QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Indigenous Women in Prison
September 24, 2024
Thank you, Senator Gold.
Recent reports, including a 2023 article from The Globe and Mail, explain that Indigenous women are often placed in structured intervention units at alarmingly high rates, contributing to severe mental health deterioration.
What steps are being taken to reduce the use of isolation of Indigenous women and ensure that these women are not subject to further harm while in federal custody?
Colleagues, Correctional Service Canada is obligated to consider systemic and background factors unique to Indigenous offenders in all decision making. This includes that before authorizing the transfer of an Indigenous inmate to an SIU, Correctional Service Canada must consider Indigenous social history, and this includes identifying culturally appropriate alternatives, consulting with an interdisciplinary team and other measures involving culturally appropriate support as needed.
