We have a system of justice in this country that treats you much better if you’re rich and guilty than if you’re poor and innocent” (Bryan Stevenson, 2012). For instance, in the states of the Old South (i.e. Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, etc.), “you’re 11 times more likely to get the death penalty if the victim is white than if the victim is black, 22 times more likely to get it if the defendant is black and the victim in white” (Bryan Stevenson, 2012). Although Street Culture operates within a larger system that includes the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Services, a majority of youth involved with these organizations are aboriginal. Street Culture operates within a larger system that includes both the provincial and federal governments. Ultimately, Street Culture is trying to “do the right thing even when the right thing is the hard thing” in regards to operating within a larger, fundamentally flawed system (Bryan Stevenson, …show more content…
For instance, “Aboriginal adults are overrepresented in admissions to provincial/territorial correctional services, as they accounted for nearly one-quarter (24%) of admissions in 2013/2014” (Statistics Canada, 2015). Street Culture tries to confront injustices, biases, and racial discrimination within the community by meeting the needs of youth and educating individuals about taboo topics. However, Street Culture faces internal challenges when a staff member is not aware of their own needs and utilizes the organization as a way to satisfy those needs, often at the expense of the client (B.N. Baird, 2011). Street Culture also faces external challenges as the organization is provided with limited funding from the federal government. Staff members often have to build relationships with community organizations and businesses in order to provide necessary supports to the youth. For instance, Street Culture has partnered with Phoenix Homes, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services, and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice to provide affordable shelter for homeless and vulnerable youth. Dustin Browne, executive director of Street Culture Project, says that