Experienced Stigma and Discrimination of Alaska Native Individuals with Criminal Legal Systems Involvement

Background and Purpose. Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI) adults comprise approximately 16–17% of Alaska’s population but account for over 40% of individuals in the state’s correctional system, pointing to persistent disparities rooted in colonialism and structural inequities. Despite this over-representation, limited research has centered Indigenous perspectives on how stigma and discrimination operate across the criminal legal system (CLS) and shape the experience of system involvement and personal well-being. This study addresses this gap by examining how intersecting forms of perceived stigma and discrimination influence pathways into and experiences within the CLS, alongside culturally grounded sources of resilience.

Methods. Guided by a community-engaged, participatory framework and informed by a community advisory board, this analysis which is drawn from a larger mixed methods study draws on in-depth qualitative interviews with 69 AN/AI consenting adults with current or prior CLS involvement living in the Fairbanks Alaska North Star Borough. Participants were recruited through community-based and justice system partners. Interviews explored experiences of stigma, discrimination, substance use, violence exposure, and system interactions across the CLS continuum. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using an inductive–deductive thematic approach, with co-coding procedures to enhance analytic rigor and credibility.

Results. Findings reveal multiple, intersecting forms of experienced stigma, including internalized stigma and enacted discrimination across community and institutional contexts such as policing, courts, and institutional incarceration. Participants described how these experiences—often compounded by racialized treatment—contributed to surveillance, system cycling, and barriers to reentry, including access to housing, employment, and services. At the same time, participants identified protective influences rooted in cultural identity and practices, relational supports, and community connection that foster resilience and support recovery.

Conclusions and Implications. These findings underscore the role of structural racism and ongoing colonial dynamics in shaping CLS involvement and outcomes for AN/AI individuals. Findings extend existing literature by centering Indigenous lived experience and highlighting the cumulative impact of stigma across multiple system touchpoints. Implications for social work include the need for Indigenous-led, culturally grounded, and trauma-informed interventions; expansion of community-based reentry supports; and cross-system reforms that reduce stigma and address structural inequities. These findings also support policies that strengthen tribal–state partnerships and invest in culturally responsive services to improve outcomes for Indigenous individuals involved in the CLS. Finally, further research is needed to fully examine the mechanisms of over-incarceration of AN/AI people and test effective culturally grounded prevention and intervention responses.