6 The incarceration of Aboriginal people in adult correctional services By Samuel Perreault The over representation of Aboriginal people in correctional services is an issue that has been known for many years. Defined by the ABS as a household in which at least one person identified as Aboriginal or Torres In 1965, 22% of the prisoners at Stony Mountain were Aboriginal; in 1984 the figure was 33%. Probability of survival to various ages according to [ Return to text] Statistics Canada—Catalogue no. [ Return to text] R. v. Gladue, para. Aboriginal overrepresentation in the criminal justice system is one of the clearest markers of what the Supreme Court of Canada has referred to as “a crisis in the Canadian justice system.” Aboriginal overrepresentation is often thought of as a problem in western Canada but, in fact, [ Return to text] Statistics Canada, “Aboriginal peoples in Canada: Key results from the 2016 Census,” The Daily, 25 October 2017. The study did not count the number of non-Aboriginal youth, however, which precluded the comparison of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal incarceration rates. Tuesday, July 21, 2009 In 2007/2008, Aboriginal adults accounted for 22% of admissions to sentenced custody, while representing 3% of the Canadian population. The ratio of the Aboriginal incarceration rate to the ... our analysis were acquired through Statistics Canada. The incarceration of Aboriginal people . The Indigenous incarceration rate went up by 44.8 per cent, the female rate by 51.2 per cent, and the black rate by 71.1 per cent. In Canada, the Indigenous incarceration rate is 10 times higher than the non-Indigenous population—higher even than South Africa at the height of apartheid. The yellow line indicates the percentage of Aboriginal people in the state's population (right axis) . While the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) has reduced Canada’s overall youth incarceration rate in recent years, the relative proportion of detained Aboriginal youth has actually increased. The task of this Inquiry. No single factor explains these … Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR2) Survey. “The over-incarceration of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people in corrections is among the most pressing social justice and human rights issues in Canada today.”4 - Ivan Zinger, Correctional Investigator of Canada Incarceration and Indigenous Women Despite accounting for less than 4% of the female population, Indigenous women make direction to sentencing judges to undertake the process of sentencing aboriginal offenders differently, in order to endeavour to achieve a truly fit and proper sentence in the particular case.” The bar graphs show the percentage of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal prisoners (left vertical axis). In 2010, nearly 153,000 youths were accused of committing a crime: 42% were charged (or recommended for charging) by police; and; 58% were dealt with by means other than the formal laying of a charge (e.g. The Supreme Court of Canada stated s. 718.2(e) is more than simply a reaffirmation of existing sentencing principles but in fact gives," . average for year to 31.3.2019 (Statistics Canada - comprising 37,854 adult prisoners and 716 persons under 18 in youth custody. Aboriginal Legal Services, Gladue (Aboriginal Persons) Court: Ontario Court of Justice – Old City Hall (78 KB, 3 pages), Fact sheet, 3 October 2001. ... with Aboriginal … The crisis of Aboriginal over-incarceration in Canada is one of the most well-documented features of our Criminal Justice System. Aboriginal incarceration in context. reveal. Criminal sentencing in Canada is governed by the Canadian Criminal Code. Incarceration of youth generally across Canada has declined slightly each year since 2012. 29, no. The Criminal Code, along with the Supreme Court of Canada, have distinguished the treatment of Indigenous individuals within the Canadian Criminal Sentencing Regime.. corrections system rising, says Statistics Canada report Restorative justice programs could help reduce Indigenous incarceration rates, says chief This article documents current and historical trends in levels of Aboriginal incarceration at the provincial/territorial and federal levels since 1978. Aboriginal people constitute only four percent of Canada’s population but make up nearly a quarter of inmates in federal, provincial and territorial jails and prisons. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander over-incarceration cost the Australian economy an estimated A$7.9 billion in 2016. Overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in B.C. Sentencing in Canada is beset by many problems yet one weakness stands above the rest: the disproportionately high rates of Aboriginal incarceration. Figures for 2007/2008 from Statistics Canada show that Aboriginal adults accounted for 22% of admissions to sentenced custody even though they represent only 3% of the population – and one in three federally sentenced women is Aboriginal. The disproportionate incarceration of Aboriginal people is a growing phenomenon. . To this end, Statistics Canada has developed standards of service that its employees observe. Nearly half of Canada's incarcerated young are Indigenous P rogram that keeps offenders from going back to jail gets $ 900K Spence, 40, has been involved in Manitoba's justice system since he was 15. Footnote 72 More punitive views do not necessarily translate into more punitive practices as lower charging and aboriginal incarceration data from B.C. According to Statistics Canada, the likelihood of being a homicide victim is six times higher for aboriginal Canadians than for non-aboriginal Canadians. 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