Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (May 27/02) - Malakai Akearok was on income support in Hall Beach, trying to break a decade-long series of jail terms for minor offences, when he enrolled in a pre-employment program at Inuksuk high.

Now he's a chef's assistant at the Frobisher Inn.

The program he just finished is one of 14 across Nunavut geared at preventing rising crime rates among youth in the territory.

According to a 2001 RCMP study, the crime rate in Nunavut is three times the national rate. Violent crime is five times higher. And in 2000, the crime rate continued to climb at a rate higher than any of the provinces.

"I'm not convinced just stopping crime is the answer," said Nunavut V Division's commanding officer, Vern White. "We have to look at improving people's lot in life."

White says focusing on young people is crucial in a territory with a huge youth population.

"That's where crime prevention is important," says White. "I refer to young people as our talent pool. But if we don't do anything about it, they aren't going to be our talent pool."

Programs in Nunavut range from a summer land project in Panniqtuuq led by an elder to judo classes in Iqaluit.

A common goal is raising self-esteem.

"It's a way of changing behaviour," says Guenther Laube, director of the National Crime Prevention Centre for the Northern Region, the federal body that administers the programs.

Ron Woodman co-ordinated the six-month program at Inuksuk high school where students learned cooking or carpentry skills.

"We felt it was very successful," he says. "The biggest change I could see was the self-confidence they developed because of the program.

But Woodman says there's room for improvement.

"We'd like to see a longer program that focuses more on life skills," he says.

According to Woodman, students lack information about work safety and substance abuse.

"That would go a long way. I think students need that," he says.

Peter Mark, who also just finished the Inuksuk program now works for Nunavut Catering, helping the cook prepare meals for airplanes and other community functions. He says he thinks the program needs cookbooks so students can expand their culinary knowledge.

"I really like working here by the way," he says. "I'm glad they placed me here."