In Canada, the mass incarceration of Indigenous women and gender-diverse people represents on of the most egregious human rights travesties our country faces. Indigenous women and gender diverse people make up over 50% of people in federal prisons designated for women—more than one in two federally sentenced women are Indigenous! This represents a a staggering disparity, considering Indigenous people make up less than 5% of the total population.

In some regions, provincial and federal prisoner populations include between 75%-to 90%+ Indigenous people. This travesty reflects the deep systemic violence and racism that persists in Canadian institutions, and signals an urgent need for our collective action.

We encourage you to read the following links and access the resources below to learn more, and to learn how you can become a part of the solution.

Resources

Media

Building Solutions by Increasing Section 81 Releases

Exploring Section 81 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) and self-determination, CAEFS has been part of collaborative efforts which bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts and allies from various sectors to enhance understanding and engagement on S.81 of the CCRA.

Through virtual knowledge sharing sessions held from October 2023 to April 2024 and an in-person event planned for August 2024, key topics such as policy development for Healing Lodges and supporting the self determination of Indigenous communities and collaborations have been discussed. The insights and discussions from these sessions will be synthesized into a comprehensive policy change document aimed at advancing the collective knowledge and mobilizing stakeholders. This document will be shared with partner organizations and stakeholders for further dissemination and implementation across various networks and communities.