Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Of course, there have been a number of capital expenditures to bring NSCC up to the point where it can accommodate the therapeutic model. Those are expenditures into the millions, so a lot of money has been spent on that. The transition to the new Corrections Act will require additional training, and perhaps I can ask Ms. Bolstad for some details on how we expect to pay for that. Thank you.
Thank you. Ms. Bolstad.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Currently, we're assessing that the corrections training budget is going to be sufficient to cover the one-time training for the Corrections Act implementation as well as our therapeutic community transition. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think corrections is probably one of those areas that always gets thought of lost for money, but to me, it's not just the training under the Corrections Act and the work under the therapeutic model. I don't really understand how we can do that without increased money for programming. There are a number of things, I think, to truly bring the Corrections Act online in the way it was intended. Is the department currently doing any work to review its programming needs across corrections and see if we can increase some of the programming for inmates?
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. Corrections takes an ongoing improvement approach to the programming, so there is always a thought to what is happening, what we can do better, what needs to be done. In the not-too-distant past, there has been a significant amount of work done on programs for offenders. Perhaps the deputy minister can expand. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we are constantly, continuously trying to improve our programming. Some of the work that we are currently doing is we are revamping the corrections recruitment training program, the CRTP. We are providing mental health leadership training to our corrections supervisors and managers as well as trauma-informed care training, along with a long list that is available and that we can certainly provide but that is also on our website by facility of the training that we do provide in the corrections service. However, we are constantly reviewing it to make sure that it is appropriate and meets the needs of our inmates who we provide services to. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. One of the things that comes out of the corrections budget would be anything associated with any ways in which the Minister intends to address the concerns raised in the employee assessment done. I'm wondering, given that there isn't an increase in this budget, if the Minister feels that the concerns addressed in the employee assessment will be able to be met with the existing budget. Thank you.
Thank you. Yes, I believe so. A lot of the issues aren't ones that take money to solve. A lot of them are culture changes and things like that, and that kind of work can be done with no additional cost. Costs associated with things like uniforms aren't exceptionally high, and so things like that can be dealt with, as well. There may have been some savings over the past year in corrections, I'm not sure, what we may be able to use for that, as well. Maybe the deputy minister can respond. Thanks.
Thank you. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Currently, right now, there is a working group that's been formed with the Department of Justice, Finance, and the Union of Northern Workers. They are currently assessing this work and developing an accountability framework, and this will help inform any funding needs going forward. Otherwise, we are continuing to work within our budget appropriation. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'm wondering if, in future, one of the things that we talk about quite a bit is the need for healing within correctional facilities and also the need for cultural programming, as well. I'm wondering if the Department of Justice would be willing to break out the financials that it spends year after year on cultural programming within its correctional facilities so that we can see that, as well? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. I'll ask Ms. Bolstad if she has that information on hand. If not, I guess we can. Thank you.
Thank you. Ms. Bolstad.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The numbers, I don't have here with me today. It is a little difficult because it's portions of staff time, portions of it that get allocated to this. It's a difficult exercise when we go to cost it; however, we can definitely take a look at it. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. On page 280, there is contributions of offender reintegration. Would that be considered the after-care supports received by inmates when they are released from care? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Deputy Minister, I think, or Ms. Bolstad. Ms. Bolstad can answer that. Thanks.
Thank you. Ms. Bolstad.
Thank you, Madam Chair. That contribution money is for when the therapeutic community is operational, and it is for after-care reintegration services with our community partners. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. One of the things that we hear about quite often is that people who are released from different correctional facilities have a hard time finding stable housing on the other side of that, and I'm wondering if there is a budget line item in here for stable transitional housing of any sort for people, once they finish their term within any correctional facility within the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. No, but the Government of the Northwest Territories does provide options for housing through either Income Assistance, which pays market rent, or the Housing Corporation. Justice doesn't do everything, but the government as a whole does a lot of things. Where one department doesn't do it, there are other departments to help out. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just curious. I've heard a lot of stories from corrections officers who are Indigenous and maybe not feeling necessarily supported in their role, and I know that there's a difference between the North Slave Correctional Institute and the South Slave, as far as Indigenous representation of employees. I've also heard concerns around positions not going out for competition and being internally hired, people's friends, all of the similar stories we hear often when people come to us with complaints about the GNWT and the hiring practices. Can the Minister speak of it to what is being done within the corrections department to support their Indigenous staff and to correct some of these issues? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you. I'll get the deputy minister to speak to that.
Thank you. Deputy Minister Doolittle.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The corrections workplace assessment will provide answers for some of this. As everyone knows, we were hearing concerns that there are issues that folks feel are in our facilities. This is something we think is important to look at, and we look at it for all staff. We also work with our Department of Finance HR division to support us in building capacity within our facilities and following their policies and supporting our Indigenous staff. There are programs specifically for Indigenous staff to support them for training opportunities, as well as the gateway entry program, which we use a lot of the CNRTP staff. We are trying to actively recruit Indigenous staff, and clearly, we do better in some facilities than in others. This is certainly on our radar and part of the corrections workplace assessment, and staff have been given direction by our Minister then by myself to keep this a focus and priority. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate hearing that, and I want to actually pass along a quote that I do have in my notes here that Ms. Doolittle was awesome to talk to when the report was being done. I just wanted to pass that along to the Minister. Maybe just to further that or to get a little bit stronger wording around it, I think some of the issue, though, is that the after-care of Indigenous recruitment is that it's not so much always getting those people in the door and working but supporting them afterwards in the fact that, a lot of times, this is their family. These are people that they've grown up with and such. I don't want to tell anybody how relationships are, but the North is a very small place. It's very communal. It's a community. How do we work to embrace that and use that as a strength to rehabilitate versus making it difficult for those employees to actually function in that role? I don't know if there's really any question in that but more of a comment for the Minister, and I'm done with my questions. Thanks.
Thank you, Member. I'll take that as a comment. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The corrections workplace assessment was a positive document. I want to commend the Minister and the Justice staff for acting on it very quickly. All the changes that happened in Fort Smith are all positive. People are very enthused, and I want to ensure that you pass that on to your staff. I think the way that it was handled, because I was the one who brought this whole thing up in the first place, and I think, when positive change happens and employees are now extremely happy, they actually went and gave a statement and felt safe with that. I think, when that happens, your job is done. I always believe that leadership at the top, and when it's felt at the bottom, then the leadership is good. I want to thank you because I hear lots of criticism in this place, but there are also a lot of good things that happen here, not only with Justice, but with other departments. I want to thank you for taking such fast, fast action on this whole file. I also want to thank your deputy minister and their staff, because I think that it takes a whole team to make change. I don't have any questions for you today. I just want to tell you that you did a great job. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just looking at page 279, one thing I had a question about is this CNRTP, the Corrections Northern Recruitment Training Program. From what I've heard so far, it's been a pretty good program to keep staffing levels up in that area. My question for the Minister is: where is this training program primarily held? Is it just in Yellowknife, or is it held in places like Inuvik or Fort Smith or Hay River? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you. For some detail on the program and maybe some of the changes and the renewed focus on it, I can ask the deputy minister to elaborate.
Thank you. Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We recruit for each facility. The staff in the department pay very close attention to the needs for staffing in the facilities, and if there's a need in Fort Smith, they will hold a CNRTP program in Fort Smith; if there's a need in NSCC in Yellowknife, they will do one there. They keep track of that. I believe there's at least one held each year, and they'll often do regional recruitment, as well, so you get local people working in the local facilities and folks who know the community better. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for that response. My next question is: as in with any program, when you recruit, you are going to have some turnover and stuff, so I just want to get a sense of what the success is and what the retention rates are for this program. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
