Thank you. Mr. Goldney.

Thank you. Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I look forward to seeing that in the next business plan.

I recognize that there are challenges around time served. That was true in Guthrie House, as well. The inmates needed to be there for four months in order for the program to be successful. Another dimension of that program was that the John Howard Society actually was the staff support within the facility. What are the witness' thoughts on how to deal with those two potential challenges? Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Goldney.

Thank you. Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Those are the challenges, and I am happy to hear that they are being considered up front. One of the real successes that Guthrie House has is working with residents to find them housing. They start working on the question of where they are going to be released to, almost from the time they come into Guthrie House. The idea there is that no one would be released into homelessness. I would like to know whether the department is also making this a priority; that is, where are inmates going to be released? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I understand we do that with our case managers now, but there are some challenges. One of the challenges being the shortage of available housing for anybody, and particularly in the smaller communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, if I recall correctly from Guthrie House, what the John Howard staff do there is set people up with market housing and then find the support to help pay for the market housing. Is that something that the Minister could look at for those inmates who are being discharged into communities with market housing?

Thank you. Minister.

Mr. Chair, yes, we could look at it. We have to be always cognizant that there are others looking for housing, and we do have it generally in the Northwest Territories, a shortage of housing, so there are some challenges, but we can look at it. Thank you.

Thank you. Ms. Green.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am happy to hear that the Minister is willing to do that. What we heard from the inmates we met was that this was critical to their success. Rather than being discharged into the same kind of housing situation that they left when they originally got into trouble, they would be in a place over which they had control of who was in and out, and what was going on within the place. I recognize that this is an investment, keeping people in their own homes at a cost of, let's say, the average rent for a two-bedroom in Yellowknife, which is around $1,650. It is a lot cheaper than keeping them incarcerated. I hope that the Minister, in looking at this initiative, also take into account a cost benefit analysis of incarceration versus release into market housing. I wonder if he has a comment on that? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Clearly, there is a benefit to people not being incarcerated, because that is a very expensive housing option, if I can put it that way. Again, the challenge we face is the shortage of housing, and it might be difficult to suggest that our inmates upon release should get some priority over others. That is the problem we are going to be facing. Thank you.

Thank you. Ms. Green, your time has expired. Mr. Testart.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am just wondering: what is the total allocation for this budget for corrections officer training? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't think we have the exact figure, but we can get it for you. I think it is broken up between different locations. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Testart.

Mr. Chair, the issue of correctional officer training has been raised in this Assembly before. It has been a concern of many of the staff at the facility. The Minister is quite aware of this. I am surprised that he does not have those numbers here. Can he give an approximation of the resources dedicated to training in this budget? Thank you.