Alberta panned on Indigenous incarceration

would provide the information moving forward.

“That’s a bit like ‘the dog ate my homework’ kind of excuse,” Perrin noted, saying it failed to explain why the government has neglected to release the information since 2012.

“This comes at a time of very serious concern about the treatment of Indigenous people by the justice system. People have a right to know.”

While Indigenous incarceration rates are disproportionately high everywhere in Canada, they are especially high in Alberta, B.C., Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the report noted.

The overall justice system received a mixed grade in Monday’s assessment, following The assessment called for additional research into how Canadians view the police, courts and justice system at large, as well as more information on victims of crime, including referral rates for victim services.

Perrin also pointed to the need for more analysis of recidivism rates and the number of criminal cases that are stayed due to unreasonable delay. “By arming governments, police, courts and the public with this data, we hope that it can support better decision-making and lawreform efforts,” he said.

The 2017 analysis dubbed Ontario the most improved jurisdiction after it rose to fourth place from seventh, while Quebec and British Columbia each dropped two rankings.

Prince Edward Island continued to lead the pack, while Manitoba remained the lowest-ranked province, thanks in part to having one of the lowest victim restitution rates in the country and the highest proportion of accused offenders on remand while awaiting trial.

The report also found a “shockingly high” rate of violent crime in the territories — in some cases 10 times greater than their provincial counterparts, a situation Perrin described as “dire.”

The report highlighted some improvements, noting between 2016 and 2017, Canada as a whole saw a slight drop in crime rates, fewer police officers required per capita and rising support for legal aid.

Among the many differences identified between various jurisdictions, a much higher proportion of accused people were found to be unlawfully at large in Quebec and Prince Edward Island compared with Nunavut, New Brunswick, or Ontario.

Public confidence in the justice system and courts was found to be lowest in Manitoba, B.C. and Quebec and highest in New Brunswick and Ontario. As for public confidence in police, the highest levels were observed in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, and lowest in P.E.I., B.C. and Quebec.