Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I spoke earlier on correction, Department of Justice, and I mentioned that the majority of incarcerated people are Dene people. I would like to ask a question regarding that. [End of translation] The Inspector of Corrections calls it a national travesty. I would like to ask the following question to the Minister of Justice: more specifically, how is our correctional system helping Indigenous inmates to reduce their chances of reoffending once they leave the prison system? Masi.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We currently have programs in place between the Correctional Service working inside our incarceration facilities and with communities to ensure that individuals have a reintegration plan before they go into the community, and that is meant to be one of the key ways in which we are hoping to assist individuals to not reoffend.
In addition, of course, this is something that involves partnerships throughout all of government to ensure that people have the right supports in their communities so that they can continue to live lives that are healthy when they are out of the facilities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am just curious about the priorities of this government. What priority has this Minister given to the problem of the over-representation of Indigenous people in our corrections system?
As all of my colleagues here know, over-incarceration of Indigenous people was not an express priority that we noted for the Members of the 19th Assembly. Nevertheless, I have already stated publicly that this is a priority for me personally. It is an issue that I have personally been engaged on for many years, and I can't imagine that anyone who knew me in my past life would expect me to come into this House and not see this as a personal priority. With that, Mr. Speaker, I would certainly like to assure that, doing my part, as Minister of Justice, and the Department of Justice of the Northwest Territories, we will be considering that a priority over the next four years.
Just reflecting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 recommendations, obviously, there is one recommendation that I highlighted as part of my Member's statement. Are there sufficient and stable funds within the Department of Justice to implement and evaluate these measures to provide realistic alternatives to imprisonment for Aboriginal offenders?
I have no doubt that any department would like to see more funds. It would certainly make the work easier. At the same time, am I confident that there is enough ability and enough capacity within the Department of Justice to address this? Mr. Speaker, I would say yes. When the story broke nationally about the rates of incarceration of Indigenous people, I met immediately with senior members from the Justice Department, and they are beginning to consider what things we can do, within our control, to affect the over-incarceration of Indigenous people.
It will be a cross-government issue that we need to deal with. It will be a multiple-level-of-government issue that needs to be addressed. To that end, we remain engaged with the national task force in terms of a national strategy, but we are beginning to take steps to look at what we can do here, at home, and I hope to be coming back with that plan in due course.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Mr. Speaker. Again, reflecting back on the TRC recommendations, it talks about reducing the systematic discrimination. Looking into the future, what are the Minister's plans to reduce the systematic discrimination that Indigenous people experience in our judicial system or justice system and in our corrections system?
There are fortunately a number of initiatives that I can speak to. There certainly is significant effort within corrections to have Indigenous cultural safety training for all staff. There are efforts to have Aboriginal liaisons available to all individuals within the correctional system. There is, in addition to that, a number of initiatives to ensure that there are court workers available in the communities and to ensure that police priorities also include cultural safety.
All that said, Mr. Speaker, I am aware that more still needs to be done, and so I certainly am alive to that and intend to see that we can continue to do more as we move forward, to build on the successes that we already have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
