The overrepresentation of indigenous people is a substantial issue in our country that requires attention in order to maintain a positive relationship with the Aboriginals and remove any negative stigmatization against the indigenous culture (Welsh & Ogloff, 2008, pp. 492-494). This remains an issue in our society because there are increasing numbers of indigenous people in prison throughout the provinces due to systemic racism within the legal system, crimes committed due to socioeconomic challenges and cultural or language barriers (Fitzgerald & Carrington, 2008, pp. 524-525). Moreover, alternative courses of action should be addressed in order to decrease the overrepresentation of indigenous people in the criminal justice system. For example,
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It’s a significant issue because there are increasing disproportionate numbers of Aboriginals in prison throughout the provinces (La Prairie, 2002, p. 182). For example, incarceration rates of Aboriginals augmented by 37.3% while female Aboriginal offenders encompass 33% of the overall prisoner population in Canada (Government of Canada, 2016). It conveys that there are some indications of systemic racism in the justice system by police and judges. For instance, there are significant amounts of over-policing in Aboriginal communities compared to non-Aboriginals, which reveals that indigenous people are specifically targeted for civic offenses by the police depending on their discretion (La Prairie, 2002, pp. 189-191). Police discretion can involve prejudice against indigenous communities because they are continuously under surveillance by law enforcement agencies, which leads to overrepresentation of Aboriginals in the justice system (La Prairie, 2002, pp. 189-191). However, over-policing can also be influenced by presence of actual crime in these indigenous neighbourhoods because Aboriginals experience poverty to a greater extent that causes them to commit criminal activities including theft, burglary or joining gangs (Fitzgerald & Carrington, 2008, pp.
It’s a significant issue because there are increasing disproportionate numbers of Aboriginals in prison throughout the provinces (La Prairie, 2002, p. 182). For example, incarceration rates of Aboriginals augmented by 37.3% while female Aboriginal offenders encompass 33% of the overall prisoner population in Canada (Government of Canada, 2016). It conveys that there are some indications of systemic racism in the justice system by police and judges. For instance, there are significant amounts of over-policing in Aboriginal communities compared to non-Aboriginals, which reveals that indigenous people are specifically targeted for civic offenses by the police depending on their discretion (La Prairie, 2002, pp. 189-191). Police discretion can involve prejudice against indigenous communities because they are continuously under surveillance by law enforcement agencies, which leads to overrepresentation of Aboriginals in the justice system (La Prairie, 2002, pp. 189-191). However, over-policing can also be influenced by presence of actual crime in these indigenous neighbourhoods because Aboriginals experience poverty to a greater extent that causes them to commit criminal activities including theft, burglary or joining gangs (Fitzgerald & Carrington, 2008, pp.