To: Prime Minister
#iammoreTO
Dear Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
Thank you for your commitment to reviewing how racialized and marginalized youth are overrepresented in Canada’s criminal justice.
While your government has taken some important first steps it has not been always inclusive to the Indigenous Peoples and people of colour in Canada that are criminalized, over-policed, and incarcerated at rates that are amongst the highest in the world.
As a country, our goal should be to give youth a more holistic chance within the system without discrimination and prejudice. On behalf of I AM MORE T.O, a project that creates a space for racialized youth who have been impacted by the criminal justice system to share their story and raise awareness, we’re asking you to take the necessary steps to ensure that fewer young adults have to go through the traumatizing experiences of being processed through the system.
I AM MORE T.O and those in solidarity, are asking you to be accountable to those who have suffered through the system, especially marginalized, racialized youth populations.
It’s 2018. It’s time. We want an equitable justice system that will not discriminate against marginalized and racialized youth.
Why is this important?
Racialized youth are disproportionately impacted by Canada’s criminal justice system. Racial disparities exist within Canada’s policing, courts, and correction services but are rarely discussed. According to Statistic Canada’s (2018) correctional statistic from 2016-2017 Indigenous youth account for 46% of incarcerated youth. Black Canadians are one of the fastest growing populations in federal prisons. Our justice system is rooted in injustice and continues to criminalize, victimize, and marginalize racialized youth. As a nation we need to move past punitive approaches to youth criminality and towards holistic approaches. Racialized youth deserve a justice system that is inclusive, equitable, and truly just!