An International Overview of the Initiatives to accommodate Indigenous Prisoners

This chapter examines the manner in which various countries have sought to accommodate the differing needs of Indigenous prisoners. It outlines the Native American religious practices and ceremonies allowed in US prisons and some of the struggles associated with exercising religious freedoms. The chapter discusses the partnerships forged between US correctional agencies and American Indian agencies to allow prisoners to serve time on reservations. Australian experiences have been vastly different and the chapter outlines the various approaches including the construction of a prison to meet the needs of Aboriginal prisoners in West Kimberley. It also outlines the establishment of the first prison in Greenland to respond to the needs of the Kalaallit peoples. Under the 1953 Danish Constitution, Greenland was incorporated into Denmark as a county and strategies for assimilation were imposed. Many Kalaallit children grew up in boarding schools in Denmark, often losing their language and cultural ties to Greenland.