Thank you, Mr. Chair. Under the Young Offenders Special Allowance, we’ve got more fluctuation there from $3,000 to 25 now down to $5,000. Can the Minister provide detail on what the special allowance is and why it’s fluctuating? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.
Mr. Chair, I understand these are things like child tax credits and because the numbers of young offenders has fallen, at least those in custody, therefore the number has fallen to a rather insignificant amount. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Testart.
Nothing further, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I wonder if the Minister could explain to us what the Witness Expense Assistance Recovery Program is and why it seems to have gone out of existence. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
Yes, Mr. Chair. This had to do with the prosecution of criminal matters in which witnesses were required. I understand this is now a federal responsibility, as is the conduct of prosecutions generally. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My next question involves inmate recoveries. Could the Minister please explain what this means?
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
Mr. Chair, I understand this is when inmates go out on work release and they are paid or more money comes in for their work than is actually due or owed to them, so we recover that small amount of $7,000 a year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just for my further information, could the Minister describe a little bit about what kind of work the inmates do and what they get paid for doing it? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
Yes, Mr. Chair, I think there’s a wide range of work, perhaps clean-ups in communities of that type which they have the ability to do. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m wondering what they get paid for doing this kind of work? Is there a set rate? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
Mr. Chair, I don’t think we actually have information as to what they’re paid. I understand that often they’re working in construction sites, so I’m assuming they are paid at least minimum wage, but I don’t have that information before me. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m trying to understand then if an inmate is on a construction site and earns $12.50 an hour, then is there a threshold of what he can keep or he can keep all of it? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
I understand, Mr. Chair, that if for example they are earning $12.50 an hour or some amount like that that some of that actually does end up in their pocket, if I can put it that way, but some of it goes to room and board, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.
Like a posh hotel kind of thing. I wonder if the Minister could share maybe some policy or guidance around how this works just so I can get a better understanding of it? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
Yes, certainly we could provide that information. It’s not before us today, but I think part of the point of this, Mr. Chair, is to reintegrate inmates into society and one of the ways of doing that is to get them back into the workforce. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Of course, that’s an admirable goal. My last question, or maybe set of questions, in this area is about the Contract Management Committee Provincial/Territorial Secretariat. It looks like this expense was here and it disappeared and now it’s back. I’m wondering if I could get some detail on that please.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d ask that Ms. Schofield be allowed respond to that.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Schofield.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Contract Management Secretariat is the RCMP Contract Management Committee. It is all jurisdictions, provincial and territorial jurisdictions come together, and we have organized ourselves to have a secretariat that assists us with managing the contract nationally. The secretariat is being housed in the Northwest Territories where we have a contracted employee and the revenue portion of this is all the other jurisdictions contributing their share to that. It’s essentially in and out of a revenue and an expenditure item. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Schofield. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just one further question on that. Is $100,000 the entire budget for the secretariat or is that the NWT share? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Sebert.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Perhaps Ms. Schofield could answer that, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Schofield.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is $100,000 of the revenue we received from the other jurisdictions. There’s 11 jurisdictions that have contract with the RCMP, so this is… Our share would be roughly $11,000. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Schofield. Ms. Green.
Thank you very much to the witnesses for answering those questions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Next I have Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Regarding inmate recovery, do we have a… What’s the legal liability issue of having these inmates working outside of the confinement of corrections? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.
Mr. Chair, I understand that inmates who avail themselves of this work are on a temporary absence program, and I understand that liability is covered by the act. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Could the Minister elaborate on what act he’s talking about? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.
