NEWS RELEASE
MINISTRY OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL
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IROQUOIS FALLS - Today, Prabmeet Sarkaria, parliamentary assistant to the solicitor general, toured Monteith Correctional Complex to see the newly expanded women's unit and meet with the correctional officers who work hard every day to keep our community safe.
The new unit, which opened on April 1, 2019, has a total of 40 new beds. This brings the capacity in the female unit in the facility to 50. Ten staff have been designated to the unit, five of which are new hires.
"It was insightful to hear firsthand about the day to day experiences of frontline correctional officers and see the newly expanded female unit at Monteith," said Sarkaria. "I was pleased to hear that staff have received specialized training on working with women in conflict, to better supervise those in our custody and keep themselves and inmates safe."
Adding capacity to this Northern institution allows for female inmates to stay closer to their home communities, which is an important factor in their rehabilitation and reducing recidivism rates.
As well, the expanded women's unit at Monteith supports the delivery of services tailored to the unique needs of women who have experienced trauma. This addition further strengthens the ministry's commitment to improve the services and conditions for inmates.
"Adding capacity to the Monteith Correctional Complex means we're better able to protect our communities in the North," said Sylvia Jones, solicitor general. "Our government is committed to supporting our frontline correctional officers and making sure they have the supports they need to do their jobs safely and well."
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