Prison Watchdog Says More Than A Quarter Of Federal Inmates Are Aboriginal People

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Canada's prison watchdog says that for the first time, aboriginal people make up more than a quarter of inmates in federal jails. (CBC) Canada’s prison watchdog says that for the first time, aboriginal people make up more than a quarter of inmates in federal jails. (CBC)

CBC News

Howard Sapers, Canada’s correctional investigator, says efforts to curb high numbers not working

For the first time, more than a quarter of inmates in Canadian prisons are aboriginal people.

“The most current figure we have is quite shocking,” said Correctional Investigator of Canada Howard Sapers, the country’s prison ombudsman.

“In federal corrections, 25.4 per cent of the incarcerated population are now of aboriginal ancestry.”

li-howardsapers-cp-04100483 Howard Sapers, Canada’s prison watchdog, says he’s shocked by the growing number of aboriginal inmates. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Of 14,624 inmates across the country, 3,723 are aboriginal people. In the Prairie provinces, 48 per cent of federal inmates are aboriginal people.

For aboriginal women, the numbers are even higher. According to the most recent statistics, more than 36 per cent of women in prison are of…

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Ex NFL Player Lawrence Phillips Found Dead In His Prison Cell 

  

TMZ Sports has obtained the Lawrence Phillips’ 911 call — in which a prison staffer tells the operator to send help because the ex-NFL star “has attempted suicide right now.”

During the call, the staffer says he’s in the dark about Lawrence’s condition or how he tried to take his own life … but says he was instructed by other Kern Valley State Prison staffers to call for an ambulance asap.  

By the way, officials say the call came in to 911 at 12:14 AM — 9 MINUTES after prison officials say they found Phillips unresponsive in his cell.

As per TMZ,  Phillips’ next of kin — along with his biological mother and his lawyer — do NOT believe Lawrence committed suicide … and are demanding an investigation into the death. 

Prison officials say Phillips was found unresponsive in his cell early Wednesday morning and was pronounced dead 90 minutes later after he was transported to a nearby hospital.

April 2015 Phillips’ cell mate turned up dead and Phillips was charged with his murder. Check out the story

According to a USA Today report: Phillips wrote a letter to his mother in March 2015, one month before his cell mate ended up dead. 

I feel myself very close to snapping. My anger grows daily as I have become fed up with prison. I feel my anger is near bursting and that will result in my death or the death of someone else.

Check out the video of the 911 suicide call obtained by TMZ.


Olympic Gold Medalist Picabo Street Arrested On Assault Charges

  

Olympic gold-medalist skier Picabo Street has been charged with assault and domestic violence after authorities say she pushed her father down the stairs in a Utah home in December.

Street told police she locked her 76-year-old father in the basement of a Park City house after pushing him and then called authorities, according to charging documents released Wednesday. She says her father, Roland Street, pulled her hair in the December 23 fight at a house near Park City that police say Street’s three children witnessed.

Roland Street told police his daughter got angry and started yelling after he bumped his car into the house while trying to leave, documents show. When the two went inside the house, a physical altercation broke out.

He says his daughter grabbed him in the shoulder and neck area and pushed him down two flights of stairs. He said he may have hit his head. Police observed cuts on Roland Street’s elbow & neck.

Picabo Street, 44, was arrested and bailed out. She was charged by prosecutors about two weeks later with three counts of misdemeanor domestic violence in the presence of a child and one count of misdemeanor assault.

Her attorney, Jason Richards, said she denies any wrongdoing in what she considers a private family matter. He said Picabo Street is hopeful an “amicable resolution” can be reached.