I worked in the aboriginal issues branch at the Correctional Service of Canada, and I come from a community.
The root cause is not simply alcohol and drug addiction. It's residential schools and the “60's scoop”--these have intergenerational effects. The child welfare system is another thing. Lack of opportunities for programming, such as proper education and proper substance abuse programs....
Nothing in the Correctional Service of Canada or within the justice system is culturally relevant. And if it is, it's serving less than a quarter of the population. Programming needs to be instilled.
At least conditional sentencing offers these people the opportunity to go back to their roots, go back to their communities, and it address them in a culturally traditional manner. And that's—