Oui, monsieur le président.
It also gives aboriginal people a place in the development and delivery of federal correctional policies, programs, and services, while providing for aboriginal spirituality and culture in the correctional environment.
For example, section 81 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act sets out the provisions for the establishment of agreements for the transfer of minimum-security aboriginal offenders interested in pursuing a healing path from CSC facilities to the care and custody of healing lodges established in aboriginal communities. The Corrections and Conditional Release Act guides our efforts to address the needs of aboriginal offenders. In a moment, I will give you an overview of the steps that we have taken and plan to take to address these needs, but first I'd like to outline for you some of the challenges that we face in our work.
Aboriginal offenders tend to be younger than non-aboriginal offenders, with greater needs and higher risk levels. Many have lengthier criminal histories and a greater percentage of violent convictions and gang affiliations. Over the past several years, there has been a trend toward shorter sentences for all offenders, including aboriginal ones. This trend seriously limits the time available for CSC to provide access to programs and interventions dealing with important issues such as substance abuse and violence prevention, areas of critical importance for the safe return of aboriginal offenders to the community.
Aboriginal offenders tend to represent a greater proportion of unmotivated offenders who refuse to access programs and comply with correctional plans. They also demonstrate greater needs in areas such as substance abuse, employment and employability, and education. In this context, aboriginal offenders continue to serve a greater proportion of their sentences in institutions, are more likely to waive or postpone their parole hearings, and have higher rates of reincarceration during periods of conditional release.
Responses to these issues are challenging, but we have taken a course of action that we believe will improve results over the long term. Research has demonstrated that reconnection with culture, family, and community are key factors in the rehabilitation and reintegration of aboriginal offenders. Therefore, Correctional Service of Canada's approach to aboriginal corrections is based on a continuum of care model. It begins at admission, is followed by paths of healing, and ends with the reintegration of aboriginal offenders into the community. This approach has a positive impact on public safety—it engages aboriginal offenders in the process, thus reducing the likelihood of reoffending and reincarceration.
The continuum of care model, which was developed with the guidance of aboriginal elders, was adopted by the Correctional Service of Canada in 2003 and expanded in 2009 to emphasize collaboration and horizontality within government agencies and aboriginal communities. The model provides the flexibility necessary to respect the diversity of first nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. It is also respectful of significant provincial and territorial variations in cultures, traditions, and languages, as well as the diverse needs and capacities of rural, urban, remote, and northern communities.
In 2006 we developed the strategic plan for aboriginal corrections, which expanded on the continuum of care model. In 2009 the strategic plan was updated in light of our accountability framework, which is designed to ensure that the aboriginal dimension is integrated into all aspects of our planning, operations, reporting, and accountability. It is grounded in specific actions within the context of CSC's five corporate priorities. The actions supported by the accountability framework reflect an understanding of aboriginal cultures and history, the current social reality, and the importance of cultural traditions when formulating meaningful correctional policy for the aboriginal peoples in our care.
Since 2004, CSC has been working towards the development of a northern strategy for corrections. A framework has been finalized and is being consolidated within an overall strategy. A discussion paper will be presented to the February 2010 meeting of Correctional Service of Canada's executive committee. The strategy will focus on the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, as well as Nunavik and Nunatsiavut. CSC will be working closely with other federal departments and agencies, and with provincial, territorial, and aboriginal stakeholders to develop the northern strategy.
Several northern corrections programs and initiatives are under way with a focus on Inuit offenders, including the delivery of culturally appropriate programs, staff training, and liaison and consultation with territorial and federal government counterparts. Aboriginal offenders currently have access to education, work, correctional programming, and social or cultural services.
We know that effective correctional programs are an essential element in preparing offenders for their safe return to the community. As such, aboriginal offenders participate in both national programs, formerly referred to as core programs, as well as aboriginal-specific programs, which include the integration of effective correctional program principles with traditional aboriginal healing approaches.
CSC operates eight aboriginal-specific programs designed with aboriginal stakeholders for delivery by aboriginal staff. These programs target violence prevention and substance abuse, key areas that place aboriginal offenders at a higher risk to reoffend.
Through our experience working with aboriginal offenders, we observed that programs that include culturally appropriate elements and correctional interventions have proven to be more effective with an aboriginal population, which has higher risks and needs than other segments of the population.
For example, a recent evaluation has shown that male aboriginal offenders who participated in the “In Search of Your Warrior” program were 19% less likely to be readmitted to custody relative to a comparison group, and enrolments by aboriginal offenders in that program increased by 80%. Completion rates for the aboriginal substance abuse programs increased from 56% to 93%. Those who participated in our community maintenance program were 59% less likely to be readmitted for a new violent offence.
Because of this success, CSC is continuing to build capacity to deliver culturally appropriate treatment. As part of our national program improvement plans, CSC is developing an integrated correctional program model that will allow for inclusive and more efficient delivery of programs to all offenders. This new program model will be piloted in the spring of 2010. This model includes an ongoing support for the higher-risk offenders—for example, those in maximum security institutions—as it is believed that offenders will have better opportunities to engage in the correctional plans and transfer to lower security, where they can focus on successfully completing their correctional plans and on reintegration efforts.
With respect to recruitment, retention, and cultural competency in our workforce, CSC is viewed as the second-best employer in the federal public service in terms of representation of aboriginal peoples. In fact CSC has developed a very aggressive strategy for the recruitment of aboriginal peoples for key positions of influence, such as program officers, community development officers, liaison officers, correctional officers, parole officers, and elders. In addition, we have promoted several aboriginal staff to assistant warden, deputy warden, warden, and other executive-level positions within our organization.
CSC has invested nearly $33 million in aboriginal corrections through fiscal year 2009-10 to support the expansion of aboriginal interventions and healing programs in our institutions; healing lodges in communities; increased access to elders in our institutions; an increase in Pathways units to offer more intensive healing and support; concrete action to address the needs of aboriginal offenders from the north, with a focus on Inuit offenders; and the creation of more aboriginal employment and job placement opportunities.
CSC continues to work collaboratively with all criminal justice partners and the community to fully support the safe transition of aboriginal offenders to communities. I believe our dedicated efforts have put us on track to respond to the unique needs of aboriginal offenders.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you this afternoon, and I welcome any questions that you may have.