Thank you very much, Madam Chair. One of the things that we hear about quite often is that people who are released from different correctional facilities have a hard time finding stable housing on the other side of that, and I'm wondering if there is a budget line item in here for stable transitional housing of any sort for people, once they finish their term within any correctional facility within the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Debates of March 3rd, 2021
This is page numbers 2299 - 2340 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 indigenous.
Topics
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 3rd, 2021
Page 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you. No, but the Government of the Northwest Territories does provide options for housing through either Income Assistance, which pays market rent, or the Housing Corporation. Justice doesn't do everything, but the government as a whole does a lot of things. Where one department doesn't do it, there are other departments to help out. 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 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm just curious. I've heard a lot of stories from corrections officers who are Indigenous and maybe not feeling necessarily supported in their role, and I know that there's a difference between the North Slave Correctional Institute and the South Slave, as far as Indigenous representation of employees. I've also heard concerns around positions not going out for competition and being internally hired, people's friends, all of the similar stories we hear often when people come to us with complaints about the GNWT and the hiring practices. Can the Minister speak of it to what is being done within the corrections department to support their Indigenous staff and to correct some of these issues? 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 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Doolittle
Thank you, Madam Chair. The corrections workplace assessment will provide answers for some of this. As everyone knows, we were hearing concerns that there are issues that folks feel are in our facilities. This is something we think is important to look at, and we look at it for all staff. We also work with our Department of Finance HR division to support us in building capacity within our facilities and following their policies and supporting our Indigenous staff. There are programs specifically for Indigenous staff to support them for training opportunities, as well as the gateway entry program, which we use a lot of the CNRTP staff. We are trying to actively recruit Indigenous staff, and clearly, we do better in some facilities than in others. This is certainly on our radar and part of the corrections workplace assessment, and staff have been given direction by our Minister then by myself to keep this a focus and priority. 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 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate hearing that, and I want to actually pass along a quote that I do have in my notes here that Ms. Doolittle was awesome to talk to when the report was being done. I just wanted to pass that along to the Minister. Maybe just to further that or to get a little bit stronger wording around it, I think some of the issue, though, is that the after-care of Indigenous recruitment is that it's not so much always getting those people in the door and working but supporting them afterwards in the fact that, a lot of times, this is their family. These are people that they've grown up with and such. I don't want to tell anybody how relationships are, but the North is a very small place. It's very communal. It's a community. How do we work to embrace that and use that as a strength to rehabilitate versus making it difficult for those employees to actually function in that role? I don't know if there's really any question in that but more of a comment for the Minister, and I'm done with my questions. Thanks.
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Frieda Martselos Thebacha
Thank you, Madam Chair. The corrections workplace assessment was a positive document. I want to commend the Minister and the Justice staff for acting on it very quickly. All the changes that happened in Fort Smith are all positive. People are very enthused, and I want to ensure that you pass that on to your staff. I think the way that it was handled, because I was the one who brought this whole thing up in the first place, and I think, when positive change happens and employees are now extremely happy, they actually went and gave a statement and felt safe with that. I think, when that happens, your job is done. I always believe that leadership at the top, and when it's felt at the bottom, then the leadership is good. I want to thank you because I hear lots of criticism in this place, but there are also a lot of good things that happen here, not only with Justice, but with other departments. I want to thank you for taking such fast, fast action on this whole file. I also want to thank your deputy minister and their staff, because I think that it takes a whole team to make change. I don't have any questions for you today. I just want to tell you that you did a great job. Thank you so much.
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just looking at page 279, one thing I had a question about is this CNRTP, the Corrections Northern Recruitment Training Program. From what I've heard so far, it's been a pretty good program to keep staffing levels up in that area. My question for the Minister is: where is this training program primarily held? Is it just in Yellowknife, or is it held in places like Inuvik or Fort Smith or Hay River? 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 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you. For some detail on the program and maybe some of the changes and the renewed focus on it, I can ask the deputy minister to elaborate.
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Doolittle
Thank you, Madam Chair. We recruit for each facility. The staff in the department pay very close attention to the needs for staffing in the facilities, and if there's a need in Fort Smith, they will hold a CNRTP program in Fort Smith; if there's a need in NSCC in Yellowknife, they will do one there. They keep track of that. I believe there's at least one held each year, and they'll often do regional recruitment, as well, so you get local people working in the local facilities and folks who know the community better. 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 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Steve Norn Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for that response. My next question is: as in with any program, when you recruit, you are going to have some turnover and stuff, so I just want to get a sense of what the success is and what the retention rates are for this program. 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 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you. I know we have a lot of corrections officers with very long careers, a lot of local people. There is a lot of turnover happening in that we have a lot of people ready to retire and who are retiring, and they are of that age. I am not sure about this, people who went through this program and started working with corrections. I am not sure if we have that information on hand. The deputy minister might be able to offer something. I am not sure. 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 2313
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 2313
Doolittle
Thank you, Madam Chair. We do not have that information on hand, but there can be significant turnover in this area because this is a focused training program. Then these staff, with their security expertise and experience, are then highly recruited by perhaps the mining industry because they have that specific training in the North and focused on security. We do have some turnover, but then, as the Minister mentioned, we have some very long-time staff who provide significant experience in the facilities that they work in. Thank you, Madam Chair.