Provincial government needs to work proactively to reduce Indigenous youth incarceration rates, says child advocate – StarPhoenix

June 28, 2018

Saskatchewan’s Advocate for Children and Youth wants the provincial government to make changes to address the vast over-representation of Indigenous youth in the provincial justice system.

According to a recent report from Statistics Canada, 92 per cent of male youths and 98 per cent of female youths admitted into custody in Saskatchewan are Indigenous — the highest rate in Canada — although they represent eight per cent of the youth population nationwide.

Children’s advocate Corey O’Soup called the situation a crisis that is “morally and ethically wrong.”

O’Soup, who regularly visits youth correctional centres across the province, noted that sometimes those statistics can be as high as 100 per cent.

“On any given day, you can walk into one of those facilities and you cannot see a non-Indigenous face.”

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