Is racism behind rising number of visible minorities in jail

[Frost]

It's a lot to do with how much you pay, the appointed lawyers don't have the same clout, and know how of most trial attorneys.

[Romero]

I think there is often some racism, but it's mainly demographics. Which can also be racist. Hmm.



Many visible minorities, often First Nations in Canada and blacks in the US, may happen to be poorer, unemployed etc. compared to the average. Their situations will always lead to more crime, arrests and jail time no matter what they are. It's circumstantial, but there is at least an element of racism in the fact that certain people have a tougher life than others.



Racism sometimes. I know that blacks and Latinos in the US are more likely to be stopped, arrested, and spend more jail time than whites. New York City has recently courted controversy with its 'stop-and-frisk' program, in which it has been found that police were stopping and searching a high majority of blacks and Latinos even though they were no more likely of committing crime.



An incredible story I recently posted in another forum:

Earl Sampson is a 28-year-old black man with a 38-page rap sheet. He's been stopped and questioned 258 times in four years, and arrested 62 times for trespassing at the same neighborhood convenience store.



Why is this man still out on the street? What is wrong with the justice system?



Earl Sampson works at that store.



The store owner installed 15 video cameras. Not for protection against robbers, but for protection from the police. Now with the help of the ACLU

they are taking the police department to federal court.



Source: http://www.commondreams.org/further/2013/11/22-2">//http://www.commondreams.org/further/2013/11/22-2

A good article regarding First Nations here in Canada:

The skyrocketing number of Aboriginal people in jail has sparked a special report by Canada's prison watchdog, in which blame is pointed squarely at the federal government for failing indigenous people.



In the report Howard Sapers, Canada's correctional investigator, notes that incarceration rates of First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in federal prisons have jumped over 43 per cent in the last five years.



While the Aboriginal population makes up four per cent of Canada's population, 23.2 per cent of those in prison are Aboriginal.



The numbers are even more staggering for women, where more than one-third of the prison population is Aboriginal.



The report comes just weeks after Superior Justice Frank Iacobucci's report on the lack of First Nations on jury rolls in Ontario. Iacobucci also cited systematic racism and the history of colonialism as effects on First Nations' perception of the legal system.



In a press release, the Assembly of First Nations said that the best way to deal with the rising prison rates for First Nations people is to invest in education.



"It costs about 10 times more to incarcerate a person for one year than it does to educate them for single year of high school," said AFN Justice Portfolio holder, Alberta Regional Chief Cameron Alexis.



"An investment in nurturing the self-esteem, ambition and dreams of our children and youth will pay the greatest dividends and cost significantly less than having them end-up in the justice system. A holistic approach is required to address quality of life issues - lifelong learning, child welfare, housing, clean drinking water, infrastructure, environment, and jurisdiction."



The AFN noted that funding caps on education for First Nations have resulted in students on-reserve getting substantially less money for education than their off-reserve peers.



http://www.wawataynews.ca/archive/all/2013/3/14/first-nation-prison-rates-mount-blame-pointed-feds_24234">//http://www.wawataynews.ca/archive/all/2013/3/14/first-nation-prison-rates-mount-blame-pointed-feds_24234

But don't you worry about your bro, Fash! I'm sure he's a great guy. There are problems anywhere, but most police are top-notch professionals.

[Anonymous]

I think there is often some racism, but it's mainly demographics. Which can also be racist. Hmm.



Many visible minorities, often First Nations in Canada and blacks in the US, may happen to be poorer, unemployed etc. compared to the average. Their situations will always lead to more crime, arrests and jail time no matter what they are. It's circumstantial, but there is at least an element of racism in the fact that certain people have a tougher life than others.



Racism sometimes. I know that blacks and Latinos in the US are more likely to be stopped, arrested, and spend more jail time than whites. New York City has recently courted controversy with its 'stop-and-frisk' program, in which it has been found that police were stopping and searching a high majority of blacks and Latinos even though they were no more likely of committing crime.



An incredible story I recently posted in another forum:

Earl Sampson is a 28-year-old black man with a 38-page rap sheet. He's been stopped and questioned 258 times in four years, and arrested 62 times for trespassing at the same neighborhood convenience store.



Why is this man still out on the street? What is wrong with the justice system?



Earl Sampson works at that store.



The store owner installed 15 video cameras. Not for protection against robbers, but for protection from the police. Now with the help of the ACLU

they are taking the police department to federal court.



Source: http://www.commondreams.org/further/2013/11/22-2">//http://www.commondreams.org/further/2013/11/22-2

A good article regarding First Nations here in Canada:

The skyrocketing number of Aboriginal people in jail has sparked a special report by Canada's prison watchdog, in which blame is pointed squarely at the federal government for failing indigenous people.



In the report Howard Sapers, Canada's correctional investigator, notes that incarceration rates of First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in federal prisons have jumped over 43 per cent in the last five years.



While the Aboriginal population makes up four per cent of Canada's population, 23.2 per cent of those in prison are Aboriginal.



The numbers are even more staggering for women, where more than one-third of the prison population is Aboriginal.



