Further improvements to the infrastructure of Her Majesty�s Penitentiary (HMP) in St. John�s continue as the Provincial Government has awarded a contract for the first phase of upgrades to the facility�s ventilation system. The Provincial Government will invest approximately $260,000 in this phase of the project.

"The safety and well-being of both those who work at Her Majesty�s Penitentiary and the inmates who are in our care is a primary concern of this government," said the Honourable Felix Collins, Minister of Justice and Attorney General. "At the completion of upgrades to the ventilation system at the facility we will have improved the living and working conditions for inmates and staff and we will eliminate an issue of high temperatures and humidity which has impacted those in HMP for some time."

The contract, awarded to Jenkins Power Sheet Metal Inc. of St. John�s, involves upgrades to the existing ventilation system in the main living units, as well as installation of new equipment that will bring air flow and thermal conditions up to modern standards.

This is the first phase of a multi-phase program to upgrade the ventilation system throughout HMP. Further phases will consist of similar upgrades in other areas of the correctional facility. Phase one of the work is expected to be complete in March 2011.

Since 2009, the Williams Government has allocated approximately $7 million for the revitalization of the Newfoundland and Labrador corrections system.

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