Today the provincial government made an announcement that the Dauphin Correctional Centre will be closing.
Justice Minister and Attorney General, Cliff Cullen, says they’ve decided to use the corrections facility to make the renovation to the courthouse.
“So, we will be taking the corrections facility out of operation over the next several months.”
The reasoning behind the closing of the jail is that the Dauphin facility is the oldest in Manitoba and doesn’t meet modern correctional needs.
80 staff at the jail are affected by the closing and were informed of the closing today. The union was notified yesterday.
Cliff Cullen says the goal is to provide employment for all employees if possible and the Manitoba government will be working with the Civil Service Commission and the union to find creative ways to do so while respecting the rights and obligations contained in the collective agreement.
The 60 people in custody in Dauphin will be moved to one of the six other adult correctional facilities located throughout the province. There are currently about 250 openings at the other facilities following an overall decline in the provincial inmate population.
The two closest facilities to Dauphin are Brandon and The Pas.
