By Ryan Pilon

Pine Grove to receive funding

Mar 24, 2011 | 11:53 AM

The Pine Grove Correctional Centre will be receiving $7 million from the provincial government to construct an additional 32 cells.

This was announced on Wednesday as part of the province’s 2011-12 budget to help relieve the overcrowding at the female facility.

“Overcrowding has been an issue with the female facility at Pine Grove and it’s just gotten maybe worse over the last couple years, but overcrowding’s been a problem there for some time,” said Yogi Huyghebaert, minister of corrections, public safety, and policing.

“We use programming space to house people and that really is not acceptable.”

Huyghebaert said the money is strictly for capital, however there is the possibility of new jobs being created from this as well.

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“If you get more inmates, do you need more people? The answer is yes. How many? I can’t tell you because the answer will vary. So with new spaces, whether you need more (people to hire), or if there’s enough there, I don’t know. I’ll deal with that when the time comes,” said Huyghebaert .

Huyghebaert said construction on the facility will begin this year, and will take two years to complete.

rpilon@panow.com