GRSJ224/criminalizationofindigenouspeoples

From UBC Wiki

Introduction

Discrimination is the practice of treating one person or group of people less fairly or less well than other people or groups [4]. There is a large discrimination against indigenous peoples in regards to the criminal system in Canada. They have less support and opportunities to prove their innocents and are often forgotten about from the media and police force [8]. This wiki page will demonstrate how indigenous peoples in Canada are discriminated against in the Canadian Justice System.

Criminal Justice System

There is an overrepresentation of indigenous people in the criminal justice system, as their culture holds roughly a quarter of Canadas incarceration rate but only has 4% of Canadas population [7], and also have a higher chance of being a victim [1]. Indigenous peoples often don’t get the same recognition as non-indigenous peoples do and often have a lack of support when it comes to the criminal justice system. The rate of homicide for indigenous peoples is almost seven times higher when comparing to non-indigenous people including that they have a higher accused rate of homicide more than non-indigenous peoples [7].

Youth in the Criminal Justice System

Growing up in an environment that you have little control over can have a large impact on how one’s life turns out. Growing up in communities where there is such a high crime rate can make in confusing and hard for youth to know how to stray away from following others mistakes. As when we are young we often want to fit in with our friends, this might the decisions we choose to not always have a positive outcome. Indigenous youth are more likely to engage in drugs and alcohol activities at a younger age in comparison to non-indigenous youth [6].  This might be a reason why we see such high rate of indigenous youth in the juvenile detention system as they represent almost half the admissions to correctional system in 2016/2017 [5]. As being exposed to crime at such a young age can make it harder for one to change their ways as they get older, and this might cause higher unemployment rates and drop-out rates in school [2].

Victims of Crime

Indigenous peoples are underrepresented in the media even when surrounding a serious crime. Media often shows them only when they are the suspects in the crime and add headlines that show them in a negative way. We don’t often see indigenous peoples as the victim in the media, which is something that is a serious issue in aboriginal communities. The lack of support from police forces causes indigenous people to have a lack of trust with the system and might make it harder for them to get help when needed. 

Cause and Effect of High Crime Rates

Living Situation in Indigenous Communities

Indigenous peoples living situation can be a reason why they have such high crime rates and can constantly be going in and out of jail/prison. As they are more likely to live in poverty substandard housing that might be over crowded, it can make an impact on how one spends their time at home [6]. There are also higher alcohol and drug dependencies in indigenous communities which can result in higher violent relationships between individuals or couples [6]. Education levels can also be a reason why indigenous crime rates are so high as individuals might drop out of school because that’s what others in their community did and they want to follow [6]. The lack of education can also make an impact on one’s future by limiting chances to break stereotypes that an indigenous person might have. Individuals in indigenous communities might also be more exposed to others who are transitioning out of jail and might not have the right mindset to want to improve their life and might drag others into activities that can get them in trouble [3]. Because aboriginal communities are close knit and often excluded from society, by individuals who live in a smaller community where they know everyone, it might be hard for one to try to make a escape or change due to being dragged into criminal activities by the people they associate with.

Effect on the Individual and Culture

As indigenous peoples experience a lot of discrimination in their life and are often stereotypes that steer them away from interacting in society. By constantly stereotyping indigenous peoples, society isn’t giving a chance to see another side to them other than criminals, which might be a reason they feel obligated to follow that path [6]. Having such a label on a culture can cause a mental, emotional, and psychological toll on one’s future than can have negative effects on generations to come.   

How to Limit Discrimination

There are some organization that are trying to help stop this discrimination towards indigenous people that give them a voice to share their troubles that others don’t listen to. The Missing Women Task Force (MWTF) was made after the case of the highway of tears murders, as aboriginal women were the top victims in the case, and the task force make looking for women their top priority to find them before they are killed [8]. This is a helpful step to support the needs of others and limit discrimination in society, and show equal resources for everyone who needs it. By limiting stereotypes and giving more opportunities to indigenous people it can benefit them with giving them more hope to change how others see them, which is an important step to reducing the crime rates of indigenous peoples.

References

[1] Bellegarde, B. (2016, june 28). Indigenous people victims of crime more often than non-Indigenous Canadians: StatsCan. Retrieved from CBC News: https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-people-victims-of-crime-more-often-1.3656717

[2] Cao, L. (2011). Visible Minorities and Confidence in the Police. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice,53(1), 1-26. doi:10.3138/cjccj.53.1.1

[3] Comack, E. (2012). Racialized Policing: Aboriginal People’s Encounters with the Police. Winnipeg: Fernwood. 

[4] Definition of 'discrimination'. (n.d.). Retrieved from Collins English Dictonary: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/discrimination

[5] Malakieh, J. (2018, June 19). Adults and youth correctional statistics in Canada 2016/2017. Retrieved from Statistics Canada: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2018001/article/54972-eng.htm

[6] Roberts, J. V., & Doob, A. N. (1997). Race, Ethnicity, and Criminal Justice in Canada. Crime and Justice,21, 469-522. doi:10.1086/449256

[7] Sisterhood, Project. (2011). Stitching through Tragedy of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women in Canada: We Can Do Better: A Position Paper by the Sisterwatch Project of the Vancouver Police Department and the Women's Memorial March Committee. ,14(1), 1-38.

[8] Winterdyk, J. (2016). Canadian Criminology (3rd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.