My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. In April, two articles in Le Devoir lifted the veil on inadequate government funding that forced the Correctional Service of Canada to cut an important college-level training program.

It is well known that training is key to successful social reintegration and that it is an essential part of the Correctional Service of Canada’s mission. Unfortunately, on March 31, college-level training at the Federal Training Centre in Laval ended.

I once visited the centre with a group of my fellow female senators. We met a young Black inmate who told us that education played an important role in improving his chances of finding a job when he got out. Budgetary resources already limited the training available there.

As you know, racialized people make up a large proportion of the prison population. The number of Black people has increased by 80% over the past 10 years. They represent close to 10% of the prison population but less than 3% of Canada’s civilian population.

The situation is similar for Indigenous people, who make up 30% of federal inmates but just 5% of the population. The situation is even worse for Indigenous women, who account for 42% of the female population of Canada’s prison system. This is astounding considering we have a government that makes much of its desire to eliminate systemic racism.

In 2018-19, 68% of offenders pursued their education and 60% of them completed skills training programs. Can the government explain why it cut funding for education in prisons at a time when our economy is experiencing a labour shortage?

Thank you for that answer, Senator Gold.