The report comes just weeks after Superior Justice Frank Iacobucci's report on the lack of First Nations on jury rolls in Ontario. Iacobucci also cited systematic racism and the history of colonialism as effects on First Nations' perception of the legal system.



In a press release, the AFN said that the best way to deal with the rising prison rates for First Nations people is to invest in education.



"It costs about 10 times more to incarcerate a person for one year than it does to educate them for single year of high school," said AFN Justice Portfolio holder, Alberta Regional Chief Cameron Alexis.



"An investment in nurturing the self-esteem, ambition and dreams of our children and youth will pay the greatest dividends and cost significantly less than having them end-up in the justice system. A holistic approach is required to address quality of life issues - lifelong learning, child welfare, housing, clean drinking water, infrastructure, environment, and jurisdiction."



The AFN noted that funding caps on education for First Nations have resulted in students on-reserve getting substantially less money for education than their off-reserve peers.



http://www.wawataynews.ca/archive/all/2013/3/14/first-nation-prison-rates-mount-blame-pointed-feds_24234">//http://www.wawataynews.ca/archive/all/2013/3/14/first-nation-prison-rates-mount-blame-pointed-feds_24234

Don't you worry about your bro, Fash! I'm sure he's a great guy. There are problems anywhere, but most police are top-notch professionals.

Thanks Romero..

 :)

My brother speaks in broad terms, but he does not like to mention specific cases..



What I can tell you is that he works in an area with a high percentage of Native Canadians..



He is active in the greater community including being a scout leader in a multi racial environment which I would hope helps bridge the chasm between the police and young Aboriginals.

[Anonymous]

^^Ah fuck that guilt BS. A cop's job is to arrest criminals who would cause harm to people and property. It is not their responsibility to be a substitute daddy, social worker, addictions counsellor or any other role besides keeping violent criminals off the fucking streets.



Canadian taxpayers spend a shit load of money on corrupt Native chiefs/band councils, greedy bureaucrats in the Indian industry and yet heaps of Aboriginals are not living in two parent families. Is that your brother's fault? Fuck no, but it is cops, judges, corrections officers and so on who will be labeled "racist" because of Canada's rapidly changing demographics. There's a real lack of accountability on too many reserves, but to their credit, the feds are try to bring some transparency to Aboriginal funding



I would like to see some changes too, but focusing on the thug's skin colour is not the answer.

[Obvious Li]

its funny to hear different comments from the big city dwellers that rarely if ever interact with natives.....here, in indian country, where we live, eat and work with natives every day there is a little different perspective...if you asked 100 white people here what they thought about the native jail population 100 of them would say they don't put enough of them in jail....we would all relate stories of crimes committed by natives on a daily basis that the cops no longer even show up for as they know the courts will simply throw out the charges....it would be a rare occurrence for a native to be charged with crimes like break and enter, simple assault, drunkeness, theft etc. etc....the cops are too busy charging them with murder, drug dealing, assault, rape, robbery and other serious shit to worry about the petty stuff..in a lot of cases the whites have to take matters into their own hands and deal with it......

when some old person wakes up and there are a couple of braves standing in their living room loading up the TV and the cops are busy on the reserve breaking up one of the many  early morning family knife fights....the oldsters are kinda on their own

[Anonymous]

its funny to hear different comments from the big city dwellers that rarely if ever interact with natives.....here, in indian country, where we live, eat and work with natives every day there is a little different perspective...if you asked 100 white people here what they thought about the native jail population 100 of them would say they don't put enough of them in jail....we would all relate stories of crimes committed by natives on a daily basis that the cops no longer even show up for as they know the courts will simply throw out the charges....it would be a rare occurrence for a native to be charged with crimes like break and enter, simple assault, drunkeness, theft etc. etc....the cops are too busy charging them with murder, drug dealing, assault, rape, robbery and other serious shit to worry about the petty stuff..in a lot of cases the whites have to take matters into their own hands and deal with it......

when some old person wakes up and there are a couple of braves standing in their living room loading up the TV and the cops are busy on the reserve breaking up one of the many  early morning family knife fights....the oldsters are kinda on their own

Mr. Obvious Li, you are very right, I do see situations through urban eyes because that is all I know..



I do not see or have ever seen what you have, so I will reserve my comments..



PS you are a very early riser.

 :)

[Anonymous]

its funny to hear different comments from the big city dwellers that rarely if ever interact with natives.....here, in indian country, where we live, eat and work with natives every day there is a little different perspective...if you asked 100 white people here what they thought about the native jail population 100 of them would say they don't put enough of them in jail....we would all relate stories of crimes committed by natives on a daily basis that the cops no longer even show up for as they know the courts will simply throw out the charges....it would be a rare occurrence for a native to be charged with crimes like break and enter, simple assault, drunkeness, theft etc. etc....the cops are too busy charging them with murder, drug dealing, assault, rape, robbery and other serious shit to worry about the petty stuff..in a lot of cases the whites have to take matters into their own hands and deal with it......

when some old person wakes up and there are a couple of braves standing in their living room loading up the TV and the cops are busy on the reserve breaking up one of the many  early morning family knife fights....the oldsters are kinda on their own

I have never lived in places like Wabasca, Fort McKay or Lac La Biche, but I have spent enough time in all of them to know what is going on. All of these mostly Aboriginal communities had serious problems with domestic violence/sexual abuse. There was revenue from government and of course resources, but it was not trickling through to everyone it seemed. The chiefs/band councillors and their friends were doing quite well, but the rest not so much. Some impressive buildings on some of them though.



