Federal prisoners allowed to serve time at indigenous healing lodges have a higher recidivism rate than those held in regular cells, says a federal report. Healing lodges feature arts and crafts, skating and book clubs, said the Correctional Service..“The strength of healing lodges lies in their ability to provide a structured living environment that incorporates indigenous spirituality and traditions,” said the report Experiences At Men’s Correctional Service-Operated Healing Lodges: A Qualitative Examination. However prisoners permitted to serve a portion of their sentence at healing lodges were more likely to re-offend, it said..“Although this would suggest negative outcomes associated with healing lodges it should be noted that healing lodge residents were more often rated as high need and at higher risk to reoffend,” wrote researchers. Findings were based on a review of lodge operations in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan..According to Blacklock's Reporter, the report did not detail the cost of lodges. The Native Women’s Association of Canada in a 2019 Policy Backgrounder put the budget at $21.6 million a year or $113,450 per inmate. The federal prison service spends another $10.6 million a year on Elder services for indigenous prisoners held in cells..“Healing lodges are environments that use ingenous values, traditions and beliefs to offer culturally releinvant services and programs for indigenous offenders,” said the report. Researchers detailed activities for prisoners..“At healing lodges the emphasis for hobby crafts would be on traditional indigenous arts and crafts such as rattle making or beadwork,” said the report. Inmates also enjoy “a diverse range of ceremonies” including “sun dances, pipe ceremonies, smudges, blanketing ceremonies, pow wows, welcoming and farewell ceremonies and tea dances amongst many others.”.“Beyond cultural hobby crafts and activities across the healing lodges there appear to be meaningful opportunities for residents to engage in other activities such as leisure and recreational activities,” said the report. “Residents and staff highlighted numerous activities that help keep residents engaged such as sports tournaments, skating, music bands, card and chess tournaments, book clubs and writing activities as well as book and movie rentals.”.First Nations, Inuit and Métis comprise 5% of the general public but 32% of the prison population. “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.
