Impact of Race and Culture Assessments
Where do IRCAs originate from?
Impact of Race and Culture Assessments (IRCAs), originated by the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute. IRCAs assist sentencing judges to better understand the effect of poverty, marginalization, anti-Black racism, and social exclusion on the offender and their life experience. They also explain the relationship between the offender’s lived experiences of racism and how they inform the circumstances of the offender, the offense committed, and the offender’s experience with the justice system
Similar to Gladue reports, which take into account the individual background and circumstances of an Indigenous accused, IRCAs inform sentencing judges of the disadvantages and systemic racism faced by Black and other racialized Canadians and may recommend alternatives to incarceration and/or culturally appropriate accountability measures within a sentence of incarceration. IRCAs have been used for Black offenders, both adults and youth, at the sentencing stage of the criminal process. (from Justice Canada, 2021).
What is an IRCA?
An IRCA is a comprehensive clinical forensic pre-sentencing assessment prepared by accredited graduate-level mental health clinicians who have undergone extensive training through the National IRCA Training Program. IRCAs explain how systemic racism, discrimination, and marginalization have shaped the life experiences of a Black person facing sentencing. IRCAs are expert evidence providing context that judges do not have and which are absent from traditional Pre-Sentence reports. An IRCA may recommend alternatives to incarceration, or it may recommend culturally appropriate accountability measures within a sentence of incarceration.
IRCA’s were made to address systemic racism in the criminal justice system. Race can result in many societal and legal disadvantages that can lead to unfair or disproportionately harsh sentencing decisions for Black individuals.
IRCA’s provide an opportunity for judges to provide individualized and fair sentences to Black individuals by considering the harmful effects that discrimination and marginalization may have on the person’s life and the judicial process.
VDJI is pleased to offer a diverse roster of Accredited IRCA Assessors across Canada.
Contact us if you or your client would like to request an IRCA.