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Justice
July 6, 2010

New Prisoner Transport Vehicle Offers Enhanced Safety for Inmates and Corrections Officers

The Williams Government has invested $134,000 in a new prisoner transport vehicle that is designed specifically for the transfer of inmates. The Honourable Felix Collins, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, unveiled the new equipment today.

"The safety of both inmates and the corrections officers tasked to transport and guard inmates is of the utmost importance to our government," said Minister Collins. "The new prisoner transport vehicle offers enhanced safety features for both inmates and officers, helps us ensure that those being transported arrive safely and reduces the risk of incident."

The new prisoner transport vehicle can carry a maximum of 16 inmates at one time and is designed with four distinct cells with a separate door to each cell, allowing inmates to be separated based on their security level and gender. Separate cells further protect both inmates and officers as inmates cannot physically contact individuals in other cells and officers can load and unload passengers in a secure manner. The state-of-the-art, custom-designed transport unit is equipped with emergency exits, video monitoring, padded seating and seat belts and can be easily transferred to almost any type of cab or chassis vehicle.

"This type of transport vehicle for inmates is being used by provincial corrections, sheriff's officers, provincial and municipal police forces and the RCMP in other jurisdictions throughout the country," said Minister Collins. "Our government recognized the importance of an enhanced transport vehicle not only for the safety of all passengers, but for cost efficiency in the long run."

Typically, heavy-duty passenger vans are modified for the transport of inmates. The new transport vehicle, which is the first of its kind to be used in Newfoundland and Labrador, will be based at Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's and will be available to transport inmates throughout the province between correctional facilities.

Photo: New Prisoner Transport Vehicle.

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Media contact:
Jennifer Tulk
Director of Communications
Department of Justice
709-729-6985, 699-6524
JenniferTulk@gov.nl.ca

2010 07 06                                 12:55 p.m.


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