Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to have this opportunity to report on an agreement signed between the governments of Northwest Territories and Nunavut. This agreement will generate a guaranteed revenue of close to $1 million a year until at least March 31, 2006.
This agreement means that the Government of Nunavut will place a minimum of 15 offenders in NWT Department of Justice correction facilities. This will result in a guaranteed annual revenue to the Government of the Northwest Territories of at least $926,000 a year.
Mr. Speaker, based on past history, the Department of Justice expects more than the minimum guarantee of 15 offenders to be placed in our facilities. Over the past four years, the average number of inmates from Nunavut has ranged between 18 and 44. For 2002-2003, the department received $1,697,347 in revenue from the Government of Nunavut for placement of offenders.
The Department of Justice also receives revenue from the federal government for the placement of federal offenders in our correctional facilities. This means that Northerners serving federal sentences in the south can return to the North and serve their sentences close to their families and community.
In 2003, the repatriation of federal offenders generated $1,132,288 in revenue for the Government of the Northwest Territories. This number is expected to increase substantially with the opening of the North Slave Correctional Facility.
These revenues are mainly for adult male Nunavut and federal offenders. The construction of the North Slave Correctional Facility increases our ability to accept offenders. The revenue we receive will help pay the cost of providing these facilities and programs to NWT residents.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, this agreement speaks to the quality of supervision and programming provided by the Department of Justice. Establishing a safe and secure corrections system focused on rehabilitation, has resulted in a regular source of revenue from other jurisdictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause