Gender, Race, and Custodial Space

• Main Author: Plaunt, Carmen M.
• Other Authors: Watkinson, Ailsa, Kreig, Brigette, Rutherford, Gayle
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina 2016
• Subjects: Canada; Indian; Regina; First Nations; inuit; Metis
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10294/6806; http://ourspace.uregina.ca/bitstream/handle/10294/6806/Plaunt_Carmen_M_200245983_MSW_SW_Spring2016.pdf

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Social Work in Social Work, University of Regina. v, 143 p. Indigenous* people have higher levels of representation in correctional facilities compared to their representation in the Canadian adult population. This trend is consistent within the female inmate population. In 2008/2009 the highest proportion of female admissions in Canada was found in Saskatchewan where Indigenous women comprised more than 85% of admissions (Calverley, 2010) despite comprising just 14.9% of Saskatchewan’s total population (Indigenous Population Profile, 2006). This over-representation presents a challenging dilemma. The racial identity assigned to Saskatchewan custodial facilities is Indigenous, which reinforces the long-standing societal belief Indigenous people are characterized by degeneracy and supports the continued exclusion of Indigenous women from dominant society. Simply put; Canada’s racial pecking order continues through the over-incarceration of its Indigenous women. Firstly, to deconstruct the racial stigmatization assigned to Saskatchewan custodial settings, one must add context. A way to achieve this is through sharing individual narratives. Luana Ross (Salish) (1994) wrote, “One way in which imprisoned women can resist oppression and facilitate social change is by telling their own stories” (p. 17). Secondly, one must pay recognition to the entangled relationship between space and race. This research shares the individual stories of those with lived experience, and provokes important conversations surrounding the complex relationship between gender, race, and societal space. The theoretical framework that shaped this project stems from an Indigenous paradigm and the strategy of inquiry utilized is narrative methodology. Findings from this research includes an exploration of the complex nature of space, an examination of family as space, the importance of culture and spirituality, a review of verbatim participant responses, and a discussion of violence, trauma, and colonialism. This research concludes with a number of recommendations, based on the research findings, and offers suggestions on moving forward. *For the purpose of this research, the term Indigenous refers to persons who identify as being of First Nations (North American Indian; Status or non-Status), Metis or Inuit descent Student yes