Thank you. Health capital, territorial hospital insurance services, not previously authorized, $1,591,000, surplus. Agreed?
Debates of March 30th, 1992
Topics
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 526
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 526
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Total Capital, Agreed
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 526
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Total department, negative $1,591,000, surplus not previously authorized. Agreed?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 526
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Department Of Social Services
Corrections Services, Total O and M
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 526
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Social Services, operations and maintenance, corrections, not previously authorized, $433,000. Agreed? Mr. Gargan.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 526
Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Mr. Chairman, I believe at one time I asked a question on the ratio of young offenders to people staying at correctional centres. I mentioned something about a member from my constituency who works in the Baffin Correctional Centre and who is aware that a young offender is in the same facility. The ratio during the Christmas holidays was three young offenders to eight correctional officers. In the other facility, which has about 46 inmates, they have three officers. The ratios are different. What is the ratio between inmates, young offenders and correctional officers?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 526
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Mr. Whitford.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 526
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I had that information a while ago, but I do not have it at my fingertips at the moment. In some of the facilities, while it may appear that the ratio is almost one to one, and in some cases they have beds for so many and they have so many staff, it does vary or fluctuate from month to month because of the length of time and the numbers of inmates in a facility. I think that in some cases where there are a number of staff, simply because there is not a full house, all the beds are not full, you simply cannot just lay off staff until such time as we get 100 per cent occupancy. It is not within our power. However, we are cognizant of what appears at times to be an imbalance between staff and occupancy. We are attempting to address that to ensure that facilities are utilized so we can get maximum usage out of a facility for the staff there.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 526
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Mr. Gargan.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 526
Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Mr. Chairman, the Minister has indicated that the rate of crime does not go with the rate of increase in police services. Are the correction services and inmates increased? If everything is clicking here, then the rates should
be increasing with regard to the inmate population. Is it?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Mr. Whitford.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, to put it in the Member's own words, there are times when everything is really clicking and the facilities, especially the senior correction facilities, are bursting at the seams from the numbers of people. At times there are as many inmates as there are beds, and in some places there are facilities attached that are used for overflow, and there are times when those are all full as well, and the occupancy is a percentage higher than what is supposed to be designated as the official capacity.
Those are extreme circumstances, and when that happens, as I said earlier, we have no control over the number of inmates that are going to be housed in a year. We can only estimate, based on historical data. But if we get a crime wave and there are a lot of people sentenced in one year to imprisonment, we end up with a full house. But the same thing applies to young offenders and other facilities that we may have for addressing the corrections issue.
I think if we take a look at figures for this past year, with the disturbance at YCC, we had to press into service the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre and we had to send people to the South to house them while the results of the disturbance were corrected. I understand now that very soon the east wing will be repaired and we will be able to repatriate people. So the bed count may increase a bit and the occupancy percentage will decrease a bit because we can bring people back. But I think, addressing the question, we now have the additional beds. I think that answers the question.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Mr. Gargan.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Mr. Chairman, I think there was an article in the newspaper with regard to penitentiaries. Do you have clients for that? Am I out of line here, Mr. Chairman?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
I think, Mr. Gargan, the issue is not a matter under discussion at this particular juncture. That does not mean, though, that you cannot ask the question about a policy decision under oral or written questions. But, if the honourable Member wishes to deal with the particular matter of the penitentiary, that is fine. Mr. Minister.
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Mr. Chairman, I would probably enjoy very much talking about the subject because it is something that I have personally wanted to see happen here, but perhaps we could save it for another time. This may not be the appropriate time. I would certainly be willing to answer that question at another time.
Corrections Services, Total O and M
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Corrections services, $433,000. Agreed?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Community And Family Support Services, Total O and M, Agreed
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Community and family support services, $1,183,000, not previously authorized. Agreed?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Total O and M, Agreed
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Total department, $1,616,000, not previously authorized. Agreed?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Family And Children's Services, Total Capital, Agreed
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Social Services, capital, family and children's services, $25,000, surplus. Agreed?
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
--- Agreed
Alcohol, Drugs And Community Mental Health, Total Capital, Agreed
Bill 25, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 3, 1991-92
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 527
The Chair Richard Nerysoo
Thank you. Alcohol, drugs and community mental health, $3,031,000, surplus. Agreed? Mr. Gargan.