Anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination have their origins in Canada’s history of colonialism, slavery, and segregation, and can impact the ability of Black people to fully contribute to Canadian society. Addressing this issue is critical to building a fairer, more equal Canadian criminal justice system. To do so, the Government of Canada has committed to developing Canada’s Black Justice Strategy, including through consultations and engagements with Black communities.
Today, the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, welcomed the publication of the external Steering Group’s Report: A Roadmap for Transformative Change: Canada’s Black Justice Strategy. This Report is an important milestone in the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy. The work of the external Steering Group is based on an intersectional, anti-Black racism, and anti-oppression lens that responds to and reflects the diverse histories, backgrounds, experiences and regional realities of Black communities in Canada.
Their Report sets out 114 recommendations to address anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination in the criminal justice and other related systems that has led to the overrepresentation of Black people in Canada’s criminal justice system, including as victims of crime. The recommendations include eight overarching accountability measures that would have significant impact across and beyond the criminal justice system. The remaining 106 recommendations are categorized as short, medium, or long-term actions for implementation under five pillars:
Pillar 1 – Social Determinants of Justice (Employment and Income; Housing; Education; Health and Mental Health; Child Welfare; and Immigration and Settlement)
Pillar 2 – Policing
Pillar 3 – Courts and Legislation
Pillar 4 – Corrections
Pillar 5 – Parole, Re-entry and Reintegration
The Report identifies actions to transform the criminal justice system to ensure that all people in Canada receive equal treatment before and under the law. The Report reflects the outcomes of the consultations and engagements with Black communities in Fall 2023, which were organized and conducted by 12 Black-led community-based organizations across Canada. Through those consultations, participants courageously shared real-life stories of anti-Black racism and its impact on themselves, their families and their communities.
The external Steering Group on Canada’s Black Justice Strategy was comprised of nine experts and leaders from Black communities across Canada and was established in February 2023 to advise the Government of Canada on the development of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy.
Today, the Government of Canada recommits to leading efforts to eliminate anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination that prevents the full inclusion of Black people in our society. In addition to work at the federal level, the Government of Canada will also work with other levels of governments and Black communities to make the needed transformative changes to the criminal justice system. In response to the Steering Group’s Report, Justice Canada will develop and release a government response. This plan will outline the actions that the Government of Canada will undertake to address anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims of crime.
In December 2021, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada was tasked with developing Canada’s Black Justice Strategy, with support from the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, and in consultation with provinces, territories, and Black communities. The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is also contributing to this important initiative.
Canada’s Black Justice Strategy aims to address anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination that contribute to the overrepresentation of Black individuals in the criminal justice system, including as victims. This initiative responds to the 2017 Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent during its mission to Canada.
The strategy aligns with the Justice Pillar of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015 to 2024), emphasizing equality, non-discrimination, and improving access to justice while eliminating systemic discrimination.
Factors contributing to the overrepresentation of Black individuals in the criminal justice system include lower average incomes, higher unemployment rates, limited access to safe housing, lower educational outcomes, and poorer health and mental health conditions.
In 2020-2021, Black people comprised about 4% of Canada’s adult population but accounted for 9% of the federal corrections offender population (Justice Canada, 2022). Similarly, in 2021-2022, Black youth made up approximately 4% of the youth population in Nova Scotia, Alberta, and British Columbia but represented 9% of youth admissions to correctional services and 17% of custody admissions (Justice Canada, 2024).
Despite lower rates of reoffending and returns to custody—where 85.8% of Black offenders are not readmitted to federal custody within five years—Black individuals are more often assessed as higher risk, low motivation, and low reintegration potential (Correctional Service Canada, 2022; Office of the Correctional Investigator, 2022).
