According to the 2006 Census, Aboriginal people account for approximately 6 per cent of the population in Alberta. Aboriginal people are the fastest growing segment of the population of Alberta. Approximately one third of the Aboriginal population is 14 years of age or younger. The Aboriginal population is growing much faster than the total population, a trend which is expected to continue well into the next decade.

In 2006/07, Aboriginal people represented 36% of provincial adult in-house correctional center counts and 40% of young offender in-house correctional center counts. It is estimated that Aboriginal victims represent a similar portion of the victim population in Alberta.

According to the General Social Survey, Aboriginal people are three times more likely that non-Aboriginal people to experience violent victimization and are seven times more likely to be victims of homicide.

Some of the factors which put Aboriginal people at greater risk for involvement in the criminal justice system include being young, low educational attainment, low income and unemployment. A person’s age has been found to be one of the strongest risk factors for offending and victimization.