Masi. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Guthrie House is a therapeutic community located on the grounds of the Nanaimo Correctional Centre in Nanaimo, British Columbia. That is a medium-security custody facility. It is a provincial institution, so I assume that it deals with inmates doing less than two years. Guthrie House is separate from the main jail, so the prisoners, who are called residents, actually, should they be accepted into the program, stay within that portion of the institution. They don't mix with the other prisoners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I will add that it is not a jail where people go and do programs. The whole system is a program. It builds up people's confidence and helps them deal with the issues that led them there. It is more of a way of life than a simple program. What prompted the Minister's visit to Guthrie House?

The various issues that have been raised this afternoon by the Member. We have grave concerns about recidivism, and it is also well known that many of the inmates in our facility have some substance abuse issues. The type of person who is admitted to the program at Guthrie House has to be highly motivated, but they are medium- to high-risk offenders with documented substance abuse issues in the moderate to severe range. As the Member opposite mentioned, it is quite separate from the main facility and is filled. I had the opportunity to meet with senior staff there. Several staff came with me from the Northwest Territories. We were very impressed by the very high motivation by those in the program.

I know we can find a lot of motivated people here as well. No one likes staying in remand at NSCC; it is not a pleasant place for anyone to be. Given that, does it appear that this is a viable model to use in the territory even if we have to adapt it somewhat?

We think so, Mr. Speaker. We formed a committee with departmental officials to explore this option further. The committee will look into the program model and consider how it could be adapted to fit the context of the Northwest Territories, including changes to infrastructure, changes, or supports. According to all reports, the amount of recidivism of residents who complete this program is far less than the normal population, so we certainly do want to look at this program and see how we might be able to adapt it to the Northwest Territories, where clearly something is needed.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recommend that everyone look into Guthrie House. I think it offers a lot of possibilities for our territory. The Minister mentioned that there has been a committee struck. How far along is the committee in its work? When can we expect some more solid answers from the Minister?

We are at the steering committee stage, but I have directed that this study, this examination of the program, must be a priority for the department. Certainly, we were all impressed, very much impressed, by both the staff and the high motivation of the residents in the institution. If it leads, as it seems to do, to lessening recidivism, we should look at it very seriously. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.