The swelling ranks of aboriginal women in the federal prison system amount to "nothing short of a crisis," says a report commissioned by the Public Safety Department.
The Conservative government's "tough on crime agenda" will send the numbers spiralling higher, adds the report, which paints a bleak picture of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis woman's experience with the federal correctional system.
It declares that "aggressive action must be taken now" to deal with the problem.
"However, it is highly unlikely that the issues of such a marginalized population will receive the attention and resources necessary to even begin to address the multitude of issues."
The federal Correctional Service - part of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews' portfolio - said Wednesday it is actively pursuing strategies to help aboriginal women.
The 62-page report, titled Marginalized, was prepared by The Wesley Group and recently released by Public Safety.
It notes that while aboriginals account for just four per cent of the Canadian population, one in three females in the federal correctional system is aboriginal.
Over the last 10 years, the representation of aboriginal women in the prison system has increased by nearly 90 per cent.
