This is page numbers 3131 - 3164 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was know.

Topics

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I just wanted to come back to the conversation around the youth correctional centre and the space that exists there when we typically have, you know, two or three - thankfully, two or three youth in the facility. I'm wondering if the department has at all looked into - because there is a setup where youth can stay at the facility and then leave to go to school or have kind of a -- I'm sorry, I don't know the proper term but where they are able to leave and come back, if the department has at all look into a situation where youth who are -- have served their time are able to kind of have a transition period where they can still live at the facility so that it almost operates as kind of a housing option for youth to kind of end the cycle while youth reestablish themselves in school or within the work force and be able to gain the supports of the staff at the correctional centre. I know that some youth have really connected with the staff out there, and kudos to them on a job well done with the youth. But I'm wondering if that is an option that Justice has looked into. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. I would like to hand this over to the deputy minister. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy Minister Doolittle.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

Doolittle

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, this is something that we do look at. The court does orders regarding the youth and the appropriate sentence and deterrence. However, we do try to work with our community and the city -- in Yellowknife for programming that may be accessible to youth; however, we would have to take a look and see what the risks are and if that is appropriate and suitable and if it's better served to do that within the facility. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Are there any further questions, comments to this section? Member for Hay River South.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I'm just curious as to the two vehicles, there's one going into Fort Liard and one going into Fort Simpson? So I'm just puzzled as to why those communities are receiving one or do we have a facility in those communities. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister of Justice.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. We don't have correctional facilities but we do have probation officers in those communities who travel. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I just want to go to I guess the facilities and, you know, looking at what we have in Hay River it's turned into a therapeutic model, and there was a number of renovations that went on over the years. And I don't see anything in here. So I just ask if those renovations are now completed, or are we expecting some additional ones in the near future? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe that the renovations are completed. If not, they are substantially completed and there might be a few little things here and there but I can get confirmation that they're completed? Yes, they're completed. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Hay River South.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just -- I guess we're talking about -- the Minister mentioned about bed usage and the difference I guess the -- between how many beds we have and how many are actually being used. Have we seen a consistent decline over years in bed usage, or does it fluctuate quite a bit? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I will have to pass this one off, but I'll say that the current numbers are reflective to, I think, a great extent of the COVID-19 situation and the fact that, you know, both corrections, and the courts especially, made the conscious effort to try and reduce the number of inmates. Whether or not those numbers go back up is yet to be seen, but I think that we have seen the numbers stay low and we haven't seen any sort of repercussions in the communities. So I think it's promising and, hopefully, we can keep these numbers down and people don't see a need to keep people incarcerated if it's not necessarily required. But I can ask the deputy minister to provide some more information about year over year trends. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister Doolittle.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

Doolittle

Thank you, Madam Chair. And unfortunately, I do not have that detail with me today. The Minister did talk about how the trends are low, and I would say they're historically low and this has been since COVID. They haven't been on a straight decline. There have been, over the past year and a half, a few increases and then down again. But this is something we can certainly take a look at providing if the Minister would like us to do that.

And another thing the Minister mentioned, COVID has possibly made the numbers decrease, but I would also suggest that all the social supports, certainly in the city of Yellowknife, have also added to this. I mean, we haven't had deep analysis into this but it is something that seems to be suggested from those on the front lines and doing the work that this is something that is helping keep our numbers down low within the correctional facilities and perhaps the justice system. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Hay River South.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I guess I'm concerned, too, about the bed usage because, you know, if we've got, you know, buildings that are, you know, two inmates in, you know, I'm glad to hear that we don't really have any inmates in them, that's kind of what we're -- what we're shooting for, but at the same time, you know -- you know, there might be better use for those buildings that, you know, we could be training and, you know, helping people in another way.

So in saying that, you know, looking at the decline, looking at the the bed usage and that, has the department been looking or is there any planning to maybe to retire some of those buildings or again to use them for something else in any of the communities? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3145

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister of Justice.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3146

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Madam Chair. There isn't a plan to retire any of the buildings. You know, I do look at these low numbers, and I look that we have some facilities where prisoners could be housed in either one, and perhaps there's opportunities to repurpose some of those facilities. We already have a budget associated with them. We have facilities themselves. But there is nothing in the works. But this is a relatively new phenomenon, these low numbers. I mean, when I took over the portfolio, they weren't this low. And when we got here, they weren't nearly this low. So this huge decline is very, very recent, and it's a little early to start making those decisions. But that being said, I think we have to look into whether or not there are better uses for these facilities and, you know, for the money that we are putting into them. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3146

The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Hay River South.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 3146

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I understand that, you know, you can't have a mixture of youth and seniors I guess, and in the time that I spent in the correctional centres -- visiting. You know, like I had lots of friends -- like, I had friends in there and I'd go visit because they had good food there. And so I'm just wondering if, you know, you've got, you know, one or two people in Fort Smith, say, in the facility there, is there any way to incorporate youth at risk that maybe aren't going to school, somehow, to use that facility as well to provide, you know, some education, because I suspect that, you know, some of that youth probably know the people in there, and it's not like it's -- you know, it -- it's kind of out of the ordinary. It provides them a place to maybe learn and upgrade and continue with their education. Thank you.