Labrador jail for women, youth a priority: Kennedy

A new jail for young offenders and female inmates in Labrador is on the government agenda, Newfoundland and Labrador's justice minister says.

Jerome Kennedy met Tuesday in Happy Valley-Goose Bay with Innu, Inuit and Métis leaders, and then with aboriginal political leaders, about a litany of long-standing problems with justice in Labrador.

Kennedy said he's looking for solutions for local problems, particularly the fact that youth and women have to be held in the RCMP's lockup in the town.

"Our department is currently looking at a facility, or the development of a facility, that can address the needs of the groups that have been identified, such as youths ... and especially female offenders," said Kennedy.

The RCMP lockup has come in for criticism for how individuals have been treated, including a woman who was held naked for several days, and a case last fall of a teenager who was denied a shower and access to his parents for eight days.

"I'm hearing change," said Inuit elder Mary Adams, after meeting with Kennedy. "Change is what we need. It's taken a long time to get to this point and it's going to take a while to start fixing it."

Language is also an issue that residents of Labrador want addressed in the justice system.

"There's no Innu word to find guilty or not guilty," said Innu elder Francis Penashue. "It's very hard to translate it."

Representatives of the Métis community have concerns of their own, especially related to a campaign of official recognition as a people. More than 20 members of the Labrador Métis Nation currently face charges of illegally hunting caribou.

"We are aboriginal people. We have a right to harvest as aboriginal people, and I'm very confident that minister Jerome Kennedy will address the issue in time," elder Ken Mesher said.

"There [was] no commitment made, but we're on to, I think, a good start."

Kennedy also travelled to Sheshatshiu, about 45 kilometres from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, to meet with residents of the Innu community about restraining orders.

The issue, which dominated a meeting that Kennedy held in St. John's last week with Innu and women's groups, has been a pointed concern there because of a recent assault of a woman in the community.

Her boyfriend, who is in custody on aggravated assault and other charges, had twice been given restraining orders to stay away from the woman.