Aboriginal peoples and the criminal justice system.

• Author: Mildon, Marsha

The Canadian Criminal Justice Association has recently released a paper, Aboriginal Peoples and the Criminal Justice System, which, it hopes, will promote the development of an ever-growing number of culturally-sensitive justice and correctional programs for Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

This paper examines the historical legacy of assimilation, tracing many of the problems we face today back to the impact of European assimilation and loss of the traditional Aboriginal way of life. Further it uses demographics to help illustrate some of the difficulties confronting Aboriginal people within the Canadian judicial system. It points out the connection of...