NCJ Number
166754
Journal
Forum Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: (May 1996) Pages: 8-9
Date Published
1996
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article provides a descriptive profile of Aboriginal sex offenders in Federal custody in Canada, based on a 1995 Correctional Service of Canada study.
Abstract
Aboriginal offenders are over-represented in Federal correctional facilities, and this is clearly evident among sex offenders. Approximately 40 percent of Aboriginal offenders serving a sentence of 2 years or longer in a Federal correctional facility have been convicted of a sex offense. This study considered three categories of Aboriginal people: Status Indians (as defined in the Indian Act), Metis people, and Inuit people. The offender sample included approximately four times as many Status Indian sex offenders as either Metis or Inuit sex offenders. A review of alcohol and drug use, location of offenses, and victim characteristics shows that Aboriginal sex offenders almost always sexually assault Aboriginal females under the age of 18 and prefer victims younger than 14. Most Aboriginal sex offenders abuse alcohol, and a significant proportion abuse both alcohol and drugs. They also tend to restrict their sex offenses to Aboriginal communities, with almost all offenses being committed within the family unit. These findings show the need to emphasize substance abuse programs for Aboriginal offenders and the use of sexual abuse counseling for offenders and victims in Aboriginal communities. Institutional and community programming should also be given priority for Aboriginal men who sexually abuse children, Aboriginal incest offenders, and Aboriginal pedophiles. 2 footnotes