Aboriginal offenders' perspectives on correctional programs in Canadian prisons

Forty Aboriginal male inmates were given an opportunity to voice their opinions concerning correctional programming, effective support persons and views of decreasing recidivism. The results of the study supported prior findings indicating that spirituality and culture are fundamental components of effective treatment programs for Aboriginal offenders. Over half (52%) of the participants considered Aboriginal programs effective because of their cultural and spiritual components. An encouraging discovery was that these participants reported that Aboriginal programs are moderately (28%) to highly (40%) likely to decrease their recidivism, a finding not previously investigated. With respect to effective support persons, participants most often solicit assistance from Aboriginal people when experiencing personal and institutional problems and consider Aboriginal people to be the most supportive people to them. Although results indicated that it is necessary for the Correctional Services of Canada to be culturally sensitive in accommodating Aboriginal offenders in correctional programming, further research is required to investigate the actual, as opposed to perceived, effectiveness of Aboriginal programs, as well as to assist in designing and implementing future programs and activities that are culturally appropriate.