Debates of October 18, 2006 (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask for an update on the Minister of Justice on this wilderness camp he has up in the Sahtu and also thinking about starting one in the Tlicho region. I would like to ask the Minister for a brief update. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 132-15(5): Update On Wilderness Camp In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have piloted a wilderness camp initiative in the Sahtu. It was very successful the last time around. We are preparing to do it again this year. In the Tlicho region we have also been working with the MLA in the region to talk about a model that would work there. I think we have discovered that exactly the same model can’t be transferred. We have to look at a slightly different approach, but we are talking to the region about that. So we are looking forward to the pilot again being rolled out in the Sahtu and we will have an evaluation after that’s done, but I think this has been a very effective program. That is my sense so far. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(5): Update On Wilderness Camp In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister inform the people in the Sahtu, maybe the community of Fort Good Hope because that’s where the pilot project is being initiated, is there a number or percentage of inmates who are going to participate in this year’s pilot project? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 132-15(5): Update On Wilderness Camp In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have that information. What we do is go through our facilities and see who would be eligible. First of all, we have to make sure the person is not a risk to the camp operators or to the general public before they are eligible to go out on the land, because it doesn’t have the same type of security that we have our facilities. Next, Mr. Speaker, they have to want to participate. I am sure that our staff and the facilities are going through measuring the people there based on those two criteria, but I can certainly provide the Member with more information when I have it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(5): Update On Wilderness Camp In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister inform me in the House, is there a good connecting program with the pilot project and the communities that these inmates are expected to return to in terms of an aftercare program in the jail if they have to go back? If they have to go back, are they going back to strengthen their families and children in terms of this pilot project? I think it’s one of the best projects that this government has started up in the last couple of years anyway. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 132-15(5): Update On Wilderness Camp In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for his support of this program. It has been instrumental in helping us get this up and running in the Sahtu. Yes, there is programming available and we do work with the inmates to makes sure there is a plan upon their release to help them be reintegrated into their communities. We use the community justice groups locally to help us achieve this as well. So there is both programming in the institutions and upon release for the inmates and we think this corrections on-the-land camp model helps us deliver much of that program as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(5): Update On Wilderness Camp In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning on CBC, I heard that the aboriginal people were well overrepresented in the justice system and that a project like this that we start in the Northwest Territories, a lot of credit has to go to the Minister on this one in terms of listening to the people, and putting this project out on the land for the people, and people on the land are mostly aboriginal people. I want to ask the Minister, in the bigger picture, what type of programs does he have that will connect on-the-land programs that have institutions like the North Slave Correctional Centre, the centre in Hay River and Fort Smith? We have to get these programs into these institutions because that’s where it will work. I want to ask the Minister, what type of big picture initiatives are going to happen for people in institutions similar to on-the-land projects? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 132-15(5): Update On Wilderness Camp In The Sahtu Region

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would agree and it is troubling, obviously, that aboriginal people are overrepresented in our institutions. We have been working well with on-the-land programming. We continue to make efforts in our institutions. Members in committee will be aware that we have some what we believed to be culturally relevant programming at the institution. We made some change and improvements. We now have elders from many regions coming to the institution to work with inmates from those regions to talk about what went wrong, how they can make improvements, how they can make changes in their lives. We know these people are coming back to our communities. It makes sense to have them welcomed back to the communities after they’ve made amendments, Mr. Speaker. We will continue to work in the institutions to improve our programming and I will have more updates for the Members and for committee as we work in that fashion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.