HAY RIVER (July 13, 2015) – Staff at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre had the opportunity to practice their contingency plans during a mock evacuation drill last week in Hay River.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this spring the Department of Justice hosted “Together We’re Better”, a conference on community safety planning, networking and building partnerships. Eighty people from across the Northwest Territories attended the two-day conference in Yellowknife. The focus was on small communities and included Elders, chiefs, mayors and senior community officials as well as Community Justice Workers, Aboriginal Court Workers, Corrections staff, Health and Social Services staff and representatives from NGO’s.
YELLOWKNIFE (June 2, 2015) – Workshops designed to assist families who are going through marriage breakdowns have now been expanded to the communities of Behchoko and Hay River.
Mr. Speaker, in cooperation with the judiciary, the Department of Justice has been supporting specialized courts in Yellowknife since 2011. Specialized courts and their programs provide offenders with an opportunity to take responsibility for their actions and get the support that they need to lead healthier lives for themselves and their families.
HAY RIVER (April 28, 2015) – The Domestic Violence Treatment Option (DVTO) Court has expanded to Hay River effective April 27, 2015.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Justice is committed to this Assembly’s goals of healthy, educated people and vibrant, safe communities. We contribute to achieving these goals by offering a range of programs and services that give individuals the tools and support they need to address the challenges and poor choices that often result in criminal charges and incarceration. As with any organization, we are always looking for ways – big and small – to improve our programs and services to better help people make healthy choices.
YELLOWKNIFE (March 3, 2015) – The Minister of Justice has accepted all recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) Report on NWT Corrections Service.
“We welcome this examination of our procedures and processes as supportive of improvements and change in the Corrections system,” said Minister of Justice David Ramsay. “We have an obligation to provide strong programs for rehabilitation as well as to prepare inmates for their reintegration to the community and we don’t take this obligation lightly. We are committed to public safety.”
HAY RIVER (March 2, 2015) – The 2015 Ministerial Restorative Justice Award has been presented to Bobbi Hamilton of Hay River for her significant contributions to the people of her community. Ms. Hamilton has demonstrated peaceful ways of resolving conflict and promoted healing between offenders, victims, families and communities.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Justice has been a Canadian leader in the Corrections field with innovative and respectful wellness programs for Aboriginal inmates, including traditional counsellors, healing rooms, counselling with Elders and spiritual ceremonies.
As Members from previous Assemblies will remember, I have always been a strong, and at times vocal, proponent of the need for a transparent, effective and accountable Corrections system.
Mr. Speaker, in every community visit, when discussing Corrections and Justice issues, we hear that on-the-land programming helps people heal and reconnect to their culture and values. In the Department of Justice, we know this to be true. This type of programming has long been a cornerstone of programming in the NWT.
