Lone female inmate serves time outside

There is only one female inmate serving time outside Nunavut, Premier Paul Okalik, the minister of justice, told the House this week, in response to a question from Rebekah Williams, MLA for Quttiktuq.

Nunavut does not have a facility for women prisoners.

There are 20 male inmates serving time outside Nunavut. About 15 of those are at the Yellowknife Correctional Facility, Okalik said.

“This government is always talking about, ‘we don’t have enough money,'” Williams said. “How much does it cost Nunavut to house those prisoners in the NWT?”

Okalik did not answer the question.

“When will the government build a facility for female inmates?” she asked.

“I cannot say exactly when, but we’re governed by economies of scale. One inmate cannot justify opening a facility. Hopefully we’ll never need a facility,” Okalik said.