Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief says relaxing drug penalties will ‘make change in First Nations peoples lives’

Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand is hoping newly tabled legislation aimed at easing penalties for drug offences can have the impact he dreams of.

“It’s going to make change in First Nations peoples lives,” Arcand said. “It’s all about rehabilitation.”

Attorney General David Lametti introduced Bill C-22 in the House of Commons Thursday. The bill would repeal mandatory minimum penalties for certain drug offences which the Liberals say have disproportionately harmed Indigenous, Black and other offenders struggling with addictions.

Arcand said stricter penalties for drug offences under previous federal governments have attributed to a rise in Indigenous offenders in prison with a mandatory minimum penalty.

“We need to acknowledge that this failed and it criminalized First Nations people more than anyone,” he said.

If passed, the bill would require police and prosecutors to look into alternatives to laying charges, like moving offenders to addiction treatment programs. It would also repeal more than a dozen mandatory minimum sentences, including all offences in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Arcand said he knows firsthand that police services can’t arrest their way out of drug problems in their communities.

A family member of his suffers from addiction and has been incarcerated “multiple times.”

“When he went into the Saskatoon correctional system, there were no supports for his crystal meth addiction,” he said. “There are minimal supports…but it’s not enough to make change in people’s lives.”

Arcand noted improvements have been made over time and working with the province has improved conditions for inmates suffering from addictions, but he’d like to see more steps taken.

“How do we get them help? How do we ask them if they want to go to a treatment facility?” he said.

“I’m very, very encouraged about the process and the announcement, and where we can go in the future.”