Kainai Correctional Center relies on Blood elders

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The first all-Native staffed correctional center in Canada has opened its door on the Blood reserve.

The 24-bed minimum security Kainai Correctional Center is unique to Canada and is the only program of its type in North America, says director Allan Par.

"We're different because we deal mainly with sentence inmates of three months or less and we focus heavily on human elations and life skills programs. We're more program-oriented than custody-oriented."

Pard says the center's unique aspect is its reliance on Native elders "as spiritual guides for the inmates."

"The elders are involved in casework and one-on-one assessments."

Pard says the all-Native staff at the $700,000 center is fully trained and certified through the Alberta solicitor general's department.

The 11,000 sq. ft. facility is currently housing sentenced inmates from the Lethbridge Correctional Center. Pard says eventually the center will take direct admissions from the courts.

Pard says the center, which can hold four females and 20 males, was set up to help deal with the high rate of Native inmates in Lethbridge. While Natives make up about three per cent of the city's population, the Lethbridge medium security correctional center has a Native inmate population rate of 60-70 per cent.

"Natives can take care of their people now and through our rehabilitation programs we hope to reduce the number of Natives in jail."

Pard says "because inmates actually work on the reserve doing chores like gardening and they are close to family and other Natives, it will be easier for them to get back into society once they are released."