The opening of a 216-cell expansion has now made Surrey Pretrial Services Centre (SPSC) the largest provincial correctional facility in B.C. and will strengthen community, staff and inmate safety system-wide by providing needed capacity.

The new wing - officially opened today - completes the $185-million first phase of the Province's historic capital plan to enlarge its correctional facilities. The expansion project more than doubled SPSC's capacity and accounts for nearly two-thirds of the 340 cells built to date under the capital plan.

In addition to dramatically increasing high-security capacity for remanded and sentenced inmates, the expansion includes state-of-the-art layout and security features to further enhance the safety of staff and inmates. It is also creating jobs, with 250 positions established during construction and now, with BC Corrections increasing its employee count at SPSC by 130 full-time positions.

Work on the second phase of BC Corrections' capital expansion plan is underway, with a preferred proponent for the new, 378-cell Okanagan Correctional Centre having been announced on Jan. 10.

Quotes:

Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton -

"This major expansion reaffirms our commitment to a safe, secure custody environment - for our correctional officers, for the communities that host our correctional centres, and for inmates themselves. As our single largest investment in corrections capital to date, this project has also been a boon to local businesses and tradespeople, creating 380 direct jobs. Going forward, this facility will keep paying safety, employment and energy-saving dividends."

Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services Andrew Wilkinson -

"The Surrey Pretrial Services Centre expansion reflects what we can achieve for communities and taxpayers through a fixed-price, performance-based, public-private partnership. This was the first public-private partnership venture in B.C. for a corrections project and I would like to thank all the partners involved, namely: Shared Services BC, BC Corrections, Brookfield Infrastructure Partnerships Surrey and Partnerships BC for delivering this project on time and within budget."

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts -

"The expansion of the Pretrial Services Centre is a welcome addition to Surrey's Justice Precinct. The partnership between the City and the Province significantly supports a number of recommendations within our Crime Reduction Strategy. The innovative programs that have been developed within the facility speak to the opportunities to effect change in people's lives."

Quick Facts:

• This $90-million project was designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, the highest level of sustainability ever for a B.C. correctional facility. Certification follows after the building has been operational for about one year.
• Other projects completed during the first phase of BC Corrections' $185-million capital plan include a 20-cell expansion for women at Prince George Regional Correctional Centre, which opened in December 2010, and 104 new cells which opened in October 2012 at Alouette Correctional Centre for Women.
• The 216 new cells at SPSC are contained within six living units, each containing 36 cells.
• SPSC currently houses approximately 240 inmates, but over the first few months of 2014, the centre will more than double its current capacity on a gradual basis.
• The SPSC expansion was completed through a public-private partnership. However, the Province owns the completed facility, and all correctional services at the expanded centre will continue to be funded by the Province and delivered by BC Corrections.
• Before the expansion of SPSC, North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam was B.C.'s largest provincial correctional centre, with 300 cells.
• With the completion of Phase One and the opening of the Okanagan Correctional Centre in 2016/17, the projects will contribute to an overall increase of almost 800 new provincial cells in B.C. since 2008.

Learn More:

Video footage of the new SPSC wing is at: http://www.sendtonews.com/?SK=7ykkYUowvA

More information on BC Corrections, its facilities and programs is at: www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/corrections/index.htm

The most recent news release on the Okanagan Correctional Centre project is at: http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2013-2017/2014JAG0007-000018.htm

Media Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 213-3602