Yes. That problem certainly exists among our Inuit in northern Quebec and the far north.
As I said, there are no penitentiaries in the north. Inuit are therefore sent to penitentiaries in southern Canada. The Correctional Service has established four Inuit centres of excellence that provide programming that better meets their needs.
However, when we looked closely at the situation in November 2023, there were about 130 Inuit in the federal correctional system, and only half of them were placed in those centres with more appropriate programming.
This is becoming a real problem and, in our opinion, in order to uphold the principles of reconciliation, determination and self-governance of indigenous peoples, indigenous communities must have much more control over their justice system, from A to Z, including indigenous police services, courts and the administration of sentences.