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NANAIMO — British Columbia will work with First Nations to restore legal practices and structures and increase the number of people working within the justice system under an agreement signed Friday that aims to reduce the number of Indigenous people sent to jail.

Attorney General David Eby said the agreement with the First Nations Justice Council is historic and will bring forward changes that will benefit Indigenous people.

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“This will make a difference for generations to come and you have government support on the long and difficult work ahead of us of implementation, but today is a very significant landmark in our journey,” Eby said at a news conference.

He said about 30 per cent of inmates in B.C.’s jails and prisons are from First Nations, but they make up less than four per cent of the province’s total population. The B.C. numbers are almost similar across Canada.

Eby said his ministry and the council will work together to implement the strategy, which includes establishing a network of Indigenous justice centres and increasing justice programs in First Nations communities.