Program and Service Needs of Federally Incarcerated Métis ...

INTRODUCTION
The project was a collaboration between Correctional Services Canada (CSC), Métis
National Council (MNC) and Métis Family and Community Justice Services (MFCJS) of
Saskatchewan to examine the specific service needs of federal Métis offenders in
Saskatchewan. The participation of both Métis organizations enhanced the involvement
of the Métis community in addressing the over-representation of Métis peoples within
corrections. Various sources of information (i.e., offender, staff and family interviews;
offender files) were employed to further our understanding of Métis offender needs
while incarcerated in federal facilities and upon release.
Métis Offenders
It is clear that Aboriginal persons are over-represented within the criminal justice system
(e.g., Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1996; Saskatchewan Métis Justice
Review Committee, 1992; Solicitor General of Canada, 1988; Task Force on the
Criminal Justice System and its Impact on the Indian and Métis People of Alberta, 1991;
Trevethan, Tremblay & Carter, 2000; Trevethan, Moore, & Rastin, 2002). The 1991
Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba demonstrates that:
Aboriginal people who are arrested are more likely than non-Aboriginal people to
be denied bail, spend more time in pre-detention and spend less time with their
lawyers, and if convicted are more likely to be incarcerated (Hamilton & Sinclair,
1991).
The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) has not only confirmed the
problem of Aboriginal over-representation within the criminal justice system, but has
suggested that the problem is becoming worse. In response, the Canadian government
has emphasized the importance of addressing the issues faced by Aboriginal peoples.
The January 2001 Speech from the Throne states:
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