Prince Albert city council puts brakes on residential care home for at risk youth
In a narrow 5-4 decision Monday night, Prince Albert council nixed plans to move forward with a residential care home for at risk youth in the city.
The John Howard Society of Saskatchewan had applied for a rezoning permit to convert an apartment building on 1
st Avenue West into a supervised facility for about five young people aged 18-21.
Two staff would serve in a supervisory capacity on a 24-hour basis.
The idea was to provide a place for these youth to live while they participated in various programming including work skills training, land-based learning and cultural connections.
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Arcand sees mandatory minimum sentences contributing both to the high incarceration rate of Indigenous people in Saskatchewan and to first-time offenders who are sentenced for minor drug charges reoffending when they don’t have access to rehabilitation.
The correctional system isn’t made to rehabilitate people, he said.
Arcand said he has a family member whose incarceration stems from an addiction to methamphetamine, but hasn’t received supports.
“It’s just strictly locked up, follow the rules … hasn’t been to a doctor, has been on a doctor’s list,” he said. “But no actual outcomes and deliverables to support them while they’re incarcerated.”
Repeal of some mandatory minimum sentences a small step, advocates say thestarphoenix.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thestarphoenix.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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A Saskatchewan program aimed at diverting people accused of criminal offences from custody who would otherwise be held in remand will wind down by the end of March.
The Community Alternatives to Remand program, established in 2017, involved partnerships with community-based organizations that provided short-term case management and sometimes accommodations in the community.
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People who are remanded are charged, but not convicted of a crime and are held in custody as they await court appearances.