On Thursday, the federal government announced changes to the Criminal Code, which will repeal mandatory minimum penalties for drug offences and some gun-related crimes.
Mandatory minimums have been criticized for impacting low-risk first-time offenders, as well as disproportionately affecting Indigenous and Black people.
“It was an approach that did not make our communities safer, it did not deter criminals, and it did not make the justice system more effective or more fair,” Justice Minister David Lametti said.
Bill C-22 is welcomed by Saskatchewan Indigenous leaders.
“It’s going to make change in First Nations people’s lives,” Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand said.
“Discrimination and systemic racism — those are true facts and statements that we see through the criminal system.”
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples Vice-Chief Kim Beaudin said, to him, the move “could almost be a watershed moment with respect to the justice system in Canada.”
Beaudin believes being arrested for offences that didn’t pose a threat to the community was harmful and created a vicious cycle.
“If you’re addicted, you immediately end up in remand and of course this spirals out of control. You end up in the provincial system and then bang, you’re in the federal system,” he said.
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However, with the proposed changes, there could be opportunities for support instead of being arrested, such as counselling or rehabilitation.
“(Police) have a toolkit to work with now instead of just arresting them and throwing them in jail,” Beaudin said.
Arcand said the changes “will help people deal with the chronic trauma they’re dealing with each and every day, which leads to addictions and mental health.”
Arcand said he had a relative impacted by the lack of resources previously available.
“He had been incarcerated in the provincial correctional system multiple times now due to an addiction,” he said.
“There were no supports for his crystal meth addiction.”
The leaders said they hope to see communication with elders and healing lodges alongside the changes to the Criminal Code.
While the changes are encouraging, they said it’s just the first step to addressing systemic racism in the justice system.
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