N.S. Correctional Services staff gather to discuss impact during Black History Month

A large group of Nova Scotia Correctional Services employees of African descent met at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia for an all-day seminar featuring a drum performance, speeches and testimonials, and discussed strategies such as recruiting more African Nova Scotians to support inmate reintegration; Statistics Canada figures cited higher incarceration rates for Indigenous and Black adults in several provinces.

A large group of Nova Scotia Correctional Services employees of African descent gathered at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia during Black History Month to acknowledge their work and discuss its future. The event was an all-day seminar that included a drum performance, speeches and testimonials from parole officers and others involved in inmate supervision. The Black Cultural Centre also houses a two-floor museum that highlights the history and cultures of African Nova Scotians. Organizers framed the gathering as both a celebration of staff and a chance to explore ways to support reintegration of people leaving custody. Key details: - The seminar included performances, speeches and testimonials from staff who work in inmate supervision and support transitions back into the community. - NSCS Manager of Training and Development Justin Skinner said the event was held to celebrate the team and support reintegration efforts. - Long-serving staff member Mary Sisco-Sleigh noted that the number of Black women in corrections has grown since she began more than 20 years ago, and participants sought new strategies to increase positive impact. - Organizers highlighted recruiting more African Nova Scotians and Indigenous people into correctional roles as a strategy to improve relationships and representation. - Statistics Canada data cited at the event reported that in 2023–24 Indigenous adults were incarcerated at a rate about 10 times higher than non-Indigenous adults in several provinces, and Black adults were incarcerated at a rate about three times that of the white population in some provinces. Summary: Participants described the event as both a celebration and a working session to address representation and reintegration. Organizers said they will explore recruitment and program strategies to improve relationships and outcomes; specific next steps remain undetermined at this time.