By Angela Brown

Local youth correction centre closing in year ahead

May 17, 2017 | 4:38 PM

The North Battleford Youth Centre will be shuttering its doors in 2018 when the old Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford closes, so the young offenders will need to be relocated to other facilities across the province.

The aged Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford is being replaced by the new hospital currently under construction in North Battleford.

Saskatchewan Justice Ministry spokesperson Drew Wilby said the young offenders will be relocated to other locations, including Prince Albert.

“We will attempt to locate these youth as close as possible to their home communities,” Wilby said. “Right now, the North Battleford Youth Centre is a location that draws from the northwest corner [of the province]. So relocating these youth to Saskatoon or Prince Albert may pose some challenges, but we will do our best to ensure they are located as close as possible to their home communities.”

“We’re quite excited about the new Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford build,” Wilby added.  “As part of that project, there will be a 96-bed correctional secure facility that we’re hoping will provide mental health services to both male and female clients of the correctional system.

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“Due to the new build, two of our facilities – the Battlefords Community Correctional Centre – an adult male open-custody facility, and the North Battleford Youth Centre – a 39-bed secure, youth facility, will close. They are both hooked to the infrastructure of the existing hospital and can’t operate without that facility fully operational.”

The adult-male facility usually houses about 12 offenders. They will also need to relocate to other facilities in the province.

Wilby said more staff will be needed for the new hospital when it opens, so the province hopes to be able to find jobs for some staff from the two correctional centres when they close.The secure side of the new hospital, for adult offenders with mental health needs, will require correction officers among its staff.

“Other staff of course may not chose to move over to [the new hospital], or to other facilities around the province,” Wilby added, saying they will be dealt with “in accordance to the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement.”

A separate stand-alone facility near the old Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford – the Drumming Hill Youth Centre – will not be affected by the old hospital’s closure and will remain open. It can house 12 youth offenders in an open-custody environment. These offenders go into the community in the daytime for work programs or to attend school.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW