Louis Sebert

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I can advise that, of course, we have just completed a successful public engagement program in which we received 1,160 responses and 200 people participated in our community engagement meetings. In the communities that my staff visited, two representatives of small communities were included; Tsiigehtchic, where alcohol is prohibited, and Fort Liard, which has alcohol restrictions in place. A number of communities were visited by the staff. I think it represented a good cross-section of the communities in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am certain that the senior staff at the facility does monitor these things and does review the training and the training needed for all of the staff at the correctional facility. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I had not really considered this idea. Perhaps it does have some merit. I had been under the impression that the Inmate Advisory Committee, IAC, meetings were working well, where there was a full and open discussion regarding issues. Yes, we can certainly consider that idea. I don't think currently we would have a process in place, but I would be willing to look at it.

Mr. Speaker, I don't have the numbers of staff or their shifts in front of me, but I am given to understand that there is adequate staffing at the facility.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can advise that monthly meetings are held with the Inmate Advisory Committee at NSCC, the IAC, to discuss inmate concerns and other issues or requests. I understand that there was a recent meeting, and at that meeting there was no insight received by the staff, at least, to the concerns presented in these letters, but there are provisions for the inmates to meet and air their concerns. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The department is aware of the fuller representation of Aboriginal people amongst our inmates. Aboriginal counsellors are employed at both North Slave and the South Mackenzie Correctional Centres, so we are attempting to have culturally based programs that will hopefully assist the inmates to get back on the right path and avoid reappearing in our facility. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident that staffing levels and training are more than adequate at our facility. I have actually understood that the number of violent or potentially violent incidents at the facility was actually in decline. I certainly will look into the issues raised by the Member opposite. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, of course the inmates' past histories will be known by the staff at the correctional facilities, and it is clear from what I know from my past that recidivism is a tremendous problem in all of our facilities, not only here, but throughout the country, so the issue is: are we providing the necessary programs to reduce recidivism?

As I mentioned a few minutes ago, there are some new programs that we are offering. We are hoping to reduce recidivism because there will not be much success in our overall system if the same people keep coming back. We are aware of the problem and we are...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following four documents entitled "Cannabis Legalization in the Northwest Territories: Report on What We Heard, October 13, 2017," "Public Engagement and Transparency: Open Government Policy: What We Heard, June 2017," "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 872-18(2): North Slave Correctional Complex Fencing," and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 875-18(2): Lands Integrated Risk Based Strategic Plan." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'm not certain of any recent evaluation. It sounds as though the Aurora Institute has done some research, and I very much would like to review that research.