Question Period Note: Overrepresentation of Specific Groups in Federal Institutions

There is an overrepresentation of Indigenous offenders in Correctional Service of Canada Institutions. It has also been noted that the proportion of other groups, including black offenders, is an emerging issue.

• Overrepresentation of certain groups in federal custody is a complex issue. Sentencing decisions are not made by the Correctional Service of Canada, therefore we don’t control the incoming inmate population.

• Once in CSC’s custody, culturally responsive services, programming and interventions are provided to address offender risk and aid in their rehabilitation and community reintegration.

• For example, at the end of last year, Indigenous offenders represented 29% of the total offender population. Therefore, providing effective and culturally appropriate correctional and reintegration support for Indigenous offenders has been a CSC corporate priority for more than a decade.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) continues to observe an increase in the number of federally sentenced Indigenous offenders. CSC also recognizes that the specific needs of other ethnocultural offender populations, such as black offenders, is an emerging issue.

Indigenous Offenders

CSC continues to observe an increase in the number of federally sentenced Indigenous offenders. At the end of Fiscal year 2018-2019, Indigenous offenders represented 29% of the total offender population and Indigenous women offenders represented 40% of the total women offender population.

CSC is working to respond to the disproportionate representation of Indigenous peoples in custody, through a variety of programs such as:
• The National Indigenous Plan which includes streamlining existing Indigenous resources and services to ensure that those offenders choosing to access the Indigenous Continuum of Care interventions are prioritized for placement at specific sites.
• Indigenous Interventions Centres (IICs) are a key component of regional Indigenous action plans. The IICs integrate intake, programs and interventions, and engage Indigenous communities at the start of an Indigenous offender’s sentence, or at least two years before their first eligibility date.
• CSC has implemented the Pathways Initiative for offenders who are committed to following an intensive traditional path of healing which includes the active involvement of Elders. The Indigenous Women’s Pathways Continuum provides opportunities for Indigenous women to engage in intensive healing interventions supported by Elders through specific activities.
• The Indigenous Women Offender Correctional Programs, which includes program continuum unique to Indigenous women offenders.

Decisions with respect to sentencing are outside of CSC’s control. CSC does, however, influence the time Indigenous offenders spend in custody by providing culturally responsive programs and interventions to address an Indigenous offender’s risk, provide effective rehabilitation and foster successful community reintegration. There has been a significant increase in the percentage of discretionary releases for Indigenous offenders, from 23.5% in Fiscal Year 2013-2014 to 44.3% in Fiscal year 2018-2019.

Black Offenders

CSC has been working to develop a better understanding of the needs of the Black offender population. CSC has begun to more precisely enumerate this segment of the population and track all associated data. Research is being conducted on the size, growth, geographic distribution, country of origin, as well as the language profile of the population. The objective is to effectively integrate this data into a knowledge framework that can be the basis of useful benchmarks to be employed in the CSC performance management framework.

Black offenders are offered a comprehensive level of varied interventions and services, aimed at supporting their reintegration. These initiatives include addressing cultural employment and mentorship needs; culturally relevant presentations from community members to offenders and staff; community outreach with community service providers; ongoing interventions by the Project officer, Community Engagement and Ethnocultural Services; the purchase of culturally-relevant materials; and implementation of initiatives aimed at increasing the cultural competency of CSC staff.

Although there are no specific correctional programs for Black offenders, the enrolment and completion rates of Black offenders in the Integrated Correctional Program Model and the Women Offender Correctional Programs show positive participation. Also, certain institutions benefit from the participation and activities of inmate groups composed of mostly Black offenders. Groups such as Black Inmates and Friends Assembly (BIFA), Christian groups, Rastafarian groups, and Muslim groups bring awareness, educate and develop a sense of belonging and self-esteem among the Black offender population.

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