Aboriginal youth in custody at the Prince George Youth Containment Centre are showing a high rate of satisfaction with the programming they're receiving, according to a survey released Tuesday.
Almost all those surveyed found the programming helpful and were more likely to engage in traditional or cultural activities than youth in the other centres in Victoria and Burnaby, according to results issued by the McCreary Centre Society.
As well, 62 per cent of aboriginal youth at PGYCC felt there was enough programming for them, compared to 23 per cent in the other two centres.
However, aboriginal youth continue to be over-represented in the system. A total of 74 per cent of those at PGYCC who completed the survey were aboriginal, compared to 39 per cent in the Burnaby or Victoria centres.
The outcome for Prince George appears to reflect the changes made to youth custody services since a similar survey was conducted in 2004. PGYCC now specializes in services for aboriginal offenders, while services for female offenders have been centralized in Burnaby and Victoria has undertaken development of mental health programs and services.
As well, the number of youth in custody across the province has declined. In 2004-05, the average was 153 on any given day and by 2012-13, it was down to 85.
The McCreary Centre Society is a non-profit group "committed to improving the health of BC youth through research, education and community based projects."
In all, 114 youth completed the survey, with 20 of them at PGYCC.
