Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Nov 08/99) - The Department of Justice quite literally put their money where their mouth was this year and handed down a series of programs better designed to meet the needs of Inuit offenders.

That's according to Dr. Wayne Podmoroff, the psychologist employed at the Baffin Correctional Centre.

He explained that since division, when Nunavut's own justice system came into play, several new programs were developed to address the needs of offenders and the types of offences most often committed in Nunavut.

Further, Podmoroff added that they specifically targeted the offender by helping them to heal, thereby eventually reducing recidivism rates.

And in the few months that have passed since the programs were implemented, Podmoroff said he's already started to see results.

"It may be too soon to say, but of the people who have been through the program and participated, not one has returned yet," he said, specifically referring to the newly-developed sex offender treatment program.

In that the majority of inmates are serving time for various sex crimes, a sex offender's treatment program was one of the correction system's priorities.

"It took a bit of research, time, care and planning to make it culturally- appropriate and appropriate to the type of clientele we have here," said Podmoroff.

That meant putting together a program geared for less violent offenders than are often seen down south and one that would also take into account that most sexual assaults were committed while the offender was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Because the length of sentences varies from one month to two years less a day at BCC, the 90-minute Monday morning program, delivered in group therapy format, had to be ongoing, allowing men to join and participate at any time of the year.

Podmoroff noted however, that all inmates had to begin at the same place to ensure they admitted responsibility for their actions.

After learning group rules about confidentiality and trust, the offender must talk about the crime they committed.

"Disclosure is important to accept responsibility for one's actions, to break through denial, to recognize that something has been done that is wrong and hurtful to some other human being," said Podmoroff.

From that point on, the treatment program is split up into five different sections -- cognitive restructuring, communication skills, anger management, victim empathy and sex education.

Podmoroff said the participants learned to recognize the red flags that signified impending aberrant behaviour while learning alternative ways of thinking not only about themselves, but of women and sexual behaviour.

The sessions are conducted primarily in Inuktitut with the assistance and spiritual guidance of Iqaluit elder Celestine Erkidjuk and healer-translator Pitseolak Akavak.