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TuesdayMarch1020153JUSTICECORRECTIONSTHEFORTSMITHJUNIORCURLINGCLUBwouldliketothankthefollowingsmallbusinessesandindividualsfortheirsupportanddonationstowardstheirrstandhopefullyannualrafe.THANKYOUAGAIN.LoriKaeserJanelleMinuteFortSmithJuniorCurlingRafeCoordinatorsATouchofHeavenFreundsBuildingSuppliesJessicaHvalPelicanRestaurantNorthernStoresRustyRavenTDCContractingBerrosPizzaHarokitiSalonKaesersStoresPhoenixAutomotiveNorthwesternAirLeaseShearFunWallysDrugs1STPRIZETripforTwotoEdmonton2NDPRIZE1500FortSmithShoppingSpree3RDPRIZEJessicaHvalPainting.....JeanneLeguerrier.....BillBogart.....RockyBeaulieuAlsoaHUGETHANKYOUtothecommunityforsupportingourjuniorcurlersintheirfundraisingwithoutyouitwouldntbepossibletotravelandgivethemtheopportunitytocurlagainstotherteamsandgettheexperienceinabonspielsetting.WewouldalsoliketocongratulatethewinnersofourrafeAuditndsgapsinrehabilitationsafetyatNWTprisonsByMEAGANWOHLBERGAnadmonishingreportfromtheAuditorGeneralsofceOAGreleasedlastweekndstheNWTdepartmentofJusticehasfailedtoensureinmatesinitscorrectionalsystemareaccessingproperrehabilitationservicesandbeingheldinasafesecureenvironment.Thesecondinwhatpromisestobeastringofcross-Canadacorrectionalauditsconcludesthedepartmentfailedtomeetitskeyresponsibili-tiesforinmateswhenitdidnotadequatelyop-eratefacilitiestohouseinmatesanddidnotad-equatelymanageinmatesincompliancewithkeyrehabilitationandreintegrationrequirements.KeyinthereportsndingswereseriousdecienciesincasemanagementforinmatesattheNorthSlaveandFortSmithmalefacili-tiesthatpointtoalackofprocesstoensureinmatesareaccessingrehabilitationprogramswhileinprisonbeforebeingreleased.Thatndingisespeciallytrueofinmateswithsentencesunder120dayswhomakeuphalftheinmatepopulation.Noneofthoseinmateswhoseleswerereviewedhadreceivedprogramming.TheDepartmenthadnotassessedtherea-sonsfortheircriminalbehaviournorhaditassessedtheirliteracylevelsorintellectualfunctioningtodevelopplansfortheirrehabili-tationthereportnds.Withoutthisinforma-tiontheDepartmentcannotassesswhethertheprogramsitoffersmeettheneedsofinmatesinordertoensurethatitisfulllingitsobliga-tiontoassistintheirrehabilitation.Thoughrehabprogramswereidentiedforinmateswithlongersentencestheauditfoundthoseprogramswerenotbeingade-quatelydelivered.Somewerentprovidedanyprogrammingasitwasnotofferedduringtheirperiodofincarcerationwhileotherswereprovidedwithlimitedorlessintensiveprogrammingthanwhatwasordered.FurthermoreinmateshadlimitedaccesstomentalhealthservicesdespitethehighrateofmentalandcognitiveissuespresentedbyinmatesintheNWT.Ofthelesreviewedinmateswerefoundtohavewaitedmonthsbeforeseeingapsychologist.Someidentiedasrequiringservicesneverreceivedthem.ThereportcallsthegapsadirectviolationoftheNWTCorrectionsAct.Theseseriousdecienciesincasemanage-mentmeanthatmanyinmatesarereturningtotheircommunitieswithouthavingreceivedthesupportthatmayhaveassistedthemintheirre-habilitationandreintegrationitstates.TheDepartmentdidnotknowwhethertheprogramstheseinmateswereaccessingwerebenetingthemorhelpingtoaddresstheircriminalbehaviour.SafetysecurityissuesatfacilitiesThereportalsofoundthedepartmenthadnotadequatelymetkeyrequirementsforitscorrectionalfacilitiesdespitehavingdevelopedplanstomeetcurrentandfuturefacilitiesneeds.Thoughovercrowdingwasnotidentiedasanissueothersafetyandsecuritybreacheswereraisedascauseforalarmincludingthelackofreinspectionsemergencyevacua-tiondrillsandhealthinspectionscarriedoutattheNorthSlaveandFortSmithfacilities.Safetyissueswerealsoidentiedwithre-specttothesegregationofinmates.Someinmateswereheldinsegregationwithouttherequiredapprovalsbywardenstheauditfound.Furthermorerequireddailyandweeklyreviewstodeterminewhetheritisappropriateforinmatestoremaininseg-regationwerenotalwaysdone.AttheFortSmithfemalefacilitytherewereotherissuesofconcern.WhiletheGNWThascommittedtobuildinganew35-mil-lioncomplexinthe2017-18scalyeartheauditfoundthatknownmeasurestomitigatesignicantsafetyandsecurityconcernswerenottaken.Thoseincludealackofsufcientspaceformedicalclearanceofinmatesandthehousingofinmatesinfacilitieswithdoorsthatdontlock.ThereportnotedthatdespitealackofovercrowdingNWTsfacilitiesfaceotherchallengesincludinghousinganinmatepopulationthatwaspredominantlyservingsentencesforviolentcrimesandsufferingfrommentalhealthandcognitiveissues.Suchchallengeshavebeenexacerbatedbystafngissuesliketurnover.ThisisgoingtobecleanedupministerJusticeMinisterDavidRamsayacceptedall14recommendationsindicatingthatworkisalreadyunderwayincertainareastoim-proveourservicesandfacilitiesasweworktorehabilitateandreintegrateinmatesandultimatelyhelpimprovepublicsafety.Theministersaidmanyofthendingscameasasurprisetohimbutthatsincebeingmadeawarethedepartmenthastakenimmedi-atestepstowardsmakingimprovements.Weacknowledgetheresultsarentasgoodastheycouldbebutwearecontinuouslywork-ingtoensurepositivechangehappenshetoldreportersWednesdaymorning.Iftheyweretoreturntodaytodothesameworktheywouldseeadifferentpicture...TheOAGnotedinsev-eralcasesimprovementhasalreadyoccurred.ThoughconcernedwithinstancesofstaffandmanagementnotfollowingpoliciesclearlysetoutinthelegislationRamsayrefusedtogivespecicsastowhatchangeshavebeenmadethusfarorwhetherornotanyemployeeswouldbedisciplinedasoversightisrampedup.WeregoingtotakealookateverythingandtheressomethingsintherethatcausemesomeconcernIllbefrankhesaid.ThisisadiscussionthatIcontinuetohavewiththedepartmentandifweneedtomakesomechangesthatsapossibility.Wedonttakethislayingdown.Itsaseriousissue.Asmin-isterIhavetotakethisseriouslyandIdo.WithrespecttothediscrepanciesfoundaroundthesegregationofinmatesRamsaysaidaddressingtheissuegoesbacktoaccountability.Theyneedtobeheldaccountablestaffneedstobeabletodemonstrateproperworkproce-dureshetoldTheJournal.Wereallyneedtoensureourreportinginallareasistightproce-duresarebeingfollowedatalltimes.Thedepart-mentisveryopentomodifyingpracticeswherenecessarytoensurewecontinuetomeetstan-dards.Sothebottomlineisaccountabilityhere.Thedepartmenthaspromisedtoconductareviewofallofitscorrectionsservicesdirec-tivesincludingareviewofinmatecaseman-agementassessmentsandprogramdeliverytoensureplansaredevelopedandcarriedoutforallinmatesbythefallof2015.Somereviewswillcarryoverintothe2016-17scalyearduetorequiredcollaborationwithCorrectionalServiceCanadaonfederalprogramsdeliveredinNWTfacilities.Mentalhealthserviceswillalsobereviewedbyfall2015inpartnershipwiththedepart-mentofHealthandSocialServicesincludingtheavailabilityofcounsellingandpsychologicalsupport.AswellthedepartmenthaspromisedtomakeMentalHealthFirstAidtrainingaman-datedpartofstaffsannualtraining.AccordingtoStatisticsCanadadatafrom2013theNWThasthehighestcrimerateinthecountry.Approximately38millionwasspentonCorrectionsin2013-14representing32percentofthedepartmentsoperationsbudget.Theseseriousdecien-ciesincasemanagementmeanthatmanyinmatesarereturningtotheircom-munitieswithouthavingreceivedthesupportthatmayhaveassistedthemintheirrehabilitationandreintegration.AuditorGeneralLastweeksreportfromtheAuditorGeneralfoundseriousdecienciesinthecasemanagementofinmatesaswellasthesafetyandsecurityoffacilitiesincludingtheNorthSlaveCorrectionalCentreinYellowknife.PhotoGNWTJustice