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Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General

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778 405-3306

Backgrounders

Facts about the Nanaimo Correctional Replacement Project and Guthrie Therapeutic Community
Updated May 24, 2024
  • The total capital investment for the Nanaimo Correctional Replacement Project is $181 million.
  • Phase 1 - Nanaimo Correctional Centre Replacement Project (spring 2021 – spring 2024):
    • Site preparation and construction of the new centre.
    • A phased approach to transition operations to the new centre began on April 30, 2024.
  • Phase 2 – Nanaimo Correctional Replacement Project (spring 2024 – spring 2025):
    • Deconstruction and removal of the old centre and restorative landscaping.
    • Construction of a traditional Indigenous programs building (Lelum / house of friendship), horticulture centre and additional equipment and/or program space.
  • Guthrie Therapeutic Community:
  • Guthrie is a self-contained residential addiction treatment program that has been in operation since 2007 and the first program of its kind in a Canadian correctional centre.  
    • The Guthrie program is offered in partnership with the John Howard Society of Victoria and accepts individuals in B.C. provincial custody from throughout the province.
    • Guthrie can support as many as 52 residents.
    • Residents learn how to hold themselves and others accountable in a respectful way, foster a positive environment and support each other’s progress and success.
    • At the end of their custodial sentences, residents transition into the community.
    • They are provided support to find employment and housing, and are monitored for as long as six months following their release.