Saint John jail adds sweat lodge to give inmates a space for healing, ceremony

The Saint John Regional Correctional Centre is adding a sweat lodge to its facility to offer Indigenous inmates a space for healing and ceremony.

Sitansisk Elder Chris Brooks told the CBC's Shift that a sweat lodge is a "place for connections, wellness and togetherness." He said it's important to have culturally appropriate interventions for those serving time at a correctional facility. 

"Unfortunately, sometimes a man or a woman might go to a correctional facility and that's their first experience in regards to Indigenous culture," said Brooks. "It's very important that they understand what it is." 

Brooks, who has worked in the correctional system and now supports Indigenous inmates at the jail, said his role is to teach inmates what a sweat lodge is and how it can benefit them. 

As a recovering alcoholic, Brooks said he knows first hand the impacts ceremony can have.

"My culture saved my life," he said. 

Kristin Colwell, superintendent of the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre, said the facility has been working to offer more programs in recent years and this is just one example. 

"It's to really allow them to be involved in rehabilitation so that they can reintegrate back into the community successfully and, of course, culture is so important," said Colwell. 

She said it's important to have intervention that reflects the cultures of all clients in the centre.

Colwell said about 10 per cent of inmates at the facility are Indigenous, "but we're open to allowing all of our clientele to have access to various programs, whether they're Indigenous or not." 

She said inmates are encouraged to learn what programs are most effective for their individual healing journeys. 

Brooks said he has witnessed success stories for inmates who were provided a sweat lodge while in a correctional facility and, upon their release, engaged in their community to continue using this ceremony for healing. 

Colwell said in the 15 years she has worked at the jail, she's noticed how these types of programs have helped staff build a better rapport with inmates, and how they've helped inmates transition more successfully back into the community. 

She said the sweat lodge is nearly halfway built and hopes to offer the first sweat ceremony by the end of August. 

Brooks said the frame of the sweat lodge is already in place. Now he has to travel to Nova Scotia to collect the specific stones used for the ceremony. 

He said he got "a sense of excitement and good energy," when he visited the centre last and spoke with staff and clients about the sweat lodge. 

Brooks said he hopes to see correctional staff take part in these ceremonies, too. 

"We're making history here."