'No culture of wellness' in jails, says Sask. advocate

A group of former inmates says jails could help people deal with the issues that helped pullthem into thejustice system in the first place. But it takes a change in thinking.

Saskatchewan is putting or keeping more people in jail than nearly all other provincesin the country.

In 2013-14, Saskatchewan's incarceration rate was 195 people per 100,000 people. Comparatively, Canada's rate was 86.53 people per 100,000 people.

• Saskatchewan among the highest incarceration rates in Canada

Father Andr Poilivre works with former gang members in Saskatoon. He said the Saskatoon Correctional Centre is failing to offer programs that help inmates.

"There are no programs in the jail that I know of at this time that are serious about rehabilitation. The inmates that go into the correctional centre in Saskatoon,"Poilivre said. "It's a warehouse. It's a dead end environment. Any programs that are serious are very limited."

He said there used to be two teachers in classrooms full time, but because of minimum sentences and a large number of people who are serving time in remand, there isn't enough room.

"We could turn the Saskatoon Correctional Centre into a real correctional centre,into a healing place, a healing environment."

Jorgina Sunn on incarceration rates for aboriginal people.

9 years ago

Duration 0:32

Former inmate speaks about the incarceration rates for aboriginal people in Saskatchewan.

"It's about social justice," Jorgina Sunn said. She has served time in jail and now works with Father Poilivre at STR8 UP, a group that helps former gang members leave thecriminal life.

"Where's the justice, when you have a community of people race, regardless,gender, regardless,sex, regardless that are in fact hurting in this trap of incarceration, gangs, violence?It is, in fact, society's problem."

"When you don't know another life, you don't know another life."

Brad Christianson on jail culture

9 years ago

Duration 0:41

A former inmate explains what could help people leave jail once and for all.

Brad Christianson has also spent time behind bars.

"It's the knowingwhere to go, where to turn, how to get back into school, where to find a job, how to make a resume," hesaid.

"Once again, it's going to come back to having the options and knowing that if you do strive to be something better, that you can. It's the knowing where to go and how to get there, is what the biggest issue is."

Christianson said that people aim to thrive at what they are doing.

"And the only thing in there (jail)is the negative world of the underworld that we have here in Saskatchewan and Manitoba."

Father Poilivre said if people were willing to shift their attitudes toward criminals, their view towards jails and prisons could change.

"The jails that we have now, because there is no culture of wellness, healing, therapy, rehabilitation. The culture is of violence, ofcrime, of conflicts, of hate and resentment. You know, it's simple."