Federal prison statistics highlight challenges for Trudeau government
OTTAWA — The number of Indigenous offenders in the federal correctional system has risen almost 40 per cent in the last decade, says a government report released Friday.
It also says a lower percentage of Indigenous offenders benefit from gradual release from custody than non-Indigenous ones.
In addition, the number of women admitted to federal correctional centres has increased in recent years.
The statistics underscore the challenges the Liberal government faces as it tries to deal with the over-representation of Indigenous people, the mentally ill and other vulnerable Canadians in the prison system.