The federal prison service is budgeting almost $11 million a year on spiritual healing for indigenous inmates. Contractors are paid for “telling of stories,” “sacred ceremonies” and “sharing of traditional teachings,” according to an internal audit..“An elder is any person recognized by an indigenous community as having knowledge and understanding of the traditional culture of the community,” said an Audit Of The Management Of Elder Services. The Correctional Service of Canada hired 125 elders to counsel 3,296 inmates on a yearly basis, it said..“The Correctional Service contracts elders to provide services to offenders interested in following a traditional healing path, a traditional aboriginal healing process based on culture and beliefs which encompasses a lifelong spiritual, emotional or psychological journey whereby one strives to be in harmony with all living things on Mother Earth,” wrote auditors..According to Blacklock's Reporter, First Nations, Inuit and Métis comprise 5% of the general public but 32% of the prison population. “One of the Correctional Service’s corporate priorities is to address the overrepresentation of indigenous offenders,” said the report..Federal analysts have presented various theories on why indigenous incarceration rates are high. “Crime rates for First Nations and Inuit communities continue to be higher than in other Canadian communities,” the Department of Public Safety wrote in a 2022 report Evaluation Of The First Nations And Inuit Policing Program..Crime rates were “almost nine times higher” overall, rates of sexual assault were six times higher, and the rate of family violence was 16 times higher. “Indigenous women had an overall rate of violent victimization that was double that of Indigenous men and close to triple that of non-Indigenous women,” said Evaluation..In a separate 2018 report the Department of Justice suggested a high proportion of indigenous defendants were imprisoned due to poor legal counsel and a willingness to plead guilty to charges regardless of evidence. “There are no national statistics on guilty pleas in Canada,” said the report Guilty Pleas Among Indigenous People In Canada. “Some estimate approximately 90% of criminal cases are resolved with a guilty plea.”.“Indigenous people sometimes plead guilty even if they are innocent or ‘innocent to a degree,’ have a valid defence or have grounds to raise Charter issues,” said Guilty Pleas..“Despite lawyers and judges conducting a plea inquiry to confirm the accused understands and is not merely pleading guilty to get it over with, there were reports that indigenous people plead guilty because of disadvantages in the justice system, social vulnerabilities and a cultural sense of responsibility.”.Indigenous defendants commonly plead guilty if denied bail, wrote researchers. “It’s easier to say, ‘Yep, yep’ and nod their heads instead of saying, ‘I don’t understand what you’re asking me,’” one respondent told the Department of Justice.
The federal prison service is budgeting almost $11 million a year on spiritual healing for indigenous inmates. Contractors are paid for “telling of stories,” “sacred ceremonies” and “sharing of traditional teachings,” according to an internal audit..“An elder is any person recognized by an indigenous community as having knowledge and understanding of the traditional culture of the community,” said an Audit Of The Management Of Elder Services. The Correctional Service of Canada hired 125 elders to counsel 3,296 inmates on a yearly basis, it said..“The Correctional Service contracts elders to provide services to offenders interested in following a traditional healing path, a traditional aboriginal healing process based on culture and beliefs which encompasses a lifelong spiritual, emotional or psychological journey whereby one strives to be in harmony with all living things on Mother Earth,” wrote auditors..According to Blacklock's Reporter, First Nations, Inuit and Métis comprise 5% of the general public but 32% of the prison population. “One of the Correctional Service’s corporate priorities is to address the overrepresentation of indigenous offenders,” said the report..Federal analysts have presented various theories on why indigenous incarceration rates are high. “Crime rates for First Nations and Inuit communities continue to be higher than in other Canadian communities,” the Department of Public Safety wrote in a 2022 report Evaluation Of The First Nations And Inuit Policing Program..Crime rates were “almost nine times higher” overall, rates of sexual assault were six times higher, and the rate of family violence was 16 times higher. “Indigenous women had an overall rate of violent victimization that was double that of Indigenous men and close to triple that of non-Indigenous women,” said Evaluation..In a separate 2018 report the Department of Justice suggested a high proportion of indigenous defendants were imprisoned due to poor legal counsel and a willingness to plead guilty to charges regardless of evidence. “There are no national statistics on guilty pleas in Canada,” said the report Guilty Pleas Among Indigenous People In Canada. “Some estimate approximately 90% of criminal cases are resolved with a guilty plea.”.“Indigenous people sometimes plead guilty even if they are innocent or ‘innocent to a degree,’ have a valid defence or have grounds to raise Charter issues,” said Guilty Pleas..“Despite lawyers and judges conducting a plea inquiry to confirm the accused understands and is not merely pleading guilty to get it over with, there were reports that indigenous people plead guilty because of disadvantages in the justice system, social vulnerabilities and a cultural sense of responsibility.”.Indigenous defendants commonly plead guilty if denied bail, wrote researchers. “It’s easier to say, ‘Yep, yep’ and nod their heads instead of saying, ‘I don’t understand what you’re asking me,’” one respondent told the Department of Justice.
