CONNECTIONS - Department of Justice

CORRECTIONSCONNECTIONSRiver Ridge Staff Deliver by Barry BernhardtRiver Ridge – the name conjuresup scenic images of land andwater.River Ridge Correctional Centreis situated in the trees atop thebank that overlooks the mightySlave River. So it was just naturalfor ‘on the land’ programs tospring forth from such a place.It didn’t take much arm-twistingfor staff to roll up their sleevesand begin delivering these newprograms.The helpful staff at ENR providedinformation to the inmates abouthow to access resources to starttheir own trapping businesses.being delivered to the inmates.It looked like Pat, Greg and theguys were having way too muchfun bandaging and tying eachother up in knots. When all wassaid and done, five inmates werecertified in Standard First Aid /CPR-B. Patremarked,“I set that trap!” each inmatewould exclaim whenever theyfound an animal in a trap onthe River Ridge trap line. TomWasylyshyn (Corrections Officer)heads up the trapping programat River Ridge. He approachedthe local bands and MétisAssociation to find an areawhere the inmates could trap.He then applied to ENR for aspecial trapping permit, whichwas granted. Each individualwas taught the skills required fortrapping, such as animal signs,traps and baits, how to skin theanimal and prepare its fur for saleto ENR. Money received from thesales went into the inmates’ fund.Mummifiedinmates?! What darksecrets are being uncoveredat the ‘Ridge’? It couldn’t be– ‘Dungeon Master’ Pat Burkeand his cohort Greg Heron wereresponsible! Actually, on closerexamination it was determinedthat it was a First Aid course“it gives thema stroke, ratherthan a failure”. Italso gives inmateswork skills andreadies them for dealingwith accidents on the job,out on the land or anywhere. Alsoon the First Aid facilitator teamare Toko MacDonald and JerryFryer. The team also deliversthe program to their fellow staffmembers.contined on next page...Inside this issue...Page 1 and 2: River Ridge Staff DeliverPage 3: Building Bridges / Interesting LinksPage 4: The Puck Drops Here / Supervisors Sub Comittee / HR Action Plan UpdatePage 5: Time to Face the MusicPage 6: CELT GraduatesPage 7: PRED / LSI/CM Update / Graduations / Strategic Planning / Meetings and EventsPage 8: New Staff and Staff on the Move / CreditsMay 2006, Page 1

At River Ridge if you asked,“Where’s Vince?” the mostlikely answer any season of theyear is, “Gone fishing”. What?- getting paid to go fishing! Well,Vince Dikaitis certainly isn’tcomplaining about his role inthis program. His exuberance forfishing has spread to the inmates.But the program is not just anexcuse to get out of the facility,though it is a natural stressreliever.Vince demonstrates thatfishing expeditions provide anopportunity to build relationshipsand teach teamwork, fisherman’setiquette and skills. “Everyonecompletes their share of thepreparation and no one is allowedto start fishing until all the holesare drilled.” The fish are cleaned,skinned and filleted by the guysand then distributed to gratefulelders in the community. Oh, thefish tales that could be told – butthat’s another story…Anothernatural for ‘onthe-land’programming isCorrections Officer James (Toko)MacDonald’s Snowmobile SafetyCourse. Toko got his start as aninstructor through his auxiliaryservice with the Fort SmithRCMP. After he was certifiedas an instructor, he took hisexpertise one step further andbegan to train staff and inmatesat River Ridge. The programbegan with some classroomtheory and ended up with somepractical snowmobiling out atthe old Mission Farm. The onlycasualty was one of the staff,who injured his pride when hetipped over in some deep snowmaneuvers’.Withthe satisfactionthat comes from a successfulprogram completion, Toko couldsay, “Now there is one less thingto be concerned about when wego out on the land”.Many other staff participated inthese new programs in variousdegrees. Special tribute must begiven to Donna Bourque, whodiligently headed up the snaringprogram. It was a common sightto see an inmate walk in the doorwith a proud smile on his faceand a rabbit in his hand. Thenlater he would walk back out thedoor to put a cleaned rabbit intothe hand of a local elder – and asmile on his face.Well by now, you may havecome to the conclusion thatRiver Ridge is more of a resortthan a correctional facility.However, these ‘fun’ courses areintended to complement the moreserious programs that targetcriminogenic needs. They provideopportunities for inmates to enjoytraditional outdoor activities, learnfrom positive role models, andexercise social skills. They alsosupply incentive to participate inthe more hard-hitting programs.There is excitement in the airat River Ridge as its staff usesits wealth of knowledge andexperience. (River Ridge as aninstitution has undergone severaltransformations over its 30-yearhistory. Its staff has an average‘years of service’ of 14 years.)May 2006, Page 2

Building Bridges by Riel VasasGNWT Corrections offers avariety of courses, workshopsand training opportunities for itsemployees. Over the course oftwo days in March, Correctionswas able to provide some of thistop-notch training to communitypartners. Yes, I am again talkingabout Suicide Intervention.Darin Reeves and I facilitated aworkshop in Behchokö.There were a few logisticalissues that had to be dealt with,like organizing schedules andtime away from work. However,we managed to facilitate a wellreceivedworkshop. There werea wide variety of participants,including paramedics, youthworkers, clergy and socialworkers. The interest andeagerness to learn and practicenew skills was amazing. Allparticipants worked hard andmanaged to have a laugh or two.Being able to instruct a workshopfor Corrections employees hasbeen great; however, it is alsoenriching to share skills andknowledge with other front-linecommunity members who dealwith our clients and their families.To represent Corrections andhelp to enhance our relationshipwith the communities is a positiveexperience.We have an opportunity tobuild upon our community andinstitutional relationship fosteringunderstanding and buildingbridges with the communities.When offenders are releasedback to their home communities,too often there is a lack ofsupport available. In buildingbridges with these communities,we are able to offer additionalresources to offenders upon theirreturn home.Interesting LinksThe Canadian Criminal JusticeAssociation is an independentnational voluntary organizationworking for an improved criminaljustice system in Canada.Articles, events and book reviewscan be accessed through thissite: www.ccja-acjp.caThe Corrections Service CanadaResearch Site provides a varietyof articles related to offenderprograms, risk assessment andnumerous other topics. Additionallinks can access folders on otherresources available through theCSC: www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/reports_e.shtmlRecently a Yukon-wide publicconsultation involving theGovernment of the Yukon,Department of Justice, andthe Council of Yukon FirstNations was completed and thefinal report “Moving ForwardTogether” was released. Thepurpose of the consultation wasto develop a Corrections ActionPlan that would help guide thedelivery of correctional programsand services in communitiesand in the WhitehorseCorrectional Centre. The reportcan be read at: http://www.correctionsconsultation.yk.ca/docs/final_report.pdfThe American-based NationalInstitute of Corrections websiteprovides information on training,technical assistance, informationservices, and policy/programdevelopment: http://www.nicic.orgMay 2006, Page 3

The Puck Drops Here by Marnie StebnerIt’s springtime in Yellowknife,the time of year when thesnow begins to melt and sportsenthusiasts’ focus turns tohockey and the anticipationof Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thisseason, though, there have beensome equally exciting hockeygames taking place much closerto home. The moves aren’t asquick or as flashy and there areno million-dollar contracts beingsigned here, but the playersplay with grit and a level ofdetermination that would rival anypro. I’m talking about the recenthockey matches taking placebetween North Slave CorrectionalCentre staff and inmates. So farthis year, two intense matcheshave taken place on the ice, withthe inmates being victorious inthe first battle and staff evening itup in the rematch.It’s a scene reminiscent of themovie “The Longest Yard”,where a game of football isstaged between prison guardsand the inmates in their care.This is where the similaritiesend, though. In the movie, themotivation behind the game wasthe inmates’ revenge on theguards. The “goals” of NSCCmatches are much less sinister.Not only is it a chance for bothstaff and inmates to get out onthe ice and have some fun, italso provides an opportunity forthem to interact with one anotheroutside the formal setting of thejail. It becomes readily apparentfor anyone watching the gamethough that they are not onlyplaying for a win, they are alsoplaying for pride. There’s noquestion who the fan favouritesare - the inmates, of course.How is it that these match-upscame to be? Throughout theyear, the outside work crew madeup of inmates is tasked with,among other things, providingmaintenance services to theCity of Yellowknife. In return,the Correctional Centre is givenfree ice time twice a week fromOctober until April. Accompaniedby recreation staff, the inmatestake to the ice every Tuesdayand Thursday for a game ofshinny hockey. Recreationstaff can take up to 10 inmatesin any given session. All thatis required is for inmates tohave their “off grounds” status,meaning that they have alreadybeen sentenced and generallyhave served 1/10th of theirincarceration term. The inmates,through the Inmate Welfare Fund,purchase hockey equipment tosupport the activity.Led by their captain Herb Castle,Director of Corrections, thestarting line-up for the NorthSlave Correctional Centreteam this season has been (inalphabetical order, not by orderof importance or talent); DerekBran, Perry Campbell, JamieDall, Brad Dusome, RodneyGallant, Scott Galusha, CurtisGibeau, Jeff Round, Keith Scott,Joe Sheppard, Steve Versteeg,and David Pin. A special thankyouas well to Doug Hartford forrefereeing.As the hockey season draws to aclose, it looks like fans will haveto wait until next year to find outwho the winner is, though whenan event like this takes place itdoesn’t take much to see thateverybody wins.Supervisors SubCommitteeby Roy CourtoreilleOn April 6th & 7th 2006, agroup of supervisors andmanagers from the CorrectionsDivision met in Yellowknife. Therepresentatives involved stafffrom Adult, Youth and CommunityCorrections.Objectives for this group includedeveloping and monitoring theimplementation of a TerritorialCorrections Supervisors TrainingProgram that will support acareer path model for all staffin operational, administrativeand support roles. We will bedeveloping the curriculum andthe processes to support anew and committed program toenable staff to advance in theCorrections Service.Members of the Group are:NSYOF: Ryan StrainSMCC: Roy CourtoreilleRRCC: Grant PaziukTWCC: Brenda GauthierNSCC: Joe MacIntoshATYOF: Bev AverySMCC: Quinn GroenheydeHQ: Curtis DebogorskiIf you have any questions, pleasecontact the representative in yourfacility.HR Action PlanUpdatesNew Action PlanUpdate to be releasedJune 16, 2006.May 2006, Page 4

Time to Face the Musicby Shari EatonFrank Hopeis a hard-workingProbation Officer of three yearswho works with the CommunityCorrections, Intensive Supportand Supervision program. Hiswife Margaret works as a SeniorYouth Officer at Arctic TernYoung Offender Facility and hasalso been with Corrections forthree years. Frank mentionedto Margaret that he would liketo give back to the people as avolunteer. The next thing Frankknew, he was spending one nightevery week teaching femaleyoung offenders how to playguitar.“Volunteering is a way of givingback to the community and it’sa good feeling,” Frank says,smiling.Frank started playing guitarwhen he was 14 years old. Hegrew up surrounded by musicwith two older brothers: onea drummer, the other a guitarplayer and singer.“Music was all over the house,”says Frank. “My brother wouldsay ‘don’t touch my records,’ butwhen he left the house I wouldgrab The Rolling Stones and JimiHendrix. I would think, this is socool, it’s the best.” When Frankwas growing up, he yearned forhis older siblings to teach himsome of what they knew, but henever got very much. This is agift he feels he can give theseyoung women. He teaches themwith the hope that they canuse music as a tool to expressthemselves and as a comfort.“Music never talks back to you,”Frank says.Frank hashis own personal style inmusic. He plays and listens tomusic that he feels a connectionto. He likes what touches him, itdoesn’t matter the type of song.The latest song to touch Frank’sheartstrings is by Chester Nightand it is called Tekumsah. It isa song of resiliency and hope.Frank plays and listens to songsfrom the heart, because that iswhat is meaningful.He states that the youth atArctic Tern are eager and veryreceptive students. “When I gothere, I just be. I’m not there tobe authoritative or tell them whatto do, just let them be. Whenanyone starts playing, it is hardand it hurts. I like to watch andobserve these young womenknowing that each one of themcomes from somewhere, from adifferent family and a different setof circumstances. Learning musichelps to give them a chance torealize their potential.”So far, Frank has taught theseladies the five basic chords. “Youcan do a lot with five chords.When I was shown how to play,I was shown only three,” Franklaughs.He tells the story of one girl whosat on the side and watched theother girls learning and playing.She went over and joined thegroup and one of the youthasked her “do you want to try?”and she shrugged her shouldersand answered “why not”. Sheput her fingers in position andthe chords rang out clear eventhough it was her first timetrying. She seemed to be aMay 2006, Page 5natural. Very quietly she said,“He was supposed to teach me,but he was always drunk.” WhenFrank comes in, it shows theseyoung ladies what a positive malerole model looks like. For some ofthem, he is the first male they cantrust.When Frank was asked what’scoming next, he said “Rightnow I want them used to thechords forms, then I’ll teach themrhythm, and then I’ll teach themhow to take those two thingsand put them together to makea song.” He is currently learningmore theory and would just liketo continue his journey and be amore proficient musician. He findsmusic to be very therapeutic andgives him a place for expression.As a worker at ATYOF, I amfortunate to see the youthpracticing and growing musically.I have seen them play and singthe same song over and over10 times in a row and havegotten to see the look of prideon their faces when they get itperfectly the way they want andhave shared it with someone. Itis beautiful to see. The soundof a youth singing strong withconfidence, now THAT is music tothe ears!

Corrections Entry-Level Training (CELT) 0601-2 Graduatesby Wayne Jure and Curtis DebogorskiA new energy and enthusiasmhas been introduced into threeof our correctional facilitiesas a result of the graduatingclass of CELT 0601. On March17th, 2006, 15 participantsfrom ATYOF (3), NSYOF (3)and NSCC (9) graduated fromthe newly revised CorrectionsEntry-Level Training programand were officially sworn into theCorrections Service as PeaceOfficers. Friends, family anddignitaries were in attendanceto celebrate the officers’accomplishment of successfullycompleting Phase 2 of theprogram.CELT, Phase 2 consisted of20 days of intensive and attimes demanding classroomand field training. Eachparticipant acquired essentialknowledge and skills requiredby Correctional Officers for workperformance at the basic orentry level. Over the four-weekperiod, the participants provedtheir knowledge and skills in thefollowing areas:• Incorporating the Values,Mission and Vision of theCorrections Service to aCorrectional Environment• Problem-Solving Techniques• Unit-Living Management• Verbal Intervention• Security Skills• Officer Safety• Cultural Awareness• Programs & CaseManagement• Security SkillsThe course featured dynamicmethods of learning, includinglectures, discussions, roleplaying,practical skill applicationand self-directed learning.Participants were required tomeet expectations in weeklyevaluations and exams to ensurecomprehension, professionalismand effort. The participantsexperienced personal andprofessional growth over ademanding and intensive fourweeks, and went home withmemories and a camaraderiethey will not soon forget.Selection of awards was verydifficult and many candidateswere given close consideration.The Most Improved Candidateaward was given to Youth Officer,Julie Fowler – NSYOF. The MostOutstanding Candidate awardwas given to Youth Officer,Amanda Washburn – NSYOF.All but one officer previouslytook part in a formal mentorship(on-the-job-training) provided atthe facility level. In future, newcandidates who have not beenexposed to the facility for OJT willbe required to complete a 14-shiftmentorship after the four-weekclassroom training at their homefacility. Graduating officers fromCELT 0601 will now move on toPhase 3 of CELT and be requiredto take five standard days ofadditional training to complementand build upon their current skillbase. Phase 3 training will occurwithin six months at the officers’facilities.Special thanks goes out to theCELT Instructor team and guestspeakers, who were an integralpart of the success of the pilotprogram. Doug Hartford andhis kitchen crew put together awonderful feast at the graduationceremony.CELT 0602 has recently beencompleted in Ft. Smith with CELT0603 underway in Yellowknife(May 29-June 23). Their storieswill be reflected in our fallnewsletter.The program remains acommitment by the CorrectionsService to build a foundation ofprofessional staff.CELT 0601 Graduating Class –March 17, 2006Front Row L to R: Amanda Washburn, Bernie Ritchie, Daniel Beaulieu, Samara Carvell, Julie Fowler, Arvin Landry, Issac EmbodoBack Row L to R: Lilliano Marrai, Nicky Donald, Colin MacKay, Ernie Chassie,Darryl Tuccaro, Greg Krivda, Les Leighton,Cole BouchardMay 2006, Page 6

PRED is onits wayby Roy KaiserThe PRED and CORRTRACKsubcommittee met May 8-9,2006 and the members receivedorientation to become webdesigners. Members have accessto build local intranet pages forthe facilities and communitycorrections areas.Members have also reviewed andare making recommendationsabout potential uses for theCorrections training trackingsystem (CORTRAK).The Committee will berecommending processes andpolicies for the collection anddistribution of information onboth systems and the means ofensuring access by staff.Although the PRED system is stillunder development, most staffare able to access the intranetsite at: http://justiceportal/sites/corrections.We are still working on creatingprofiles for all staff andappreciate your patience. Ifyou have any questions pleasecontact any member of thecommittee:SMCC: Jacquie Haley andQuinn GroenheydeTWCC: Michelle MacDonald,RRCC: Barry BernhardtNSCC: Doug Friesen andSusie GebauerNSYOF: Sharon GairdnerHQ:Curtis Debogorski andDarin ReevesLSI/CM Updateby Roy KaiserA booster session for the LS/YLS has now been scheduledfor Tuesday May 30, 2006 inYellowknife. This means allthose who participated in theDecember LS/YLS training needto plan to come to Yellowknife fora one-day booster session.Trainers or prospective trainersare to attend May 29 and 30.LS/YLS Group 2 and Group 3sessions are being scheduled asfollows:Group 2 - May 31, June 1, 2Group 3 - June 5, 6, 7Booster sessions for groups 2and 3 will be scheduled for thefall of 2006.In addition, there will be anLS/YLS orientation developedwhich will provide an orientationto staff who need to know howthis system impacts their areasbut are not necessarily requiredto complete the assessment. Thiswould include but not be limitedto Wardens, Managers, andCorrectional Officers.GraduationsDarlene Koe, Program Coordinator,ATYOF, Diploma in Social Work,Aurora College.Trina Cairns, Purchasing andPayment Officer, NSCC, Diplomain Management Studies, AuroraCollege.Alanhea Voght, AdministrativeAssistant, YK Probation, Diploma inChild Care, Medicine Hat Collegeand acceptance to law school atUniversity of Saskatchewan.Congratulations to all graduates.May 2006, Page 7Strategic PlanningFrom May 2-3, 2006, facilitymanagers, communitycorrections regional supervisors,headquarters personnel andguests met to discuss strategicplanning for the CorrectionsService. This led to a secondmeeting (May 3-4) and anaction plan to address some ofour current needs. Documentsfrom these meetings havebeen posted for staff and areaccessible on PRED at: http://justiceportal/sites/corrections/private.UpcomingMeetings andEventsCELT 0602-2 (Ft. Smith):graduating May 26LSI/CM Training (boostersession): May 30LSI Trainers: May 29 and 30.LS/YLS: Group 2 - May 31, June1, 2 and Group 3 - June 5, 6, 7CELT 0603-2 (Yellowknife): May29-June 17Case Management SubCommittee: June 7-8

New Staff and Staff on the MoveNSYOF• Scott Cyr, Youth Officer -Relief Worker• Andrea Heron, Youth Officer- Relief Worker• Jesse Kurzewski, YouthOfficer - Relief Worker• Melody McLeod, Youth Officer- Relief WorkerATYOF• Darlene Burden, Youth Officer- Relief Worker• Samara Carvell, Youth Officer- Indeterminate• Kristal Debastien, YouthOfficer - Transfer assignment• Elizabeth Drescher,YouthOfficer - Indeterminate• Melissa Johnson, YouthOfficer - Transfer assignment• Christine Kasook, YouthOfficer - Indeterminate• Lisa Mitchell, Youth Officer- Return from maternity leave• Bernie Ritchie Youth Officer- Indeterminate• Esther Senger, Youth Officer- Indeterminate• Darrel Simon, Youth Officer- Transfer• Diane Soucy, Youth Officer- Transfer assignment• Dolly Wolki- Youth Officer- Relief WorkerNSCC• Trina Cairns, Purchasingand Payment Officer -Indeterminate• Alana Fisher, Food ServicesSupervisor - Return fromMaternity Leave,• Wally Larocque, StoresOfficer - Indeterminate• Molly Pilgrim, Canteen Officer- IndeterminateHeadquaters• Jennifer Wilkinson,Coordinator, CorporateServices - Indeterminate• Scott Mills, Project Officer- Transfer assignmentCommunity Corrections• Dawn Anderson, RegionalSupervisor, Yellowknife -Return from maternity leave• Cindy Caudron, RegionalSupervisor, Hay River -Indeterminate• Nancy Chinna,RegionalSupervisor, Inuvik -Indeterminate• Frank Hope, CommunityCorrections Officer, Inuvik- Indeterminate• Andrea Lochan, CommunityCorrections Officer, Fort Liard- Indeterminate• Darin Strain, CommunityCorrections Officer,Yellowknife - IndeterminateCSC• Chris MacConnell,Corrections Service Canada- Indeterminate• Joe Sheppard, CorrectionsService Canada -IndeterminateCredits:The Editorial Board will be involved in guiding and directing the publication of the quarterly newsletterthrough submissions of articles and photographs that reflect staff and organizational interests.Editorial Board:ATYOF: Shari Eaton (YO) / NSYOF: John Dzurka (YO) / NSCC: Greg Spronken (COI) ,Marnie Stebner(CO I) and Riel Vasas (COI) / SMCC: Lila Belanger (CO II) / TWCC and RRCC: Barry Bernhardt(Program Delivery Officer) / Bethan Williams (Coordinator, Community Corrections), Darin Reeves(Assistant Director)All are invited to submit ideas and articles for future newsletters. Contact a Board Member for details.May 2006, Page 8