APTN National News
The number of Aboriginal peoples finding themselves in prisons has increased by nearly 50 per cent in the last 10 years, yet during the same period, the amount of Caucasian inmates dropped according to a report released Tuesday.
Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers found Aboriginal peoples represent a “staggering” 23 per cent of federal inmates butmake up just 4.3 per cent of the total Canadian population.
“These are disturbing trends that raise important questions about equality and our justice system in Canada”said Sapers in a press release.
One-in-three women in federal prisons are Aboriginal.
The number of visible minority groups, Black, Asian and Hispanic, has increased nearly 75 per cent.
There was a three per cent drop in white people going to prison.
The report is available at www.oci-bec.gc.ca.
