Mental Health and Substance Use Services for Indigenous People in B.C. Correctional Centres

Date: February 9, 2023

While Indigenous men and women make up only six per cent of the provincial population, they make up about 33 per cent of people in custody. About 90 per cent of Indigenous people in the correctional system have a mental health and/or substance use diagnosis.

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) is responsible for providing health care in B.C. correctional centres, including mental health and substance use services.

Our audit found that the PHSA provided inconsistent access to mental health and substance use services to Indigenous men and women in B.C. correctional centres. We made four recommendations for improvement.