Budget 2026 Falls Short on Justice Reform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

St. John’s, NL – First Light welcomes initial investments announced in Budget 2026, called “Opportunity for All of Us,” as essential steps toward addressing long-standing inequities in Newfoundland and Labrador. However, the absence of dedicated funding to implement much-needed justice reforms raises significant concerns as to whether these initial investments will lead to meaningful change for urban Indigenous communities. This is particularly troubling in light of last month’s release of Overrepresented and Undercounted: A Snapshot of Indigenous Adult Incarceration in Newfoundland and Labrador, 2025.

First Light notes with disappointment that Budget 2026 does not outline a comprehensive response to Indigenous overincarceration, despite clear evidence of its scale and urgency. Overrepresented and Undercounted found that Indigenous people are incarcerated at rates more than eight times higher than non-Indigenous people in Newfoundland and Labrador. At present, consistent access to Indigenous cultural programming – an essential component of rehabilitation and an established legal right – is limited to a single correctional facility in the province.

In his Budget Speech, Finance Minister Craig Pardy stated that “a safer community is a community where fewer crimes are being committed, rather than more people in prison.” First Light supports this principle. However, achieving safer communities requires more than messaging – it requires sustainable investments in trauma-informed programming, culturally grounded reintegration supports, and systemic change to eliminate over-incarceration.

First Light is encouraged to see $162,000 in continued support for the Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network (NAWN) Gladue Report Program. Access to a Gladue report is a legal right under the Criminal Code of Canada, and one that has been reinforced through decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada. Continued funding for NAWN’s initiative aligns with First Light’s Call for Change 38 to “ensure stable funding, training, and institutional support for Gladue report writing in Newfoundland and Labrador.”

This targeted investment, however, is only one component of a more comprehensive strategy that is needed to address Indigenous over-incarceration. Overrepresented and Undercounted found that less than half of all Indigenous people in provincial custody even knew what a Gladue Report is or that they had a legal right to request one. Without consistent availability of culturally appropriate, trauma-informed in-reach programming, Indigenous people in custody will continue to go unsupported in accessing their fundamental rights or preparing for successful reintegration following discharge.

Broader investments elsewhere in the budget represent partial progress, but do not yet amount to a coordinated response. Housing insecurity was identified in Overrepresented and Undercounted as a significant factor affecting both incarceration and reintegration outcomes. In this respect, investments in housing – including $125 million for safe and affordable housing and $4 million for additional housing benefits – have the potential to address a key driver of justice system involvement. But without clear pathways to prioritize individuals transitioning out of custody, the impact of these investments on justice outcomes remains uncertain.

Similarly, a commitment of $20 million for Indigenous education supports and $3.6 million for inclusion initiatives in childcare appear promising, but the lack of detail on implementation raises doubts about value for money. The effectiveness of such investments will depend on whether they are accessible, culturally grounded, and developed in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, including urban Indigenous communities.

First Light will continue to advocate for coordinated justice reforms grounded in evidence and our community’s lived experience. This includes expanding access to Indigenous cultural programming within correctional facilities, strengthening Gladue report capacity, and aligning investments across housing, health, and education systems to support successful reintegration and reduce overincarceration. These measures are essential to achieving safer communities and upholding the Province’s human rights obligations to Indigenous Peoples.

Media Contact