STC developing program to help female offenders transition back to community

The Saskatoon Tribal Council will take the lead on designing and delivering a program aiming to help women in the justice system leave the criminal lifestyle behind.

On Friday, a partnership was announced between the tribal council and the provincial ministries of corrections, policing and public safety, justice, and health. The groups will work together to create and implement the Īkwēskīcik iskwēwak transition program. The program’s Cree name means “turning their life around.”

The program’s aim is to reduce the number of women returning to custody after a previous conviction, the government said, by providing “up to 18 months of intensive support to female offenders who are reincarcerated on minor offences.”

The STC will get $1.2 million from the province to design and deliver the program, which will have a “strong focus on gendered and culturally responsive approaches to reintegration.”

STC Chief Mark Arcand said the program will be developed specifically with Indigenous women in mind.

“Throughout history the matriarch has been the root of support for Indigenous families,” Arcand said in a statement.

“Through the Īkwēskīcik iskwēwak program we will be able to give back and support Indigenous women as they reintegrate. Those supports are critical when it comes to building a family structure, and in the process, help mold quality productive citizens for the community.”

The program will focus on healing and wellness, the government said, as well as education, training, employment and promoting positive family relationships.

“This new program will help support women as they re-enter their home communities and explore new opportunities,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said in a statement. “It will create a transition that helps break the cycle of offending and build safer communities.”