A new report says Canada has made scant progress in addressing the overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous offenders in prisons, with some facing even worse conditions than a decade ago.
The country's top prison watchdog says systemic concerns and barriers, including rampant racial discrimination, stereotyping and bias, are "as pervasive and persistent as before."
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, who oversees the service, said that he welcomed the "meticulous" report and that "extensive work" is underway to address issues. Black prisoners represent 9.2 per cent of the total incarcerated population despite representing only about 3.5 per cent of the overall Canadian population, the report says. More than a third of them are young Black men aged 18 to 30.
Zinger decried the correctional service for an "underwhelming and disappointing" response to his recommendations, and for consistently failing to include input and support from Black community groups. He said the agency promised more sensitivity training, more research projects and more policy reviews in response.
Indigenous people are also more likely to be subject to the use of force by correctional officers, put into structured intervention, placed in maximum security and labelled as gang members.
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