Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The capital budget for the Department of Justice deals exclusively with corrections. Our 1994-95 capital requirements are modest. They are the absolute minimum that we need to maintain the system as it is.

Our estimates provide for:

-upgrading the Territorial Women's Correctional Centre in Fort Smith to include secure cells and wheelchair access;

-replacing the ceramic flooring in the kitchen at Yellowknife Correctional Centre to comply with health and safety standards;

-replacing the stove in the kitchen at Baffin Correctional Centre; and,

-repairs at young offender facilities, the Yellowknife Correctional Centre, and the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre.

The corrections division will be revising their capital standards and criteria and preparing an analysis of the life expectancies of the existing facilities starting in the fiscal year 1993-94. These projects are being carried out in order to prepare for anticipated changes to correctional programs resulting from the master plan prepared in 1992. This process will result in a revised five year capital plan.

Advanced planning and research for architecture completed an extensive review of the Northwest Territories corrections system. The review was an in-depth examination of the existing system, the expressed desire for communities to take an active part in the justice system, offender profiles, employment situations and the region of origin of the offenders.

The resulting report, the 1992 master plan, drew attention to criminal and demographic trends in the north and projected a major increase in the demands placed upon the correctional system by an increasing population with serious social problems, such as poverty, housing shortages, drug and alcohol abuse and dysfunctional families.

Over the past decade, the corrections admission rate has increased by 45 per cent. This increase in the number of incarcerations has consistently exceeded increases in the population. The existing system is already overcrowded to the point where there is no more space to house offenders.

All adult facilities are operating at, or above, rated capacity on a continuous basis. The trends identified in the master plan will continue to place ever increasing demands on an already overcrowded system. Additionally, there is a tremendous need for more programming within institutions and at the community level. The type of programming required includes: drug and alcohol abuse counselling; family violence counselling; life-skills training; and, continuing education and vocational training. Culturally-relevant corrections programs such as wilderness camps and land skills survival programs are being developed and are currently being funded through operations and maintenance programs. As plans develop for these programs, capital dollars may be required.

Corrections and the Justice system must evolve through the coming years to meet the demands placed on them. The Department of Justice presented a report on the overall capital plan for corrections for the next few years to the Standing Committee on Finance when we met a few weeks ago.

The report addressed the recommendations of the master plan, the issue of division of the Northwest Territories and discussed new facilities in regions of high demand. There is also a need for alternatives to traditional jails and prison alternatives that more effectively rehabilitate offenders. The report introduces the concept of community residential centres in smaller communities to facilitate community-based programming. Finally, the report identifies some redirection of resources to match regional demand.

Regrettably, there will still be a need for more facilities of a secure type even in the best of worlds. The need to maintain existing facilities, to repair, upgrade and to build new facilities as required, will continue for the foreseeable future. For fiscal year, 1995-96, it is our intention to prepare a five year capital plan which includes funding for culturally-relevant corrections programs, land based corrections facilities and future institutions.

I invite Members of this Assembly to examine the 1994-95 capital forecast and I will try to answer any questions that the Members may have.