New Women's Unit Nearing Completion

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C.-  The  new women’s unit at the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre will be all but complete by the end of this month.

The construction has been on going since the fall of 2008, and was initially expected to be complete by the end of 2009.

The delay in the completion can be blamed on other upgrades that were being made to the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre.   $3.9 million dollars had been allotted for installation of state of the art security technology.  That included an improved video recording system and re-configured common areas  to provide better surveillance of inmates.  The work also upgraded the PGRCC’s  back up generator.

The construction of the new women’s unit was delayed so some construction elements could be synchronized with the upgrades underway at the facility.  The women’s unit is budgeted to cost $11.5 million dollars and Ministry officials say the project is on budget. 

Once the 20 cell unit is complete, the area which used to be occupied by women in the main facility will revert back to housing male inmates.

Although the women’s unit is expected to be “substantially” complete by the end of this month, it will be several more weeks before it is ready for occupancy. Officials say there will need to be staff training in the new space.

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