The prison adjustment of Aboriginal offenders

Abstract

This study examined the misconduct of all 18,075 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal offenders admitted to Canadian federal prisons between 2006 and 2009. We found that Aboriginal prisoners had a higher involvement in incidents of major and minor misconduct than their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Consistent with prior prison research, younger prisoners, males, and those with higher levels of risk and dynamic needs had higher involvement in misconduct as perpetrators. By contrast, prisoners who had participated in violence reduction or substance abuse programs were involved in fewer incidents. Both gang involvement and victimization were also robust predictors of prison misconduct. These findings can guide the development of programmatic responses to help offenders develop better skills to adjust to their incarceration and successfully reintegrate in the community following release from prison. Consistent with the Statistics Canada (2013) definition, Aboriginal refers to persons who are Status Indians, Métis peoples (people of mixed Indian and other ethnicities) and Inuit peoples (persons from the far North).