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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - NWT Justice Minister Jackson Lafferty denied that an MLA's complaint during the previous legislative assembly may have led to an order to block calls from inmates to all MLAs.

On Monday, Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay asked Lafferty on why he wasn't receiving calls from inmates at the North Slave Correctional Centre - a weekly occurrence that evaporated since the territorial election last year. The correctional centre is located in Ramsay's riding.

"I've heard from (justice) staff there that they're just not allowed to call MLAs," said Ramsay. "That's what precipitated my questions to the minister."

At Ramsay and another MLA's prodding, Lafferty issued a letter last week stating that if they don't want inmates calling them, they should inform him so he could ensure they don't receive such calls.

According to one official with the Department of Justice, a call-blocking system has been in place at the jail for more than a year. It was installed primarily to prevent inmates from harassing their victims by phone.

The official said people are not put on the do-not-call list unless they ask to be on it.

Lafferty acknowledged that there may have been some confusion at NWT Corrections - but insisted calls to MLAs were not being blocked indiscriminately.

"They weren't told that," said Lafferty. "There might've been one (MLA) that came forward in the previous government but that was it."

The rest, he added, "were open" to receiving inmates' phone calls.

Inmates at the correctional centre have pictures and phone numbers of the MLAs, the justice minister said.

In any event, Ramsay countered, calls from inmates shouldn't be blocked just because they're in jail.

"I know they're in jail but I think everybody's fundamental right to get in touch with their elected officials is one that should be taken pretty seriously," said Ramsay.