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Home   Programs Corrections Aboriginal corrections Why this is important
The over-representation of Aboriginal people throughout the federal prison population is currently on the rise. The numbers reveal a critical situation: - While Aboriginal adults represent 2.7% of the Canadian adult population, they accounted for 11% of admissions to federal penitentiaries in 1991-92 and 18% in 2002-03.
- 28.5% of all incarcerated women and 18.2% of all incarcerated men in Canada are Aboriginal
- The numbers reach critical levels in the Prairie region where Aboriginal people make up more than 60% of the inmate population in some penitentiaries. In 1998 Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan represented 11% of the total population but accounted for 61% of people in federal institutions, 74% of people in provincial jails and 72% of youth in custody.
The overall Aboriginal population is young and growing, with 35% being less than 15 years old. It is expected that the current Aboriginal baby boom could cause the number of Aboriginal offenders to rise still further over the next decade. People aged 18 to 25 are more likely to become involved in criminal activity than other age groups. Should the current trend continue unchecked, the Aboriginal population in Canada’s correctional institutions could reach the 25% mark in less than 10 years. The impact on Aboriginal communities and federal corrections will be extremely serious if left unaddressed.
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