I have no doubt that being non-Aboriginal in one of those communities requires some vast adjustments. Things don't follow the same pattern off reserve as they do on. It's hard for city dwellers to take off their urban blinders and accept that reality. Reserves are an antiquated idea and the time has come to bring true equality to people of all colours and get rid of the racism of "Aboriginal rights"(special rights based on race). It's not working for Aboriginals anyway.

[Anonymous]

The numbers are particularly striking when compared to the general population. Aboriginals account for nearly one-quarter of all prisoners but comprise four per cent of the Canadian population. African-Canadians comprise nearly 10 per cent of the prison population but less than three per cent of Canadian society. The black inmate population in federal institutions has grown by nearly 90 per cent since 2003, the report says.

Right here.



and here

A case study of the experiences of black prisoners found they were over-represented in segregation placement compared to their population in prison, incurred a disproportionate number of charges while behind bars — especially charges that were up to the discretion of staff — and were more likely to be subject to use of force.



Black inmates are also over-represented in maximum-security prisons, despite generally posing a lower risk to re-offend, Sapers said "They are also released later in their sentence and are less likely to be granted day or full parole."

[Obvious Li]

its funny to hear different comments from the big city dwellers that rarely if ever interact with natives.....here, in indian country, where we live, eat and work with natives every day there is a little different perspective...if you asked 100 white people here what they thought about the native jail population 100 of them would say they don't put enough of them in jail....we would all relate stories of crimes committed by natives on a daily basis that the cops no longer even show up for as they know the courts will simply throw out the charges....it would be a rare occurrence for a native to be charged with crimes like break and enter, simple assault, drunkeness, theft etc. etc....the cops are too busy charging them with murder, drug dealing, assault, rape, robbery and other serious shit to worry about the petty stuff..in a lot of cases the whites have to take matters into their own hands and deal with it......

when some old person wakes up and there are a couple of braves standing in their living room loading up the TV and the cops are busy on the reserve breaking up one of the many  early morning family knife fights....the oldsters are kinda on their own

Mr. Obvious Li, you are very right, I do see situations through urban eyes because that is all I know..



I do not see or have ever seen what you have, so I will reserve my comments..



PS you are a very early riser.

 :)

lol...true dat.....i rarely sleep more than 3 or 4 hours at a stretch....too much to accomplish and not enough hours in a day............

[Anonymous]

its funny to hear different comments from the big city dwellers that rarely if ever interact with natives.....here, in indian country, where we live, eat and work with natives every day there is a little different perspective...if you asked 100 white people here what they thought about the native jail population 100 of them would say they don't put enough of them in jail....we would all relate stories of crimes committed by natives on a daily basis that the cops no longer even show up for as they know the courts will simply throw out the charges....it would be a rare occurrence for a native to be charged with crimes like break and enter, simple assault, drunkeness, theft etc. etc....the cops are too busy charging them with murder, drug dealing, assault, rape, robbery and other serious shit to worry about the petty stuff..in a lot of cases the whites have to take matters into their own hands and deal with it......

when some old person wakes up and there are a couple of braves standing in their living room loading up the TV and the cops are busy on the reserve breaking up one of the many  early morning family knife fights....the oldsters are kinda on their own

Mr. Obvious Li, you are very right, I do see situations through urban eyes because that is all I know..



I do not see or have ever seen what you have, so I will reserve my comments..



PS you are a very early riser.

 :)

lol...true dat.....i rarely sleep more than 3 or 4 hours at a stretch....too much to accomplish and not enough hours in a day............

You seem like a very driven man Mr. Obvious Li..



That is why you have had such a successful career.

[Anonymous]

Mr. Obvious Li, you are very right, I do see situations through urban eyes because that is all I know..



I do not see or have ever seen what you have, so I will reserve my comments..



PS you are a very early riser.

 :)

lol...true dat.....i rarely sleep more than 3 or 4 hours at a stretch....too much to accomplish and not enough hours in a day............

You seem like a very driven man Mr. Obvious Li..



That is why you have had such a successful career.

You're fucking right he is. As well as an ambitious, determined, competitive, achievement-oriented type A personality. A type A and a 1 percenter. Like me he has little time for crybabies like Mel Gibson, Soon and the rest of the whiner "men" on Vancouver Forum. They are lazy, lack focus and when they fuck up it is always someone else or some thing's fault. If girlmen like them were non-white they would be the first ones milking the race card for their own many inadequacies.

[Odinson]

Again.. This shit is happening everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Again.. This shit is happening everywhere.

I can't believe it, but I actually agree with you. Violent criminals going to jail is not a bad thing in my mind. Who cares about their fucking skin colour.

[Rambo Wong]

Canada is so racist a country

[Anonymous]

Canada is so racist a country

Still can't get laid eh hornung? ;)