Relevance – Funding to Support CJCs

The CJC Initiative supported early efforts to explore CJCs as an approach to address the overrepresentation of certain populations in the criminal justice system, and the root causes of crime.

Addressing a continued need

The CJC Initiative supported early efforts to explore CJCs as an approach to address the overrepresentation of certain populations in the criminal justice system, and the root causes of crime.

Federal commitment to address inequities

Systemic racism and overrepresentation of Indigenous people and Black Canadians in the criminal justice system have been longstanding concerns. In the 2020 Speech from the Throne, the federal government acknowledged the ongoing issue of overrepresentation and committed to “take action to address the systemic inequities in all phases of the criminal justice system, from diversion to sentencing” (Canada, 2020).

This federal commitment addresses the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action related to overrepresentation of Indigenous adults and youth in the custody, alternatives to imprisonment, and culturally appropriate programming (TRC, 2015). It also responds to the June 2020 Statement of the Parliamentary Black Caucus that called for steps to minimize systemic racism and “eliminate barriers to access to justice” (Parliamentary Black Caucus, 2020).

As part of this federal commitment to address systemic inequalities, the Government of Canada committed to work with the provinces and territories to establish a CJC program (Minister of Justice’s 2019 Mandate Letter). In addition, the federal government recently reiterated its desire to combat racism and its interest in CJCs and culturally responsive approaches through its Indigenous Justice Strategy and Canada’s Black Justice Strategy (Department of Justice Canada, 2025a; 2025b).

Systemic inequalities in the Canadian justice system identified in the literature

Recent studies show the ongoing issues with overrepresentation in the criminal justice system.

  • Indigenous people constituted 5% of the population of Canada and 31% of all custody admissions in 2020-21 (Indigenous Services Canada, 2023).
  • Black Canadians represented 4% of the adult population in Canada and 9% of the offender population in federal corrections in 2020-21 (Department of Justice Canada, 2022).

Other systemic issues demonstrate the need to address root causes of crime (see Kouyoumdjian, et al, 2016 for the below statistics).

  • Individuals with mental health or substance use issues are more likely to have contact with the criminal justice system. At least half of persons in custody have experienced some form of childhood abuse.
  • The impact of settler colonialism and trauma are evident, as approximately 15% to 20% of Indigenous people in federal correctional facilities attended residential schools.

The literature has identified the most common risk factors related to criminal behaviour to be the intersection of race, poverty, and trauma (Babchishin, et al., 2021; Bellsmith, et al., 2022; Bergheul, 2018; Clark, 2019; Haney, 2020; Tabbara, 2020). Poverty and trauma are disproportionately experienced by Indigenous and Black people (Indigenous Services Canada, 2023; Saghbini & Paquin-Marseille, 2023).

How the community justice approach and funded CJCs address inequities and community needs

The international literature considers the community justice approach particularly well-suited to address inequities related to systemic racism in the criminal justice system. CJCs assist individuals by addressing multiple systemic challenges and taking a holistic rather than a punishment-focussed approach to address root causes of crime.

All of the funded CJCs assist populations that are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and/or face chronic justice system and social services challenges. They also focus on community and cultural needs, provide integrated wrap-around supports, facilitate alternatives to incarceration, and assist with successful reintegration into the community.

BC IJCs have as a core objective addressing overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system and the child protection system by providing free legal representation and referrals to relevant social supports.

Each ON CJC has its own target population identified by community needs assessments. The ON CJCs integrate justice, social services, and Indigenous-led healing and wellness programs to address root causes of crime.

MB CJCs address systemic inequities for Indigenous people through the provision of legal information and connection to services. Each MB CJC ensures that unique cultural needs are addressed for its target population. The MKO Justice Navigation Hub serves First Nations people in northern Manitoba and the MMF CJC serves Red River Métis.