Justice alternatives needed

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The Supreme Court of Canada has sent a message saying there are far too many Aboriginal people in Canada's jails. The ruling came during the sentencing of a British Columbia Aboriginal woman for manslaughter.

The high court also ruled that Canada's courts put too many Aboriginal people behind bars and alternatives need to be found.

It's a message that Aboriginal justice workers have been trying to get out for years.

At a recent justice conference in Regina, from April 26 to 28, justice workers gathered to exchange ideas and discuss alternatives for lowering the high Aboriginal jail population.

About 12 per cent of the federal inmate population was comprised of Aboriginal prisoners, according to 1997 statistics.

Connie Deiter, a conference organizer, says restorative justice is an alternative to locking up offenders. She tells a story about a gentleman from Little Black Bear with a history of getting into all kinds of legal problems who went up on an armed robbery charge.

The judge told the felon it was obvious jail was not rehabilitating him and asked the guy what should be done, Deiter said. The man suggested a sentencing circle. During the circle the guy was told to stay out of trouble, get off the drugs and alcohol. He began to work with Elders and is now doing quite well, even sobering up, she adds.

"He gathered wood for sweats and participated in some of the ceremonies," Deiter said. "For the first time in 19 years he was sober for nine or 10 months."

But then he hit a bump in his road to recovery.

"He ended up falling off the wagon and actually stealing a vehicle and getting himself in trouble," Deiter said.

But his offenses were less violent and less frequent after participating in the circle.

"In terms of degrees I would like to think that this is where restorative justice works," said Deiter.

Deiter says more positive activities are needed in Aboriginal communities to help people stay away from negative lifestyles. One community that's trying to do something about a negative lifestyle is the Gordon First Nation.

The chief and council formed Crime Busters a crime-watch organization similar to the rural Crime Watchers.

Dale Grey, a Gordon band councillor, says the influx of narcotics into the reserve prompted the formation of the program about a year ago.

"We didn't know what to call it or what to do with it. We finally put a name to it after all," said Grey. "The crime rate, drugs and alcohol were quite high and after we started getting together and put a name to what we were doing, the crime seemed to have dropped." Grey says the Crime Buster program began to work in partnership with Crime Stop last October.

"To me you have to have the leadership involved. That's where it begins," she said. "If the leadership believes in a betterment for their children or for the community, we all have to work together."

She says the whole community took charge and got involved in the program.