Culture as Healing: A Delphi Study on Access to Culture and Justice Involvement for Indigenous Persons.

This article examines expert consensus on the role of access to Indigenous cultures in reducing justice involvement and supporting rehabilitation for Indigenous persons within Canada’s criminal legal system. Using the Delphi method, a panel of academic and front-line experts identified broad agreement that culturally grounded interventions—such as access to ceremony, Elders, language, and land—strengthen Indigenous identity, support mental health, and mitigate factors linked to over-incarceration, including systemic discrimination and colonial impacts. The study highlights priorities for culturally appropriate programming, emphasizing Indigenous-led design, consistency, respect for individual autonomy, and distinctions-based approaches that recognize cultural diversity. While legislative reforms like the Gladue principles mandate cultural consideration, the research underscores ongoing gaps in implementation and systemic barriers, offering evidence-based guidance to adjudicative decision-makers to improve culturally responsive justice outcomes for Indigenous peoples.