More Cells for Pine Grove Correctional Centre

Friday, August 26, 2011 at 14:11

 

 

The provincial government has broken ground on the construction of 30 new cells at Pine Grove Correctional Centre.

 

The jail is located outside Prince Albert and houses female inmates who are low, medium and high-security status.

 

The centre was originally designed to house 60 inmates but peaked last year with a count of 153.

 

Eric Walberg is the director of the jail.

 

He says the new cells will be able to house 60 additional inmates.

 

He says that’s good news as he expects the Federal government’s upcoming tough-on-crime legislation will likely raise numbers at the jail.”

 

However, Corrections Minister Yogi Huyghaebaert isn’t going that far with his assessment.

 

The minister says it’s too early at this point to say whether inmate numbers will increase or not.

 

Huyghaebaert says the legislation may mean more inmates get sent to federal institutions instead of provincial correctional centres.

 

The new wing at Pinegrove is expected to be finished by 2013.