Indigenous Men Affiliated with Security Threat Groups (STGs) Compared to the General Indigenous Men Offender Population

What we did

In total, 1,483 Indigenous men offenders were STG affiliated between FY2013-2014 and FY2018-2019; they were compared to a matched comparison group^{Footnote 3} of non-STG affiliated Indigenous men (N = 1,483) and the general Indigenous men offender population (N = 6,703). Almost three-quarters (73%) of STG affiliated Indigenous men were in-custody compared to 27% under community supervision. Demographics, sentence and offence information, criminogenic risk and need characteristics, institutional experience indicators, and post-release outcomes were examined.

What we found

Among in-custody offenders, a greater proportion of Indigenous men in the STG and matched groups were First Nations compared to the general Indigenous offender population (77% versus 65%). In addition, the STG and matched groups were more likely to be younger than the general Indigenous men’s population. Although comparable proportions across the three groups had committed a violent offence, STG affiliated Indigenous men were more likely to be serving a second or subsequent sentence (44% compared to 37% for the general population and 26% for the matched group) or to be classified as maximum security during the study period (31% versus 13% general and 16% matched). STG affiliated Indigenous men were more likely to have a high static risk and dynamic need, a high rating on the Criminal Risk Index (CRI), and a low reintegration potential compared to the other two groups. STG affiliated Indigenous men were most likely to have needs related to associates, attitudes, and employment/education.

Examination of institutional experiences demonstrated that a higher proportion of STG affiliated Indigenous men had guilty disciplinary charges, positive urinalysis tests or refusals to provide urinalysis tests, and institutional incidents. The proportion of STG affiliated Indigenous men who had a history of institutional transfers was lower than the general Indigenous men’s population.

Comparisons of Indigenous men in the community showed similar patterns to the in-custody population (STG affiliated men were younger, more likely to be serving a second or subsequent sentences, and had higher static risk/dynamic needs). The majority of the Indigenous men in the STG affiliated and matched groups were on statutory release (86% compared to 62% for the general population). STG affiliated Indigenous men were most likely to have a residency condition, a suspension of their release, or a return to custody.

What it means

STG affiliated Indigenous men are younger, with greater criminogenic risk/needs, and more likely to have institutional behaviour indicators examined than the two comparison groups. Future research examining the intersectionality of Indigeneity and the STG affiliation experience, as well as marginalization factors and social history factors may inform our knowledge about why Indigenous men affiliate and how best to support their disengagement.