The closure of Buffalo Narrows Community Correctional Centre will see about 17 jobs lost for northern Saskatchewan workers.
That, according to the region’s NDP MLA Buckley Belanger and SGEU.
Additionally, inmates at the 18-inmate capacity centre will be transfered to other facilities, possibly by mid-summer.
The Saskatchewan Party decision came in the budget speech on Wednesday.
Northern Saskatchewan needs more investment in employment, not less, said Belanger.
“That’s the last place in the province where we need to have job losses. So for them (the Saskatchean Party) to do that in such a callous, cold way to not only the employees of the Buffalo Narrows Correctional Centre but to the community of Buffalo Narrows and the region I jsut thought that was very strange and very sad to see the Saskatcheawn Party government conduct itself in that way,” he said.
It is an affront to the Sask. Party’s own justice policies relating to inmates being near family and home communities, said Belanger.
“I understand that some of the prisoners are going to points further south and it really clashes with the policies that they tout every now and then,” he said.
The policies, according to Belangers state that “even though they’re incarcerated we always have to try and rebuild the human lives that are impacted by being in jail. Well this flies in the face of that.”
When it comes to northern saskatchewan, Belanger said its people didn’t receive equal benefits to the south when the province was in its boom.
He added that now, it’s not just the correctional centre that’s going to fall victim to cuts in this budget.
“Shame should be placed on the premier and the government of Saskatchewan for the manner in which they treated the north and now when it comes to cuts they all of a sudden find out where the north is,” he said.
According to the province, the closure is meant to save the province $661,0000 this fiscal year and $1 million each year after that.