Minister of Justice.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Further research on this issue has revealed that the department continues to offer the GED to any NWT resident who wishes to take the program, wishes to study and take the examination. It is a set of standardized tests that, when passed, provides certification that the test taker has Canadian-level academic skills at the grade 9 to 10 level. It continues to be an academic option that is available to inmates at NSCC. Thank you.

I would like to thank the Minister for setting the record straight. It can be very confusing when we have two different narratives emerging out there when we are trying to help people with their issues. Mr. Speaker, the Minister also said no programs or staff positions have been cut in his e-mail, yet we have heard that recreation positions have been cut and that recreation is not currently being offered. Can the Minister set the record straight on that? Have there been cuts to recreation programs and positions in the Department of Justice?

As mentioned previously, two recreation officer positions are being converted to correction officer positions. I don't think there will be any change in the availability of the recreation programs to the inmates.

I am still a bit confused about this. Who is currently providing recreation to the inmates, and what kind of training have they received, if any?

As I understand it, corrections officers are providing this service, and they have gone through the necessary training.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What I have heard through sources is that is not, in fact, true, that no additional training has been offered and, in fact, that the training manager position that was created to assist in the Auditor General's recommendations that increased training be offered to the correctional service has been cut, as well. I would like to ask the Minister: how many training officers are currently in the correctional service and what training programs are they offering to our correctional officers? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I'm not certain of the number of training officers, but I do know that there has not been any cut in training overall. While we're always looking into programs, there is no financial cutback that has reduced the amount of training or programs at the facility. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a follow-up to my Member's statement, I, too, have questions for the Minister of Justice on the correction facilities.

Since my Member's statement on February 24, 2016, where I inquired about programs for corrections and the Minister at that time laid out the amount of programs that were available to the inmates at North Slave Correctional Complex, I'd like to ask the Minister: what programs have been added since that date, February 24, 2016, to date? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Mr. Speaker, I can advise that since 2016 the SAM, the Substance Abuse Management program, has been delivered in the various correctional facilities. Six deliveries of the SAM program have been delivered at the North Slave Correctional Complex and a seventh delivery was scheduled to begin in September 2017. There is also a similar program or identical program being offered at South Mackenzie, and two full deliveries have been completed in Fort Smith. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, again, my understanding is that recidivism is still a big issue at North Slave, or all the correctional facilities in the NWT for that matter. I'd like to ask if the Department of Justice tracks the inmates to see if recidivism is still a big issue in those facilities. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, of course the inmates' past histories will be known by the staff at the correctional facilities, and it is clear from what I know from my past that recidivism is a tremendous problem in all of our facilities, not only here, but throughout the country, so the issue is: are we providing the necessary programs to reduce recidivism?

As I mentioned a few minutes ago, there are some new programs that we are offering. We are hoping to reduce recidivism because there will not be much success in our overall system if the same people keep coming back. We are aware of the problem and we are attempting to address it.

Mr. Speaker, we see in our letters that we received, all of us in here, including the Members from the Executive Council, receiving letters from correction inmates. I'd like to ask the Minister if he would meet with the inmates in these various corrections facilities. Thank you.

No, I wasn't contemplating meeting personally with the inmates, although I have met with many of them before in my previous life. I think what's important is that the inmates and the Members of this House know that we are treating this matter very, very seriously. I have directed the department to respond to each of these letters without delay, and, in fact, the warden has already started to have direct conversations with the inmates who have raised the concerns set out in their letters.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that upwards of 90 per cent of the inmates are Indigenous, but I think maybe the number has been going down. That that percentage has been going down over the years, but that is my understanding that it's very high. I'd like to ask the Minister if the department, and specifically corrections, follows some sort of affirmative action type of policy. Not necessarily the affirmative action that we have and that we're using for recruitment of public service people, but some sort of program which will give inmates the representation at corrections. Some people who work with them from their cultures and their own tradition and so on, to see if that type of program is in place to maybe assist in a way so that the individual inmates are not returning to the correction facilities all the time. Thank you

The department is aware of the fuller representation of Aboriginal people amongst our inmates. Aboriginal counsellors are employed at both North Slave and the South Mackenzie Correctional Centres, so we are attempting to have culturally based programs that will hopefully assist the inmates to get back on the right path and avoid reappearing in our facility. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice as well today with regard to the conditions at the North Slave Correctional Complex. Mr. Speaker, we know that the main yard at the centre has been closed for over a year now since the escape back in August of 2016. Can the Minister speak to the cultural programs that inmates receive since the yard has been closed? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Justice.