Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Inuvik (May 30/03) - The year-old female young offenders centre in Inuvik now sits vacant due to a recent ruling from the Quebec Court of Appeal.

While appellate rulings from other provinces and territories are not technically legally binding on the NWT, it is common to follow such rulings from provincial appeals courts when the federal government has decided not to appeal, as they have in this case.

The Arctic Tern facility will remain open with a full staff while corrections looks at new ways to use the facility.

The $6.1 million 900-square metre Arctic Tern female young offenders centre opened last June and has a capacity of 14, but following the Quebec Court of Appeal decision, released all of the offenders housed there. The last girl was released May 26.

Bill Pogson, NWT Department of Justice co-ordinator for correctional facilities, said the decision was handed down under the new Youth Criminal Justice Act. Under the act, judges must justify any decision to send a youth into custody rather than into a community-justice program.

"The court has said you can only keep somebody in custody if they are a serious danger to the community, where previously you could keep young people in custody for less than that," Pogson said.

"The court has raised the barrier to put somebody into custody as a youth."

The decision places more restrictions on judges regarding sentencing, placing more emphasis on public safety rather than a deterrent.

"They are looking only at protection of the public as their only criteria," he said.

Arctic Tern has a staff of 12 youth officers, three senior youth officers, cook, program co-ordinator, a case manager, a part-time psychologist, a part-time nurse and an administration officer.

The department of Education, Culture and Employment also supplies the centre with an in-house teacher.

Pogson said the centre will remain open to await new offenders and design new corrections programs that could be facilitated at Arctic Tern.

With volatile inmate populations, Pogson said the beds could be filled at anytime.

"The counts really fluctuate up here," he said. "You could have an incident occur that could result in five kids being in custody."

"We have to have a facility that is available to take those young ladies."

In the meantime, the staff will take advantage of the downtime to catch up on some needed training.

As well, corrections is looking at expanding the use of the facility with different programs.

"Youngsters could be sent there under a probation order, rather than a committal order," he said.

He and his department are consulting with probation officers around the territory and looking at some programs currently being used in the Yukon and across Canada.

Another group is looking at attendance programs that could see young people would participate at the centre for four to six weeks periods.

"We'd bring in eight youngsters at a time and give them some skill sets," he said.

"They could be programs designed to enhance cognitive skills or life skills, substance abuse or confidence building, like a land program or something."

Justice and corrections are also consulting with the community to see if there could be day programs run out of the facility.