By Sarah Wallace

Provincial Correctional Centre could see expansion

Jun 17, 2013 | 6:24 AM

In May of this year an application for an expansion at the Prince Albert Provincial Correctional Centre was submitted to Prince Albert’s Department of Planning and Development Services.

The application would see a new living unit built onto the existing correctional centre on the property located at 3021 – First Avenue West.

Drew Wilby with the Ministry of Corrections and Policing said they’ve been approved for the expansion by the provincial government in the 2012/13 budget.

“It will be a 72 cell expansion, double bunked, that will make 144 beds,” Wilby said.

The expansion was brought forward as a way to address overcrowding at the facility, which would help the jail regain some of its programming and classroom space currently being used by inmates as dorms.

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“Overcrowding is definitely an issue that we watch with great caution and of course it’s a concern, [right now] we’re able to manage it within Prince Albert Correctional Centre and across the province. The expansion will go a very long way to help ease that overcrowding, it’s a very important step in rectifying a lot of those concerns that are there,” Wilby said.

The new expansion would be an addition onto the existing facility and Wilby said there is space to accommodate the expansion on the premises where the correctional centre currently sits.

If the expansion is given the go-ahead construction could begin at any time and the facility could be up and running within the next few years.

The Pine Grove Correctional Centre will soon open their new 30 cell, 60 bed expansion this year as well.

Prince Albert City Council will hold a meeting on June 24 and will consider the application for the expansion.

swallace@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahthesquid