This is a cost-shared program with the provinces and it serves 275 aboriginal programs in over 800 communities across Canada. The program has been very successful in reducing recidivism: 89% of clients who go into the program successfully complete the aboriginal justice system program. Those who complete the program have significantly lower rates of recidivism. The program has also been very good, as Mr. Pentney said, in terms of diversion. Some of this diversion has been associated with jobs skills training so that these people have actually been diverted into the labour market as opposed to the criminal market. Of course, it also helps in these communities to ensure that they have more functional lives than the lives that they had before they got into the program.
It also saves the criminal justice system significant funds. It's estimated that in 2008-09, it resulted in about $8 million in cost savings to the criminal justice system because it diverted people out of the system as opposed to having to go to trial, expensive trials, etc.