Indigenous populations are overrepresented in the overall justice systems across Canada. In particular Indigenous women and youth are the fastest growing prison populations despite Indigenous peoples representing less than 5% of the overall Canadian population. Without supports that increase opportunities for stable housing, employment and address their healing, it is more than likely that individuals will re-enter the prison system.
We work collaboratively with local, rural and ... Läs mer
Indigenous populations are overrepresented in the overall justice systems across Canada. In particular Indigenous women and youth are the fastest growing prison populations despite Indigenous peoples representing less than 5% of the overall Canadian population. Without supports that increase opportunities for stable housing, employment and address their healing, it is more than likely that individuals will re-enter the prison system.
We work collaboratively with local, rural and First Nation communities to empower opportunities that contribute to transformational changes. Our primary focus is to reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous women and youth involved in the criminal justice system, by engaging options, opportunities and services.
EFry provides intensified case management support to address the core issues which are related to the causes of criminalization. In addition, we assist with longer term stability by empowering opportunities through our services which includes employment readiness and support, housing assistance and providing resources towards addressing addiction, and improving mental and emotional wellness.
Indigenous cultural supports engage women and youth with cultural connection to ceremonies, activities, and language classes from the institutions to the community to focus on individual healing.
We engage marginalized populations in the legal system through court support and legal advocacy and mentorship supports which assist with individual legal concerns. Our work with Calgary Indigenous Court engages restorative justice approaches which are focused on healing and wellbeing.
We also provide support to immigrant women with precarious status in Canada to support them in retaining their lives in Canada with their children, or reuniting families who have been separated due to distance.
Together, we can help to break the cycle of poverty and strengthen our community. Your contributions affect social change by lessening the tax burden of social systems. Our services reduce the costs associated with excessive usage when we are able to intervene and prevent individuals from reengaging in the criminal justice system by ensuring they are engaged with appropriate supports and services.
Those individuals who cycle in and out of homelessness and incarceration place a burden on the health, policing, and the legal and justice systems.
Costs of Criminalization without Intervention
• Provincial Remand Costs – Most individuals in Alberta cost 150.00 a day to remand in a provincial institution. Alberta remands 70% more individuals than those sentenced in custody. 30-50% of individuals cycle in and out of homelessness and remand. Those remanded in Calgary made up between 500-615 individuals throughout the first quarter of 2020 with an average of 557. The average stay in remand is approximately 28 days (according to Canadian remand data)
The average costs for 557 inmates at $150.00 daily over 28 days is 2,339,400.00. With an average of 40% of those being homeless the overall cost of remanding this population is 935,760 over every 28 days or 12,164,880 annually.
• Sentenced in Custody – The costs to sentenced individuals costs 150.00 with approximately 3 months to 2 years in custody with an approximate cost of 13,500 – 109,500 per woman depending on sentence. The costs in federal institutions (sentences 2-25 years) can be much higher reaching between 330.00 and up to 534.00 a day depending on level of security.
• Legal Costs of Criminalization: Administration of justice offences (AOJO) costs the community 13-30 million annually. These offences impede the court processes and place an extra burden to Clerks, Judges, Crown and Legal Counsel. In addition, the cost to address warrants and breaches are a burden on police services which can be reduced by ensuring individuals get to court and comply with their court orders.
• Health Costs - Emergency Services (EMS and Emergency Room Visits) – Individuals who struggle with stability who cycle in and out of homelessness and the criminal justice system place a burden on the health care system. In particular, 27% of ambulance calls are repeat and responsible for up to 7500 ambulance calls annually in Calgary. This places a significant cost of $1,687,500 - $2,887,500 annually on the system. 77% of our population who access emergency rooms for medical emergencies due to neglected health concerns. As a result, approximately 2240 individuals annually attend a minimum of 4480 emergency room visits at a cost of 1510 -382,400 annually.
• Long Term Hospitalization Costs – Those individuals who require critical care due to long standing health issues cost the system from $755.00 -3719.00 a day in Alberta with the average hospital stay of 3-12 days. This costs from $2,265.00 -$11,157 for 3 days up to $9060 to $44,628 for up to 12 days depending on the critical nature of the hospital care.
It costs $1.25 per woman per day for EFry to work with them in the community. It costs $150.00 a day for those sentenced in custody in Alberta. Federal incarceration costs $330.00 day per woman. For those in segregation the cost can reach up to $534.00 a day. Segregation is often the response for addressing women with mental health issues or require protective custody.
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