Colorful landmark built in Hobbema

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Hobbema has a new facility. Although this one isn't somewhere that people should want to spend any time, it is a place that's worth taking a look at.

The Pe Sakastew Centre is a federal minimum security correction facility, specially made to house Aboriginal inmates. It opened its doors to the first guest on April 2.

When full, it will hold up to 60 inmates. Currently it is home to only 16.

The facility is hard to miss for a number of reasons.

First, it is situated just behind a wind row of trees from downtown Hobbema. Second, it is probably the brightest-colored jail built in the country, and third, from the air, one of the centre's buildings looks like a giant eagle.

Don Coin with Chandros Construction said it took a full year to get the facility to where it is now, and the end result is going to turn some heads.

"I mention it to everyone. It's one of a kind . . .The colors are spectacular."

The bright yellow, red and blue buildings were selected by a working group of Elders and community leaders from the four First Nations in the Hobbema area. The centre is built on land leased to Corrections Canada from the Samson Band.

Coin said the Native input into the facility was strong. The construction company has worked for Aboriginal communities before and Coin said each time, community input is impressive.

"We have worked so many times with various bands around the province and we enjoy it."

A large portion of the on-site staff for the Pe Sakastew Centre was from the immediate area.

"In our staffing, about one-third of the staff were local help who worked on this."

The community not only had a say in the location and construction, they also helped to set up programs for inmates entering the prison, and had input into safety issues.

Alvin Kube, the deputy director of the facility, is appreciative of the "significant community input into the centre."

He said the four bands were always involved in each step of the prison's creation.

Security was a concern, he said. Afterall, even though it is a minimum security prison, and surrounded by a small school yard type chain link fence, some of the inmates coming will be finishing sentences for serious crimes.

The centre will house murderers and rapists, but they are a minimum risk, assured Kube.

"The offenders coming here have been rigorously screened," he said. "We aren't going to bring offenders that are a risk [to the community] should they walk away."

The inmates coming to the centre are just about to finish their prison time and be released to the community. Trying an escape from Pe Sakastew would add more years to their sentence and send them back to a larger, more restricted penitentiary

"They have a lot to lose [if they escape]. They are very close to full release," Kube said.

As the centre is the final stop before being released, it tries to teach the inmates traditional and ethical values during their time there. Culturally sensitive programming is what Pe Saskastew offers its Aboriginal offenders.

Not only are traditional values taught, but there are also programs to help the inmate understand where he went wrong.

"We are trying to assist the offenders to come to terms with the factors that led to them committing the crimes they did," said Kube.

A staff of 35 at the centre includes community Elders and counsellors who talk with the inmates in group sessions and one-on-one.

The facility is set up to form a large circle. The administration building faces the spiritual centre, and six living quarters - three on each side - join the two buildings into the rounded shape.

Many classes and programs are held in the administration building, but there is also a cultural centre where meetings can be held. The cultural centre, resembling a flying eagle from the air, holds a ceremonial room where drumming and prayers take place.

Sweat lodges and smudging ceremonies are held regularly; as well, inmates are taught traditional tasks like hide tanning by the Elders.

Kube said each imate is given traditional programming as well as work placements around the facility. Some work in the library, others in the kitchen and some do maintenance and ground work.

When the work and the programs are done for the day, the prisoners go back to their living quarters.

They are spacious buildings with communal kitchens, laundry and living rooms. Each unit sleeps 10 inmates in their own private rooms.

Kube said some inmates will be at the centre for only a few short months before they are released, while others could be there for a number of years.