Nunavik’s new half-way house primed for success

KANGIRSUK — Nunavik’s new half-way house is being primed for success, so the region’s first attempt at a community-based correction facility doesn’t fall flat on its face.

Quebec’s correctional services and regional groups are trying to give the new half-way house, called Makitautik or “a means of support,” the support it needs to succeed.

Makivik Corporation and the Kativik Regional Development Council spent around $200,000 to transform the former construction workers’ lodge and day care centre in Kangirsuk into a functional, welcoming residence.

“It’s by far the nicest half-way house I’ve ever seen,” said Dave Lépine, Quebec Corrections’ northern liaison officer.

Lépine said Quebec’s correctional service will do all it can to to smooth Makitautik’s first year of operation.

“Correctional services has given it a lot of money,” Lépine said.

Makitautik will receive $400,000 this year and $325,000 the following year from its contract with Quebec. This means it will receive a per diem amount that’s closer to the $150 spent on keeping inmates in provincial jails than the $57 daily subsidy generally paid to half-way houses as room and board for residents.

“We wanted two things. We wanted it to work. That’s why we gave it a good budget, and we wanted it to be run in Inuktitut by Inuit,” Lépine said.

Makitautik’s six staffers all come from Kangirsuk. They include the community’s former mayor, George Haukai, now Makitautik’s director, and a former muncipal and regional councillor, Jeannie Nungak, one of Makitautik’s two counselors.

“We have confidence in the employees,” Lépine said.

But correctional services don’t intend to stretch their limits. During the first year, Makitautik won’t operate at its full, ten-resident capacity.

“We don’t want to build up false hopes,” Lépine said. “So, we’ll go slowly.”

He said some prisoners from Nunavik need a more structured situation or intensive therapy, and will continue to go to treatment programs or the aboriginal half-way house Waseskun Centre near Montreal.

The prisoners on parole selected for Makitautik won’t be the most difficult prisoners, either.

Lépine said he wants to give Makitautik a year to test itself. During this period, staff will receive back-up help from Lépine and a community reintegration officer who will visit Makitautik once a month.

In the long run, the half-way house will also need increased services from social services and police.

“We don’t want there to be any problem, such as a hostage taking, that could turn the community against it,” Lépine said.

Makitautik’s staff has followed courses in first aid, counselling and crisis intervention, but they won’t offer in-depth counselling to residents during their average stay of two to three months.

Residents at Makitautik will be able to participate in Alcoholics Anonysmous, healing sessions, adult education classes and a variety of activities in the house and on the land.

“We’ve already bought three skidoos,” Haukai said. “Building qamotiks will be the first job.”

After Makitautik’s first year of operation, Quebec’s correctional services will evaluate its performance. If Makitautik is deemed a success, the half-way house’s premises may be enlarged.

And, although Makitautik is a regional facility, a second half-way house on Nunavik’s Hudson Bay coast may also be considered.

Makitautik has been in the works for three years, since the KRG first consulted all Nunavik’s communities to see which one wanted to welcome the half-way house that the Quebec government had finally promised to fund.

Some residents of Kangirsuk still plan to watch Makitautik cautiously. One councillor at the KRG meeting here this week worried about the chances of escapees.

Another privately wondered whether convicted offenders were going to be treated too well at Makitautik.