Penitentiary holds workshops on health and healing

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The Native Brotherhood Society held a two-day workshop on the reintegration of the Aboriginal offender into society on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at the Drumheller Institution in southern Alberta. The workshops were facilitated by a number of guests attending from Alberta's Aboriginal community agencies, and agencies in Saskatchewan and Ontario.

The workshops were initiated for community agencies, the parole board, inmates and the province to mediate, explore innovative ideas and find solutions to help ease the release of inmates and to prevent reoffence.

The Transition and Re-integration of the Aboriginal Offender workshop concentrated on questions from inmates with concerns and issues surrounding their release from prison and the obstacles they have to face, as well as Sections 81 and 84.

According to Corrections Canada, under Section 81, men and women are allowed to be transferred to a non-facility such as a community and placed in custody there. Section 84 allows the inmate to apply for release into an Aboriginal community such as a reserve or an urban Aboriginal institution such as Edmonton's Stan Daniels Correctional Centre.

Elder Chris Stranglingwolf said that Aboriginal communities need to be taught about how to accept ex-inmates back in the community.

"We as Elders of the communities have to help these boys," he said.

The morning session on day one began with a prayer and an honor song performed by singers who were part of the Native Brotherhood group. The first Native Brotherhood Society was formed by a group of Aboriginal inmates at the Prince Albert penitentary in 1962. In 1968 the Brotherhood was formed in Drumheller. The society's goal is to promote the betterment of all Aboriginal inmates. Their motto it to know, to help, and to understand. They attribute the founding fathers as being Chief Big Bear and Chief Poundmaker who were imprisoned in the Stoney Mountain penitentiary following the Riel Rebellion in 1885.

During the workshop, chairs were arranged in four circles and inmates and invited facilitators exchanged questions, answers and suggestions on education, housing, counselling and employment.

"What do we do when we get out of prison and we apply for funding from our bands and we are told that because we haven't lived on the reserve or community for the last few years that we are not eligible for funding?" asked one inmate.

"What do we have to fall back on when we get out of here?" asked another. "A lot of times when we get out of here we do not have anywhere to go. When we go back to our communities we are asked 'what are you doing back here?' A lot of the inmates end up back in here because they have nowhere else to go. They are not welcome back to their communities and no one is around to help them, or accept them even if they've gone through healing programs and rehabilitation,"

"What about counselling in the communities, such as comprehensive programs on anger management? Where can we go to find counselling programs when we get out?" asked another.

Other inmates were concerned about employment, finances, housing and ending up on the streets in urban centres.

"Some of us end up in hostels in the city where we end up feeling frustrated and so we start to drink or get into drugs and we end up back in here again. If there is no way that we can go to school and get an education, and no one wants to hire us, a lot of us inmates end up hanging around city downtown areas," said another inmate.

Facilitators offered suggestions on how to apply for education funding and who to approach when applying through bands or Métis settlements.

The chief of Saskatchewan's Piapot reserve, Murray Ironchild, addressed the inmates.

"Our failure as leaders is that we do not come in here to hear your input as people," said Ironchild. "But since I've been elected chief on my reserve, I've been to the Prince Albert penitentiary and today I'm here to listen to what you have to say," he said.

Among the invited guest was provincial president of the Métis Association, Audrey Poitras.

"I'm here to listen to everyone and then I'd like to know what we can put out there in the community for the inmates," said Poitras. "I do not think that the Métis Nation was involved enough. We want to work with everyone and look at ways to all work together," she said.

Corrections Canada is recognizing that the strength found in Aboriginal communities is an important element in its success of reintegrating Aboriginal offenders into the community.

"By the inmates working together with their communities, while continuing their healing journey, they may find the people and the tools to succeed," said Gerry Cowie, Saskatoon's director for Aboriginal issues, Prairie region.

Former Métis Nation of Alberta board member, Joe Blyan, also addressed the inmates.

"This year will be 31 years since I walked out of jail and told the guard that I was not ever coming back. I found that the first few years were hardest," said Blyan. "We are not consulting with the inmates in prisons as much as we should. We have to start looking at things that will work. Something is failing our kids. We have to find out what it is. As leaders and politicians in our communities we are faced with a dilemma," he said.

Day two's discussion on sections 81 and 84 prompted a number of questions.

Inmates wanted to know what happens if they are released into the communities and they get charged with a minor offence, do they get sent back to prison on a long term offence again? They also wanted to know proper protocol on how and who to approach when applying for release into the communities. They've been hearing about sections 81 and 84 and yet they were not sure what it meant.

Under section 84 the parole board gives the community adequate notice of the parolee's application. The process will then begin after the community and the inmate set up a plan and agree to abide by the conditions outlined in the plan negotiated between the imate and the community. The community takes the case load of the inmate and takes the responsibility of the inmate while he or she is in the community.

"How do the inmates get to use the opportunities that sections 81 and 84 have to offer when the communities do not want the inmates back there?" asked Blyan.

Correctional Services Canada's project manager, Dale LeClair, suggested that the inmates approach their case workers and look for a community that they would feel comfortable in, write to them, let them know what they would want help in, what kind of rehabilitation courses they were taking while in prison and how well they were doing.

More than 200 people attended the institution's 32nd annual powwow which was held in conjunction with the workshop. The gathering was attended by families of the inmates, invited powwow dancers, inmates and other guests. A traditional feast of moose and buffalo was served for lunch. Inmates serving as hosts greeted the guests, made seating arrangements, served lunch and cleared tables.

"We'd like to welcome you to the close of this millennium and I hope that the next 100 years will continue to see a healing take place for us inmates," said Native Brotherhood co-ordinator and vice chief, Wayne Stonechild.