Ontario Senator and women’s advocate Kim Pate has expressed her disappointment and frustration with the ongoing failure of Correctional Service Canada to remedy its discriminatory treatment of Indigenous prisoners.
 
Referring to the findings of the Auditor General in the Preparing Indigenous Offenders for Release—Correctional Service Canada report released this week, Pate said that “as outrageous as are these findings, it was unfortunately not a surprise to read these conclusions. The Auditor General’s findings underscore the need for immediate action to remedy current and ongoing historical discrimination experienced by all federally sentenced Indigenous prisoners. Although not the focus of this report, the situation of Indigenous women is even more egregious. Not only are they the fastest growing prison population, but 37 percent of federally sentenced women are Indigenous."
 
The Auditor General found that the discriminatory and inappropriate assessment tools, limited programs and services provided to Indigenous prisoners by Correctional Service Canada were not only inadequate, they were not offered in a timely manner. The results are that Indigenous prisoners are classified as higher security and subjected to overly secure and often isolating conditions of confinement and are also consequently less likely to be supported for gradual and successful community integration – the primary legislative responsibility of Correctional Service Canada.
 
"It is beyond imperative that we act to address these deficiencies and I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to ensure that the government is called to account for each of these recommendations in addition to continuing to work to ensure the end to this and related discriminatory treatment of Indigenous Peoples,” concluded Pate.