Article looks at race in Canadian Criminal Justice system

Many police agencies in Canada suppress data on race.  Such is the finding of an article written by Dr. Paul Millar of Nipissing’s Criminal Justice department, with Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, of the University of Toronto. 

Titled, Whitewashing Criminal Justice in Canada: Preventing Research through Data Suppression, the article is set to be published in the Canadian Journal of Law and Society this month.

“Many people assume that, in Canada, race is not an issue in our justice system, as it is in the United States” said Millar, the lead author of the study.  “On the contrary, race has long been, and continues to be, a significant factor in our justice system in Canada.” 

The article also finds that even when race is reported, it is often reported in a way that makes any use of it difficult.  Nearly 20 per cent of Canada’s police forces do not report race as a matter of policy, according to data obtained by the authors from Statistics Canada.  However, the majority of departments simply do not report it, with or without any official refusal. 

“This information is essential for the equitable provision of policing services and for the development of police policy” said study co-author, Owusu-Bempah.

Millar and Owusu-Bempah argue that openness and accountability are the road to better relationships between the police and the community, instead of secrecy, especially in a powerful public institution like the police. ​