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About three-quarters of all inmates in Saskatchewan’s adult jails are Indigenous, according to new information from the Ministry of Corrections and Policing.

Last week, federal correctional investigator Ivan Zinger reported that Indigenous inmates now account for more than 30 per cent of federal prisoners — and 65 per cent of inmates in federal institutions in Saskatchewan.

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A provincial ministry spokesperson said the demographics have been consistent in Saskatchewan’s adult jails for about the last five years.

The ministry also provided a one-day snapshot of the provincial jail inmate population on Jan. 28. 2020, which showed that Indigenous people comprised about 76 per cent of both sentenced and remanded inmates.

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice-Chief Heather Bear said she isn’t surprised by the statistics.

“I thought that in a time of Truth and Reconciliation and the Calls to Action, I thought that there would be a decrease, but I’m very alarmed (at) the increase. I think we’re in a crisis, I really think we’re in a crisis,” Bear said.