Uqaqtittiji, I always feel privileged to represent Nunavummiut on any matter in this House. Today, I will be splitting my time with the member for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj.
I speak as the NDP critic for justice. All Canadians want to live in safe communities protected from dangerous offenders, but three-strikes policies, such as those in the United States and the one in the Conservative motion before us today, fail to address the root causes of crime. They are fearmongering, and like other Conservatives I have heard say, we are not living in war zones in Canada.
Let me be clear. The Conservatives' tough-on-crime policies will not work to decrease crime. They are unconstitutional, they would bind judges' discretion and they would not tackle the real causes of crime.
The New Democrats believe the best way for the federal government to ensure safety for Canadians is to invest in housing, schools, health care, and addictions and mental health supports to help prevent crime in the first place. Offenders must receive adequate rehabilitation to prevent recidivism. The New Democrats believe that rehabilitation is the only appropriate avenue for ensuring healthy reintegration into society. Eliminating such opportunities ignores or prevents opportunities for addressing the root causes that most likely resulted in criminal behaviour.
The Conservatives' choice to ignore the rehabilitation of incarcerated people divides people. It isolates people. They pretend rehabilitation is not possible and advocating punishment is not justified. Rehabilitation is not part of the Conservatives' values. Their position is one of grandstanding, with maximum punishment and with no mind toward what happens when offenders begin their re-entry into our communities.
Studies have shown that rehabilitation is the most effective way to prevent crimes from being recommitted. Norway is a great example. Their recidivism rate decreased from as high as 70% in 1992 to the lowest in the world, at 20%, after it started community-based correctional facilities and focused on rehabilitation programs. The United States has one of the highest rates of recidivism: 76% of prisoners are rearrested within five years. In Canada, our recidivism rate was 23% in 2020 and 2021.
The Conservatives, with this motion, are ultimately targeting indigenous and BIPOC communities. It is well reported that the prison population in Canada is mainly made up of indigenous people. They make up more than a quarter of designated “dangerous offenders” but account for only 4% of the population in Canada. According to data, since 2010, the indigenous population in prisons has grown by nearly 44%.
Indigenous people are more likely than non-indigenous people to be labelled as dangerous or maximum-security offenders. Indigenous people are more likely to be involved in use-of-force incidents with prison staff and are more likely to be placed in solitary confinement. Systemic racism in Canada's criminal justice system requires urgent attention, particularly with respect to indigenous people.
The Correctional Investigator of Canada, Dr. Ivan Zinger, described the disproportionate representation of indigenous people in prisons as “nothing short of a national travesty”. Systemic racism in our criminal justice system will only be exacerbated by a three-strikes policy. Policies like the one in the Conservatives' three-strike motion target BIPOC committees and worsen opportunities for reconciliation with indigenous people.
To address justice for indigenous people, the Liberal government must implement the TRC calls for action on justice and the MMIWG calls for justice, as well as the Assembly of First Nations' and the Métis National Council's justice strategies.
Canada's correctional system is based on the principle that the rule of law follows sentenced persons into prison. Imprisonment does not mean total deprivation or absolute forfeiture of rights. The system is fundamentally based on the rehabilitation of offenders, even if some remain incarcerated for the rest of their lives. Again, Canadians want their communities to be safe and to do so, the federal government must adequately fund rehabilitation programs. These programs are key to reducing rates of recidivism. When public policy diminishes transition to release, it increases the likelihood of reoffending.
New Democrats know that building community safety starts with having laws and policies that put the safety and security of Canadians first. This includes proper federal funding to community-based crime prevention programs. It includes investing in indigenous programs that keep indigenous cultures and indigenous languages alive.
New Democrats believe in giving correctional officers the tools they need to do their job safely and effectively. This includes proper support while on the job and the resources to manage the physical and mental stress that comes from it. After years of chronic underfunding by both Liberals and Conservatives, it is no surprise that our correctional officers have to do more with less.
This Conservative motion only serves to fan the flames of fear rather than suggesting effective measures that would contribute to public safety. New Democrats know that real solutions to the challenge of prolific and repeat non-violent offenders are to be found in better mental health and addiction services and in action to reduce poverty and inequality.
New Democrats want to see the Liberals deliver on their promises to provide increased funding for mental health and addiction programming and to enact measures to lift Canadians out of poverty. The NDP will not be supporting this Conservative motion.