R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Madam Chair. So we have the female correctional facility, and we can't combine that with the male facility. We have the youth facility, and we can't combine that with the adult facility. At SMCC, we have begun the therapeutic model which is a different type of approach to corrections, and so that is unique. And then we have the two other male facilities, NSCC and the Fort Smith Correctional Centre. Perhaps I can pass it to the deputy minister, firstly, just to talk about that a little more. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the multiyear financial plan is a planning document used in the contract is a forecast of potential upcoming financial implications under the Territorial Police Service Agreement. The document is a highlevel first step to business planning to address the identified priorities. So after the multiyear financial planning process, business cases are prepared by the RCMP for the Department of Justice. Those business cases are reviewed to determine if an FMB submission is substantiated, then, if FMB approves the submission, the Members of this Assembly receive the...

Thank you, and I wouldn't characterize it as solitary confinement in any way. There's often teachers in the facility to instruct students, or the I guess, yeah, they would be students, as if they were in school. There's, you know, guards who I know that they build relationships with. They might sit down and play a game of chess. So it's not like a solitary confinement situation. Perhaps the deputy minister can provide some more of what the Member's really looking for. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. On your left, Madam Chair, we have Karin Taylor, acting assistant deputy minister, attorney general; and Christina Duffy, director, legislation division. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We have Ms. Charlene Dolittle, deputy minister, and Mr. James Bancroft, director of corporate services.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here to present Bill 36, an Act to Amend the Territorial Court Act.

Bill 36 proposes an amendment to the Territorial Court Act that would allow for more discretion in the appointment of a judge to the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee. The function of the advisory committee is to make recommendations to the Commissioner and Executive Council respecting the appointment of territorial judges. The Territorial Court Act currently requires that the committee be comprised of the chief judge of the territorial court and the next most senior territorial judge, two...

Thank you. And I did consider that I don't see a lot of traffic there maybe because of the hours that I do walk that path. Yeah. I have no further questions but I do want to state that I do have serious reservations about this item. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I mean, that's a bit of mixing of my portfolios but no, we haven't looked into something like that. And the thing about corrections, it is very rigid. There are a lot of rules around how inmates are dealt with and, you know, I think the Member noted that he used to go there to visit his friends and I think if you're from the North and you go to a correctional facility, you're going to see someone you know, if not someone that you grew up with. And so it's not like these are full of people who are, you know, extremely dangerous. A lot of people have made bad choices. A...

Thank you. The other route that was mentioned by the other Member from Hay River was from I guess the existing trail towards the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre. There is no walkway there either. Why was this route chosen over that route? And the reason I ask is because the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre is a public building and, you know, generally, in normal times, we're also also open to the public here at the Assembly. But I imagine they get more visitors, more foot traffic than we get here. And I know that the Assembly is responsible for the it's capitol area, I believe. And I...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have to pass this one off, but I'll say that the current numbers are reflective to, I think, a great extent of the COVID19 situation and the fact that, you know, both corrections, and the courts especially, made the conscious effort to try and reduce the number of inmates. Whether or not those numbers go back up is yet to be seen, but I think that we have seen the numbers stay low and we haven't seen any sort of repercussions in the communities. So I think it's promising and, hopefully, we can keep these numbers down and people don't see a need to keep people...