We have two-tier justice system

Right now my Facebook feed is full of comments from across Saskatchewan. People denying that race had anything to do with the Gerald Stanley case; that the result would be exactly the same had the situation been reversed; that people are overreacting to one case and playing the race card for no reason.

For those under the naive impression that Saskatchewan justice is colour-blind, consider these stark statistics:

Stanley’s lawyer described the situation as being in the “nature of a home invasion.” Had Colton Boushie been convicted for a home invasion instead of being killed, recent statistics predict he would been handed a sentence of 122 months in prison as an Indigenous offender. Had he been a non-Indigenous offender convicted of the same crime, his sentence would be about 11 months. Had he been convicted of robbery, his sentence would be 87 months as an Indigenous offender compared to 12 months as a non-Indigenous offender. Assault causing bodily harm: 63 months as an Indigenous offender compared to six months as a non-Indigenous offender.

Every case is unique and every sentence and verdict is based on precedent and other factors. The justice system is made up of men and women trying to be objective, unbiased and fair, but that doesn’t change the facts.

If Saskatchewan “justice” skews along racial lines, we have to acknowledge that our system can’t be fair.

Saskatchewan has a twotier justice system: One for Indigenous offenders and another for the rest of us. Once we recognize that, maybe we can work together to solve the problem.

Collin Neuman, Regina