Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton is touring some of B.C.'s nine correctional facilities and seeing firsthand some of the unique work programs that help inmates gain self-confidence and new skills, and give back to others in need.

Today, Anton toured the North Fraser Pretrial Centre (NFPC), Fraser Regional Correctional Centre (FRCC), and Alouette Correctional Centre for Women (ACCW). At ACCW, she visited the horticulture program where inmates learn skills from a master gardener from Van Dusen Gardens. This innovative work program at the ACCW teaches the women how to garden and operate a greenhouse. The food they grow is used in meals served at the facility.

A variety of work programs exist in corrections centres in all regions of the province. In Nanaimo, inmates at the Nanaimo Correctional Centre (NCC) provide firehose cleaning and repair services to B.C.'s wildfire crews. The program not only helps firefighters protect communities and save lives, it also saves public dollars by extending the life of fire equipment that was previously discarded and replaced with new equipment, for a fraction of the cost.

Many work programs are designed to help inmates get a job after they are released. For example, at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre (VIRCC), inmates can take bicycle technician training and give back to the community through an important humanitarian cause. Inmates in the program repair bikes that have been stolen or abandoned and not retrieved from police. After the bikes are fixed, the Compassionate Resource Society, a non-profit organization, ships most of them overseas to families in impoverished countries.

Inmates at the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre (PGRCC) are helping four-legged and furry British Columbians. There, inmates work with local rescues to care for abandoned and abused animals. The inmates are responsible for the animals' physical and emotional daily care, including their training and socialization. Program participants have indicated that they learned how to better express their emotions through the love and affection they shared with the animals.

Quotes:

Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton -

"As I've been able to see firsthand, the work programs at B.C.'s correctional facilities are helping to reduce reoffending and ultimately protect B.C. communities. They inspire inmates to change their lives, gain new life skills and give back to others. All of these experiences will help them successfully reintegrate back into their communities."

Parliamentary Secretary for Corrections Laurie Throness -

"One of the best ways to keep communities safe is to ensure people have jobs and can provide for their families. BC Corrections' work and vocational skills programs prepare inmates for the working world and give them knowledge and experience they can use with confidence to be employed after their release."

Alouette Correctional Centre for Women's master gardener Barbara Collis -

"I have seen hundreds of women walk into our greenhouse feeling lost and not believing they have anything to offer the world. This program gives them a reason to get up each morning. By teaching them skills like how to run a lawnmower, design a garden and create hanging baskets, our goal is to help the inmates get a job down the road. But we also want them to change their behaviour and their lives. That's why it's most rewarding when a woman says, 'I was meant to come here, because being here has changed my life.' For me, that's why I love my job and coming to work each day."

Learn More:

For photos of Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton's visit to the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women, see: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjyKY19R

Learn more about BC Corrections' work and vocational skills programs:http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/corrections/programs/work.htm

Visit BC Corrections online:www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/corrections/index.htm

Media Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6961

BACKGROUNDER

Work programs at BC Corrections centres

B.C.'s nine correctional centres have a range of unique vocational programs that offer useful employment to offenders while helping to maintain and support the facilities themselves, including:

• Dog training
• Kitchen crew
• Building maintenance
• Framing, drywall, painting, and construction
• Horticulture
• Eradication of invasive weeds on Crown lands
• Removal of brush along highways
• Electrical course
• Bicycle mechanic certification
• Fish hatchery
• Tailor shop
• Forest fire suppression and maintenance of fire hose equipment
• Forest Fire Camp setup and take down
• Food Safe certification
• First Aid
• WHMIS certification (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System)
• Hydrogen Sulphide Training (HS2 Alive) - a one-day course certifying students to work in Canada's oil and gas industry
• Inmate crews assist with kitchen, laundry and maintenance in the centres, learn light industry such as tailoring, industrial ceramic production, hardware packaging, manufacturing of commercial goods, or learn trades such as TV maintenance, painting, carpentry or landscaping.

International aid work initiatives include:

• An eyeglass collection and repair program at the NFPC.

• An innovative program at the ACCW that teaches inmates how to sew and package reusable sanitary products for imprisoned women in Sudan.

• The NCC's fire equipment repair program reduces costs for B.C.'s wildfire crews as repairs cost approximately $11 to $35 per hose. In comparison, a new hose can cost up to $300.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6961