A research project conducted on ‘Build Up’ Saskatoon has revealed promising statistics about the programs ability to keep criminals from reoffending.
The Build Up program was launched in 2018 by Quint Development. It aims to provide support, training and employment to marginalized people with the goal of helping them achieve employment in the trades.
Program Manager Aaron Timoshyk says in the last few years, 68 people have passed through the program, and only one has reoffended.
“And that was after disconnecting with us for several weeks. We can’t necessarily keep track of folks after they’ve left us multiple weeks down the road, but we haven’t had a single active member of our team reoffend.
He attributes this to an overwhelming amount of support coming from those around them.
“I think the nature of our program, in terms of the support, and the fact that they’re working around other folks who have their experience who are committed to taking that path, there’s a genuine sense that everyone is pulling in the same direction.”
“We know that recidivism rates can be quite high, particularly among young, Indigenous men. These are folks that require a lot of extra support. We work really hard to make sure that we go above and beyond in terms of trying to address a lot of the trauma that they come with.”
He states that 80 per cent of Build Up members are of Indigenous descent, and 85-90 per cent of people in the program have had connections to a gang, making the program’s achievements that much more rewarding.
He spoke at a recent Board of Police Commissioners meeting, where it was also revealed that the three challenges most often encountered for the HUB in Saskatoon are mental health, housing and drugs.
The HUB is a committee from various agencies, school divisions, the Ministry of Social Services, the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Saskatoon Police Service, among others who meet twice a week to share information and problem solve for individuals and families in an elevated risk situation.
The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners heard a report on the Vulnerable Persons Unit and the Hub update was part of that. A full-time constable is assigned to the HUB, which is provincially funded. The report says a glaring issued identified by the Saskatoon HUB is the lack of available housing. Many supports are there for clients, but finding housing is a challenge.
Also in the same report, is the Police and Crisis Team update. There are four PACT teams in the city which partner a police officer with a mental health social worker. Last year, PACT was dispatches to 2,632 calls, which is a rise from 2,614 in 2022.
The objective is to streamline and coordinate access to community resources, reducing Emergency Department visits and diverting those dealing with mental health and addictions from the justice system.
There were 452 Emergency department diversions, which would cost at a minimum, $800 each using 2019 numbers. That means a savings of $361,600 and with inflation, it would be in today’s dollars a savings of $415,369.92.
