Tier 2 Canada Research Chair - Kanika Samuels-Wortley, PhD

Canada Research Chair in Systemic Racism, Technology and Criminal Justice

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

kanika.samuels-wortley@ontariotechu.ca

Indigenous, Black and other racialized groups are over-represented in the Canadian criminal justice system. Research also indicates that while incarcerated, they are overrepresented in incidents involving self-injury and more likely than others to be subjected to the use of force or held in solitary confinement. As Canada Research Chair in Systemic Racism, Technology and Criminal Justice, Dr. Kanika Samuels-Wortley is exploring the roles that systemic racism and emerging predictive technologies may play in how the Canadian criminal justice system functions.

She and her research team are conducting innovative studies that incorporate critical race theoretical orientations based on the Canadian context. Grounded in documented racial disparities and the voices and stories of Black and Indigenous peoples, their research will directly inform public accountability, oversight initiatives and policy development. Ultimately, they aim to address and minimize the impacts of systemic racism in the Canadian criminal justice system.