Action Area 4: Justice and Human Rights
Focus Area A: Cultural and Security Supports
Promote and support the implementation of Gladue reports in sentencing.
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador commits funding for Gladue Reports
The 2026 Provincial budget includes $162,000 for the Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network (NAWN) to continue their Gladue Writer program, which began in the fall of 2024. The grant is a promising step toward sustained funding to ensure Indigenous people in the province who are involved in the criminal justice system can access to their legal right to have their Gladue factors considered in court.
First Light publishes Legal Guides
On July 7 2026, First Light released two legal guides to support Indigenous individuals who have intersections with the criminal justice system access their rights to cultural programming and to have their Gladue factors considered in court. (See Call for Change 35 for more detail.)
For the Department of Justice and Public Safety (JPS):
- Allocate long-term funding in the upcoming budget cycle to support Gladue writer programs.
- Mandate training for all actors in the legal system to improve awareness of Indigenous offenders’ right to request a Gladue report.
Action Area 4: Justice and Human Rights
We envision a city and a province where urban Indigenous people enjoy equal protection of the law and equal access to justice. To realize this vision, First Voice calls on all residents of St. John’s to help advance change in the following ways: