Debates of October 26, 2006 (day 16)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In 2004, at the insistence of this Assembly, a human resource review was undertaken at the North Slave correction facility, Mr. Speaker. This plan tells us that there is, or should, be a strong focus at the North Slave Correctional Centre shifting from a penal or punishment approach to one of healing and rehabilitation of inmates. This is a very positive step, but from some things that I’ve heard from some inmates, constituents, over the course of the past few months, from what I’ve heard, Mr. Speaker, we’re not there yet.

Mr. Speaker, it appears that adequate staffing at the facility and training is still an issue there. The staff are not able to fully carry out their jobs due to a lack of training. Inmates have told me that a shortage of staff dictates a number of restrictions or cancellation of programs and things that they have expected and, indeed, we should be delivering to them. A persistent complaint, Mr. Speaker, is an inadequate communication with staff, getting different messages at different times from different people about their situations.

Mr. Speaker, it’s especially troubling, I heard from some remanded inmates or persons awaiting trial who have been there for months, who are denied access to programs, even very, I think, rudimentary and elementary programs that they should have access to even though they may not be serving time for a conviction. Mr. Speaker, I’m particularly concerned too about restrictions to access for volunteer support and help organizations such as the John Howard Society. These are things that must change immediately if we’re going to allow the rehabilitation that we aspire to there.

Mr. Speaker, along with the HR review and the steps in progress to implement this, I’m wondering if it’s time for a performance and operational review of our correctional service to see that it is indeed implementing what we want it to do, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause