December 9, 2010 - The Department of Justice has developed a comprehensive plan for providing appropriate custody and programs for female offenders, following three years of program and facility reviews, research, and consultations. As part of this plan, the Arctic Tern Young Offender Facility in Inuvik will close on March 31, 2011.

The Arctic Tern facility has been underused since the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act came into effect in 2003. So far in 2010/11, the average number of female youth in custody each day is less than 1. Through its Minister, the Department has worked with MLAs and the Standing Committee on Social Programs to create a “therapeutic community” of adult and youth female offenders, who will share staff and program spaces.

“It does not make sense to spend millions of public dollars each year to keep an empty facility open,” said the Minister of Justice, Jackson Lafferty. “This decision was very difficult, but was necessary. We have to spend public money appropriately, and we have to provide programs and services in the best possible way.”

Employees in Inuvik have received official notices and will begin the process of closing the facility:

• Six full-time positions will move to Yellowknife and then to Fort Smith.
• Three full-time positions will be eliminated. Efforts are underway to find other positions for these employees.
• A half-time position, which is currently vacant, will be eliminated.
• Seven relief positions will move to Yellowknife and then to Fort Smith. These employees are not generally scheduled for shifts, but are called in to work when needed.
• Five term relief positions will end on March 31, 2011.
• One term manager position will end on March 31, 2011.

The GNWT’s staff retention policy applies to the employees who are being laid off. A period of staffing priority is also provided to those employees whose positions are being transferred to another community and who choose not to move with their positions. By providing all affected employees with staffing priority within the Department of Justice and across the GNWT, the government can continue to benefit from their valuable experience. The GNWT is also providing support to staff whose positions are ending on March 31, 2011 and wish to apply for other positions.

“We hope that all of our staff will choose to stay with the Corrections Service,” said Minister Lafferty. “Nobody in the NWT knows as much about female young offenders as our staff. They will continue to develop and use their skills, and will deliver high-quality programs to youth.”

For more information, contact:

Megan Holsapple
Communications
Tel: (867) 920-3498

Backgrounder:

The Arctic Tern Young Offender Facility opened in May 2002. The construction costs were $6.2 million.

In 2003, the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act came into effect, and youth counts dropped dramatically. In response, the Department of Justice eventually closed open-custody group homes, including the Turning Point group home in Inuvik; re-profiled the River Ridge Young Offender Facility as a jail for adult men with special needs; and closed the Dene K’onia Young Offender Facility. In 2008, the Arctic Tern Young Offender Facility moved to a reduced staffing model.

Correctional facilities operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and at Arctic Tern, at least two people must always be working. Arctic Tern costs $5,500 per day to operate, whether there are any inmates in custody or not. Since October 23, the last time a female youth was in custody, the facility has cost over $200,000 to keep open. In the last 12 months alone, there have been two other extended periods when there have been no female youth in custody: a 17-day period in February 2010 and most of the month of March 2010.

Average daily counts (female youth) and Operating Cost
2010/11 – As of Dec 9, 2010: Less than 1; $1,946,000 (budgeted)
2009/10: 3;  $2,065,000
2008/09: 3;  $2,141,000
2007/08: 4;  $2,511,000
2006/07: 5;  $2,555,465

With the low number of female youth in custody, it is difficult to maintain the critical mass required for the development and delivery of group programming. To date, the facility has admitted approximately 100 female young offenders since opening its doors. Arctic Tern has never been at full capacity, and reached its peak count of 9 in March of 2006. There are no dedicated program staff except the teacher, who is employed by the Beaufort-Delta Education Council.

Planning is underway for a new female facility to open in Fort Smith in 2014. The new building will have adult and youth wings, with some shared program spaces and staff. Adult and youth inmates will always be kept apart. Planning is in the early stages, and reliable estimates of construction costs are not yet available.

The North Slave Young Offender Facility will receive minor upgrades to address the needs of male and female youth.