Mr. Speaker, corrections staff are committed to manage offenders in the least restrictive manner possible, provide opportunities for culturally relevant rehabilitation and be leaders in progressive and holistic healing.
These extremely dedicated staff members work in conditions that are challenging and emotionally draining. They have committed to multiple years of training to make a difference in the workplace and influence the lives of the young people in their charge.
I recently joined a group of our corrections youth officers and employees at the North Slave Young Offenders Facility as they celebrated their graduation from the Healing and Learning Together, or HALT, program.
Effective and efficient government is one of our goals. Mr. Speaker, oftentimes small changes improve our systems and result in more effective programs. For the North Slave Young Offenders Facility, we’ve seen real changes through the HALT program training.
During the graduation, I heard employee after employee mention how the skills they had been taught over the years improved their work habits and their personal relationships as well. As Damien Ramm said, correctional officers have to deal with stress on a daily basis. This can lead to health issues, conflicts at home and an unstable environment to rehabilitate offenders. The skills he learned through his training with HALT have really helped him. By passing those skills on to the youth he works with, he helps them to become contributing citizens back at their home communities.
Staff members also told the group they have seen positive changes over the four years the program has been running. Youth offenders are now being managed in ways that emulate our vision and mission, in the least restrictive way possible and with the purpose of reintegration in mind at all times. Youth Officer Shari Manyika pointed out her training has given her the tools she needs to successfully deal with the increasingly violent offenders who are coming into the facility. Two of our long-term workers, Tanya Ashley and Hiedi Yardley, who have worked both before and after the introduction of HALT training, feel youth at the facility have had direct benefits from the new approach by staff. Youth now are learning how to be internally motivated, think for themselves and have coping skills that don’t involve substances.
These are powerful words from the front-line workers, progressive, innovative and effective.
Mr. Speaker, we will be continuing this valuable training and approach at the North Slave Young Officers Facility and the department will be looking at ways that we can expand the HALT program to our other facilities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
