Perhaps I might defer that to Mr. Goldney. I know that there have been challenges, of course, with this program, but overall we see it as a success. Mr. Goldney might be able to expand on that answer. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. Goldney.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think that that commentary on the program is still accurate. Nevertheless, we do see the pilot as a success, as it is teaching us things along the way. The goal of the work under way is to evolve and direct our resources into something that is a more sustainable model, again learning from some of those lessons that we have experienced through the pilot project. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Testart.
Thank you. I appreciate that, and I do support this kind of -- this, the Wellness Court, the DVTO Court, they are all very worthwhile alternative methods of supporting people in the system. I don't want to give the impression that I don't support the program, but what I am getting at is that I agree with you. I would like to see us take this out of the pilot and move forward. It sounds like we are in that trajectory, so that is a good thing. That is all I have. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Next, we have Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. My colleagues had some questions about the integrated case management pilot project, but I do want to ask some questions about Victim Services if I can.
I note that I think there was a review done back in 2013-2014. I know I raised this issue in the House as well as with the Minister, and I understood that there was going to be a more comprehensive review of Victim Services in 2019-2020. Can the Minister confirm that and let me know what level of resources have been allocated for that Victim Services review? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Yes, thank you. The Member has brought this matter to my attention, and I do have a copy of the report from 2014 on my desk.
The department is currently preparing the scope for a program review of Victim Services. The intent is to have a contractor in place early in 2019-2020 and a final report later in the year. This is important. This is an important area, and this report will be a key document to guide us in any future decisions regarding the program and how it is delivered in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for that. Can the Minister share that document that he was referring to? It was some sort of terms of reference or scope of work for the contractor. Can the Minister commit to share that with the Standing Committee on Social Development? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Yes, I can undertake to do that. I don't know whether the report or the terms of reference have been finalized yet, but, when finalized, we will provide it to the committee or the Member or both.
Thank you. For the record, the Minister has committed to providing the Standing Committee on Social Development with the terms of reference once finalized. Is that correct, Minister?
Yes. We can do that.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the Minister for that commitment. What would work even better in our consensus-style government is if the Minister could commit to share it as a draft with the standing committee so that the standing committee might actually have some input into it. This is an area of ongoing interest that I and other Members have raised. Could the Minister commit to sharing a draft with the standing committee in our consensus-style government system? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We always like to cooperate with committee, and I think we could meet and provide a draft on a confidential basis. Thank you.
For clarification, the Minister is committing to share the draft on a confidential basis with committee. Is that correct, Minister?
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I want to thank the Minister for that commitment. I take it sincerely, and I am glad to try to work with him on that.
I did have some questions around the A New Day program. I know that when the transition was made from the old program, which was run by a non-profit, it went to a different kind of arrangement for five years with the John Howard Society where, basically, they were contracted to provide counselling services. Can the Minister tell us how well the new approach on the A New Day program is actually working? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Yes, I think I can provide some figures that will assist in understanding where we are at with this program.
I am looking at the number of registrations, which has changed a bit over the years. Now, not all registrations, unfortunately, lead to completions, but in 2013, there were 29; in 2014, 13; in 2015, 37; in 2016, 47; in 2017, 24; and in 2018, 50. Completions is often disappointing: we are zero in 2013-2014; two in 2015; 17 in 2016; five in 2017; and five in 2018.
Now, one thing that I would like to add is that men who are in custody at NSCC can register to meet with the counsellor when he next visits the correctional centre. The NSCC group meets twice weekly.
I sought some more information on this, and I understand that the entire program can be completed by inmates while in custody. I think that that is an enhancement of what was done before, because I don't know if you could do that before.
There seem to be a lot of registrations, and completions are disappointing, frankly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for that summary. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister for providing those numbers. Can individuals who are in remand access the A New Day program? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Of course, this is a voluntary program that people have to agree to enter into. I understand that they can, while on remand, enter into the program. Of course, one of the problems with remand is that their release date, if that is the right word, or the date that they will no longer be in remand is sometimes not known because they have upcoming court dates. I don't know whether that might be a discouragement to them from entering into the program, but they do have the ability to enter into the program. Sometimes they are on remand for a very long period of time and could avail themselves of this program. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the Minister for that. Just so that I understand this: if an individual completes the remand and they are discharged, can they still continue with the program? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Yes, my understanding is that you can commence the program while in custody and complete it when out of custody, if that is the question. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the Minister for that. I do support a more flexible program that is available to folks that need it, so that is good to hear. Can the Minister tell us: are there any other metrics that are used to measure the success of this program, other than registrations, completions, and so on? Is there any attempt to measure recidivism, or are there any other metrics that are used to measure success? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am not sure whether we have that information available. I don't think that we do. I mean, that would be important. I do understand the importance of the question, because it does take considerable effort to get through the program, and there are, over the years, not that many completions. It would certainly be discouraging to know if there had been recidivism amongst those that complete it. That would be very disappointing. I don't know whether we would have the ability to access that information. Anyway, I get the point. We do not have that information. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Thanks to the Minister and his staff there. I don't have any further questions, but I guess I would like to encourage the department to think a little bit more about how we actually measure the success of the A New Day program moving forward beyond just registrations and completions. I think that is just numbers in and so on. I want to know how effective the program actually is, and I think the Minister would want to know that information as well. Thanks to the Minister and his staff for the answers to the questions. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Would the Minister like to respond?
I understand the question or the comment very well because, as I stated before, there is not much point having a program if it is not successful. We will look into it. I don't think there would be privacy issues involved in this, but I will look into it. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Justice, community justice and policing, operations expenditure summary, activity total, $5,547,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Chair rise and report progress. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. There is a motion to report progress. Would the Minister please take his seat. The motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
I will rise and report progress. Thank you to the witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the chamber.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates, 2019-2020, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Masi. Do I have a seconder? Member for Yellowknife North. The motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
