It is not currently being used for remand prisoners. I don't know, frankly, whether it would would provide adequate security for remands. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Thompson.
Sorry, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is currently not being used for remand. It is my understanding that it is fit to be used for remand. Offenders who are held in Yellowknife but whose trials are in the South Slave, I see them almost every time I fly back to Hay River on the plane. An RCMP officer and a remand inmate is being held in Yellowknife, and they fly later on back that day. That is $2,000 a trip for one inmate for one court appearance. We have a functioning remand facility in Hay River, and I am not quite sure why it is not being utilized. I believe Yellowknife is the only place with remand inmates. Is there a rationale why there is not a remand still in Hay River? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Sebert.
Yes, although we, in the past, did have remand prisoners at South Mackenzie, it is a low-risk institution, and therefore no longer thought adequate to house remands. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The correction personnel have the same training as they do in Yellowknife, and there is a separate, secure remand area, so I am not quite sure. Can I get a little more explanation as to why it is no longer fit? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Sebert.
As I say, the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre has been identified as a low-risk facility, and in our view, no longer appropriate for remand prisoners. Whatever the case was in the past, it is now felt that the facility which does house, as I say, low-risk prisoners is not suitable for remands. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess prisoners are just more dangerous nowadays. I did not get much of an explanation there of why it is no longer suitable when its classification has not changed. I am still not clear about that. I guess I will have to follow that up, because I do not think I am going to get an answer.
When someone is sent, where is the determination made where that person will serve their time if it is two years less a day? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Sebert.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Occasionally, suggestions, if I can put it that way, are made by the judiciary at the time of sentencing but, generally, the Corrections staff will make a determination of risk, available treatment programs, and so on, to determine where they should place a prisoner. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Are those decisions made in Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Sebert.
I understand, yes, they are made in Yellowknife in consultation with case workers. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I understand Yellowknife, the correctional facility here is often quite full, quite nicely staffed, whereas the correctional centres elsewhere, the numbers seem to be dwindling. Remands are disappearing. Can the Minister confirm that every single inmate at the correctional centre in Yellowknife is classified as a high risk, I guess?
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Sebert.
No. I mean at North Slave, it is a high risk-facility, but that doesn't mean that other inmates cannot be held there. In fact, there are medium-risk inmates and some low-risk inmates held in the Yellowknife facility. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is there a geographical reason for that? Is it because their home communities are closer? Because I know for a fact that that is not the case. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Sebert.
Yes, I think geography does have some play in determining where an inmate is going to be placed. As I say, sometimes the judiciary makes a comment during sentencing that placing the inmate at a certain location should be considered. There are a variety of factors that enter into where an inmate is placed: risk; availability of programs; geography; close to family; and so on. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Simpson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Minister's statement made sometime this week commented on the availability of programs in all the facilities. It is my understanding there were quite a bit of programming at SMCC that was not available in the North Slave at one time. I guess I will have to continue looking into this, but no further questions. I am good on this topic. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Did you want to comment on that, Minister Sebert?
It can be that certain programs are available in institutions outside Yellowknife, so that would, of course, factor in if there was a very specialized program that was available elsewhere, then that would be a consideration on the placement of the inmate. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Seeing no further questions, we will go back to page 261, Justice, corrections, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $36,616,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will now proceed to the next activity, court services. The activity description is found on page 264, the activity detail is on page 265, and the active positions information item is found on page 266. Does committee have any questions or comments? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I believe this is the section of the Justice budget where the department is trying to reduce court circuit costs, so I am just wondering how those discussions were going with the judiciary? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Sebert.
Mr. Chair, it is not entirely a twoway street. I think the judiciary is aware of our concerns and the desires to keep costs under control, but, of course, their concerns are to make sure that justice is properly delivered and on a timely basis, so we, to some degree, have to defer to their concerns. However, the concern about costs is before them. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. So can we actually anticipate any costs savings then? I think, from what I can recall, you had forecast expending $200,000, more or less, this year compared to last year, so is that really going to happen? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Sebert.
Yes, Mr. Chair. I mean, the issue is before the judiciary. We are sort of looking at ways that we might make the system more efficient. There is a long tradition, going back to Justice Sissons and Moreau, of going to every community, but we here are wondering whether that is now still the most efficient system. We are optimistic that we can reduce costs. Certainly, the judiciary is aware of our concerns in this area. Obviously, we can't direct them to not go on circuit or anything like that, but they are aware of the concern. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Good luck with that. I will just move on to the next issue, which, of course, is one of my favourites, the closure of the law library. I did see, I believe at some point, a massive report, whereby people must have spent literally weeks huddled in a room somewhere, figuring out where all of the materials were going to be disposed of and where they were going to end up. Where are we at with this? I think it was supposed to be a research centre. Is it actually open now, in the courthouse? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Sebert.
Mr. Chair, the old library is still open. We are not ordering new texts, I don't believe, and it is not staffed anymore. It is still available to the lawyers and the public at large on request, although I don't think there have actually been any requests. We are hoping to develop a resource centre that will meet the current needs. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. So do we have an opening date for the resource centre, yet? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Sebert.
I wish I could give a date. It is contingent on plans for renovations of the courthouse building. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. O'Reilly.
