QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative
May 23, 2024
Senator Gold, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action 50 to 52, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Call for Justice 5.13, and Measure 28 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan all point to justice as being integral to preserving the well-being and dignity of Indigenous peoples.
The Mi’kmaw Legal Support Network, or MLSN, is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to ensure fair treatment of all Mi’kmaq and Indigenous people in the justice system. However, they are severely underfunded.
Senator Gold, MLSN is not legal aid. They fall under the umbrella of restorative justice. They are beholden to a patchwork of proposal-based funding that severely drains their already limited resources. Would your government be open to a sectoral agreement that would provide long-term, stable funding for MLSN?
Thank you, colleague, for your question and for your continued advocacy on this important matter.
It’s my understanding that the government currently has the Community-Based Justice Fund, which supports community-based justice programs in partnership with Indigenous communities. These programs are cost-shared with provincial and territorial governments. They’re designed to reflect the culture and values of the communities in which they are situated. This fund has several objectives, including to allow Indigenous people the opportunity to assume greater responsibility for the administration of justice in their communities, and to foster improved responsiveness, fairness, inclusiveness and effectiveness of the justice system with respect to justice and its administration so as to meet the needs and aspirations of Indigenous people.
Additionally, I might conclude that programs can fall at any point along the justice continuum, including prevention, pre-charge, post-charge and reintegration.
Senator Gold, according to MLSN Executive Director Paula Marshall, access to bail is one of the biggest factors in sentencing. As of March, MLSN has lost all government funding for their bail release program. They had applied to the Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative, and were told that they could expect a response in December 2023. It is May, and there is no further communication.
Can you advise on the status of this application, or use your office to solicit a response from Public Safety Canada?
Thank you for your question. I’m not aware of the status of the application, but I will certainly bring it to the minister’s attention.
