Why Community Building, Not Punishment, Is the Key to Safer Indigenous Communities in Canada – ICC
For too long, Canada has relied on a punitive approach to address crime, particularly within Indigenous communities. This approach has failed to reduce crime or foster reconciliation. Instead, it has perpetuated cycles of incarceration, poverty, and marginalization.
The path forward lies not in punishment, but in building stronger, more resilient, communities. It must also be informed by the importance of cultural values, which promote healing, empowerment, and long-term safety.
The Failure of Punishment
Indigenous peoples in Canada are grossly overrepresented in the criminal justice system. While they make up about 5% of the national population, they account for over 32% of the federal prison population, according to the Office of the Correctional Investigator (2023).
For Indigenous women, the numbers are even more staggering: they represent 50% of the incarcerated female population. This is not because Indigenous communities are inherently more prone to crime, but because systemic and structural inequalities persist.
