The NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 Department of Justice has no immediate plans to repurpose the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 correctional facilities or rehouse inmates despite low population numbers.
As part of its ongoing review of the governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 2022-2023 capital expenditures, the Legislative Assembly reviewed the proposed capital expenses for corrections at MondaySA国际影视传媒檚 sitting. Minister of Justice R.J. Simpson provided an update on the populations of the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 correctional facilities, all of which are at less than 50 per cent capacity. North Slave Correctional Centre, the largest facility, has a capacity of 143 inmates but currently only houses 55; the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre (SMCC), with a capacity of 36, has just six inmates; and there is only one person residing at the North Slave Young Offender Facility, out of a possible 25.
Simpson said these low numbers were in large part a deliberate effort by the ministry and the courts to reduce jail populations in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. He said the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 communities had not faced any repercussions because of the lower incarceration rates.
The Northwest Territories has three correctional facilities for adult men, plus one for women and one for youth.
Yellowknife North MLA Rylund Johnson asked why a youth offender would be housed alone in a facility intended for 25. Simpson said it often isnSA国际影视传媒檛 feasible to move inmates to Whitehorse or Edmonton.
When pressed for more detail by Johnson, deputy minister of Justice Charlene Doolittle explained that doing so would mean moving youth even farther from their communities.
Although Johnson agreed that the low numbers are a good sign, SA国际影视传媒淚 guess at one point I think we have to re-evaluate running a bunch of facilities with low numbers, and even whether itSA国际影视传媒檚 beneficial to inmates to have four members in a 23-person facility; whether itSA国际影视传媒檚 better to have larger populations where thereSA国际影视传媒檚 an economy of scale for delivering programs,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒淲e need to manage our lows as our highs,SA国际影视传媒� Doolittle acknowledged. SA国际影视传媒淚t would be unfortunate to close something and then find out in the near future that we do need these facilities.SA国际影视传媒�
Simpson said the territory needs the facilities that exist, even when the populations are low, since the female and youth populations canSA国际影视传媒檛 be combined with the general population. He also said the SMCC could not be combined with other facilities because of its unique therapeutic approach, which emphasizes addiction treatment and traditional teachings.
SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 glad to hear we donSA国际影视传媒檛 really have any inmates in (our facilities) SA国际影视传媒� thatSA国际影视传媒檚 kind of what theySA国际影视传媒檙e shooting for,SA国际影视传媒� said Hay River South MLA Rocky Simpson.
However, he asked if the facilities could be repurposed for something else, such as job training.
The Justice minister responded that although there may be future opportunities to repurpose the buildings, there was nothing currently in the works.
SA国际影视传媒淭his is a relatively new phenomenon, these numbers,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲hen I took over the portfolio, the numbers werenSA国际影视传媒檛 this low.SA国际影视传媒�
Doolittle said the low numbers are likely also due, in part, to increased social services in places like Yellowknife.
