The disparate numbers of Native Americans incarcerated is at an all-time high. In Oregon, Native women are 7 to 8% of the state prison population and men are 4 to 5% of the state prison population. collectively, Native people are only 1.8% of the Oregon state population.

I have been working within the prisons for 17 years and I can tell you why people go to prison… the majority are brown (profiling is routine), poor (folks usually take a deal rather than ask for a trial because they can’t afford to hire an attorney), and substance abuse is almost always involved (most people need treatment and prevention rather than incarceration)

Historical trauma which leads to substance abuse and dysfunctional behavior is passed down through the generations. The majority of people in prison are of childbearing age, and 80% of women in prison have children under the age of 18; these numbers represent genocide for our culture and removal of human potential from community.

Read the full interview with Trish Jordan on Native American incarceration at Native Americans in Philanthropy