Gladue reports more prevalent in B.C. courtrooms; local writer praised by judge
NANAIMO — A tool providing enhanced background information prior to sentencing Indigenous offenders is becoming a bigger factor in B.C. courtrooms.
Gladue Writers Society of BC vice chairman Mitch Walker said Gladue reports provide deep context of an Indigenous offenders’ background and possible treatment options that otherwise aren’t available for a judge’s consideration.
“It provides a wider array of resources, whether that be a treatment program or something that the community has the capacity to offer,” Walker told NanaimoNewsNOW.
He said a jump from about 75 annual Gladue reports to 200 is expected in B.C. this year, thanks to funding from the Legal Services Society. The reports, which can be requested by defence counsel, began as a pilot project in the province in 2011.