October 13, 1999
(Justice)

Minister comments on the addition at the Newfoundland and Labrador Correctional Centre for Women

Justice Minister Paul Dicks reiterated the logic behind the 1996 decision to move the Newfoundland and Labrador Correctional Centre for Women (NLCCW) from Stephenville to Clarenville. "Essentially there were five key reasons for the move," he said today. "All of the reasons were based on the ability to provide the best service in the most efficient manner possible."

The minister cited the following reasons for moving the centre to Clarenville:

The St. John's lockup was overcrowded due to court appearances, medical visits, and remands. This facility is not designed for long term stays. Moving the NLCCW to Clarenville eased the pressure from the St. John's facility.

The building in Stephenville would have had to be made wheelchair accessible. This was an additional cost of $250,000.

The Stephenville building was an old Harmon Air Force Base structure which had rising maintenance costs. The building in Clarenville was built in 1982.

The building in Stephenville was too large at 15,600 square feet for an average of seven to 10 inmates. The Clarenville facility is only 8000 square feet with the expansion. There are currently seven inmates at Clarenville. An examination of the average inmate count at the centre shows a continual decline from an average of 13.85 in 1996/1997 to an average of 8.94 in 1998/1999.

Approximately 70 per cent of the inmates come from the Avalon peninsula and, as a matter of departmental policy, inmates are kept as reasonably close to their families as possible to allow for contact with relatives which aids rehabilitation. Before the move, the inmates were transported to and from Stephenville via air. This was extremely costly.

"The proposed expansion wasn't for living space, rather it was to provide space for the provision of programs," the minister continued. "The Clarenville centre offers a wide variety of programs and services to the residents. Even with the cost of the expansion, savings are still greater than if the facility had remained in Stephenville. In addition, improvements in operations for both the residents and the department resulted from the move."

There are several programs offered at the facility including parenting support groups, adult basic education, psychiatric counseling services, anger management and community work placement. "The proposed expansion will allow for further improvements in these services," the minister said.

Media contact: David Wells, Communications, (709) 729-6830.

1999 10 13 5:00 p.m.