OTTAWA,
ON, UNCEDED ALGONQUIN TRADITIONAL TERRITORY,
June 27,
2024 /CNW/ - Anti-Black racism and systemic
discrimination have their origins in Canada's history of colonialism, slavery, and
segregation, and can impact the ability of Black people to fully
contribute to Canadian society. Addressing this issue is critical
to building a fairer, more equal Canadian criminal justice system.
To do so, the Government of Canada
has committed to developing Canada's Black Justice Strategy, including
through consultations and engagements with Black communities.
Today, the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, welcomed the publication of the
external Steering Group's Report: A Roadmap for Transformative
Change: Canada's Black Justice
Strategy. This Report is an important milestone in the
development of Canada's Black
Justice Strategy. The work of the external Steering Group is based
on an intersectional, anti-Black racism, and anti-oppression lens
that responds to and reflects the diverse histories, backgrounds,
experiences and regional realities of Black communities in
Canada.
Their Report sets out 114 recommendations to address anti-Black
racism and systemic discrimination in the criminal justice and
other related systems that has led to the overrepresentation of
Black people in Canada's criminal
justice system, including as victims of crime. The recommendations
include eight overarching accountability measures that would have
significant impact across and beyond the criminal justice system.
The remaining 106 recommendations are categorized as short, medium,
or long-term actions for implementation under five pillars:
- Pillar 1 – Social Determinants of Justice (Employment and Income; Housing;
Education; Health and Mental Health; Child Welfare; and Immigration
and Settlement)
- Pillar 2 – Policing
- Pillar 3 – Courts and Legislation
- Pillar 4 – Corrections
- Pillar 5 – Parole, Re-entry and Reintegration
The Report identifies actions to transform the criminal justice
system to ensure that all people in Canada receive equal treatment before and
under the law. The Report reflects the outcomes of the
consultations and engagements with Black communities in Fall 2023,
which were organized and conducted by 12 Black-led community-based
organizations across Canada.
Through those consultations, participants courageously shared
real-life stories of anti-Black racism and its impact on
themselves, their families and their communities.
The external Steering Group on Canada's Black Justice Strategy was comprised
of nine experts and leaders from Black communities across
Canada and was established in
February 2023 to advise the
Government of Canada on the
development of Canada's Black
Justice Strategy.
Today, the Government of Canada
recommits to leading efforts to eliminate anti-Black racism and
systemic discrimination that prevents the full inclusion of Black
people in our society. In addition to work at the federal level,
the Government of Canada will also
work with other levels of government and Black communities to make
the needed transformative changes to the criminal justice system.
In response to the Steering Group's Report, Justice Canada will develop and release a
government response. This plan will outline the actions that the
Government of Canada will
undertake to address anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination
and the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice
system, including as victims of crime.
Quotes
"I welcome the Report and am pleased to share it publicly, given
its importance in guiding the work ahead, with our partners. I want
to reiterate my appreciation of the external Steering Group, in
particular to the authors of this substantial report. They have
given us a history-making report that lays the groundwork for
policies, programs and legislation that will help build a fairer,
more effective justice system, confront systemic anti-Black racism
and address the disparities that limit opportunities and increase
marginalization and overrepresentation for Black people in our
justice system."
The Honourable Arif Virani
Minister of Justice and Attorney
General of Canada
"Justice is not a destination
but a journey we must all embark upon together. By recognizing and
addressing the systemic inequities faced by Black communities, we
pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable Canada. Canada's Black Justice Strategy serves as a
beacon of hope, guiding us toward a future where every individual
is afforded the dignity, respect, and fairness they deserve."
Dr Akwasi Owusu-Bempah
Steering Group member and co-author of A Roadmap for
Transformative Change: Canada's
Black Justice Strategy
"One of the foundational principles of this report was that it
must be centred in the voices and experiences of Canada's Black communities, and the rich but
painful histories of African-Canadians. Canada has a strong and diverse Black
population, and as a co-author of the report, it was the honour and
privilege of my life to receive the stories entrusted to us by the
members of participating organizations from coast to coast to
coast. What came through most to me was not only the terrible
injustices our people still live with as a legacy of enslavement
and colonialism, but the great resilience of Black Canadians. This
report both remembers our ancestors and builds a better future for
our children. I thank the Government of Canada, Minister of Justice, and the dedicated staff of the
Department of Justice for all they did to support the creation of
this report, which builds on a long tradition of activism and
advocacy by African-Canadians. There is more work to do, of course;
this is not the end, but a hopeful beginning."
Zilla Jones
Steering Group member and co-author of A Roadmap for
Transformative Change: Canada's
Black Justice Strategy
Quick facts
- In December 2021, the Minister of
Justice and Attorney General of
Canada was mandated to develop
Canada's Black Justice Strategy
with the support of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and
Inclusion, and in consultation with provinces, territories and
Black communities. The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness was also tasked to support this important work.
- Canada's Black Justice
Strategy will be the federal government's response to address
anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination that has led to the
overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system,
including as victims of crime. This will also respond to the 2017
Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African
Descent on its mission to Canada.
- The development of Canada's
Black Justice Strategy will be aligned with the Justice Pillar of
the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015 to
2024), with a focus on the right to equality and non-discrimination
and measures to improve access to justice and to eliminate
anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination in the criminal
justice system.
- There are many factors that contribute to Black people's
overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, including
research that shows that Black people frequently have
lower-than-average incomes, higher rates of unemployment, less
access to safe and stable housing, lower educational outcomes in
Canadian schools, and poorer health and mental health
outcomes.
- In 2020-2021, despite representing about 4% of adults in
Canada, Black people accounted for
9% of the total offender population in federal corrections.
(Justice Canada, 2022)
- In 2021-2022, although Black youth represented approximately 4%
of the combined youth population in Nova
Scotia, Alberta and
British Columbia, they accounted
for 9% of youth admissions to correctional services in these
reporting jurisdictions (17% of admissions to custody).
(Justice Canada, 2024)
- Black people have overall lower rates of reoffending and lower
returns to custody. The majority of Black offenders (85.8%) are not
re-admitted to federal custody within 5 years following the
expiration of their sentence. (Correctional Service Canada,
2022)
- Despite the lower rates of reoffending and returning to
custody, Black people are more likely to be assessed as higher
risk, low motivation, and low reintegration potential. (Office of
the Correctional Investigator, 2022)
Related products
- Read the Report A Roadmap for Transformative Change:
Canada's Black Justice
Strategy
- Canada's Black Justice
Strategy Framework.
- Meet the external Steering Group members and learn about their
mandate
- About the consultations and engagement process on Canada's Black Justice Strategy
- Fact Sheet: Key Facts and Statistics about the
Overrepresentation of Black People in the Criminal Justice
System
- Fact Sheet: Key Historical Facts about Anti-Black Racism and
Discrimination in Canada
Associated links
Canada's Black Justice
Strategy's website
Canada's Black Strategy's
Framework
Stay connected
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Canada on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
- Follow Minister Virani on Twitter: @MinJusticeEn
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For more information or to subscribe, visit
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/rss.html.
SOURCE Department of Justice
Canada