Force more likely to be used against Black and Indigenous people in federal prisons, ombudsman finds

Indigenous and Black people are more likely to be involved in use-of-force incidents in Canadian prisons, the federal prison ombudsman said Thursday.

Correctional investigator Ivan Zinger’s annual report found that Black, Indigenous and people of color were involved in 60 per cent of all use-of-force incidents, but represent just 44 per cent of federal inmates.

The findings were based on data collected from 2015 to 2020.

“Regardless of risk level, security level, age, sentence length or gender, identifying as an Indigenous or Black incarcerated person was associated with a greater likelihood of involvement in a use-of-force incident,” Zinger said in a statement Thursday.

White individuals represent 52 per cent of the federal inmate population, but were involved in about 42 per cent of use-of-force incidents, Zinger said.

He called on Correctional Service Canada to develop an action plan to “address the relationship between the use of force and systemic racism against Indigenous and Black individuals.”

In a statement Thursday, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the government is already addressing many of the issues raised in the report.

“Combating systemic racism across government is one of our top priorities, including in the federal correctional system,” Mendicino said.