Despite being originally announced back in May, 2000 that it would close in 2004, the Fort Frances Jail will remain open for the foreseeable future, much to the relief of the town.
“I think the staff were quite happy to hear about it,” said Ian Booth, superintendent of the Fort Frances Jail, yesterday.
“[Uncertainty] was always there. You’d think ‘How long have I got to work here,’” he added.
“At this time, nobody had really left because of that. Some people had been looking around,” he concluded. “But remember, we were supposed to have until spring 2004. If this hadn’t been announced, I’m sure more people would be thinking about it.”
“It is indeed off the table,” said Mayor Glenn Witherspoon on Monday, noting he missed the phone call from Public Safety and Security Minister Bob Runciman last week because he was out of town.
“I now there was some uncertainty for the people working there,” he added. “This gives them some future stability. It’s very important that [the jail] stays open, for them and for the district.”
The announcement was made by Minister Runciman late Thursday afternoon.
“Our original projections on inmate population have changed since 1996,” said Runciman in a press release.
“These correctional beds are necessary to protect public safety and support our government’s tough stance on crime,” he added.
The increasing number and length of stay of remanded offenders have resulted in a larger demand for beds. There are now nearly 30 percent more remanded offenders in the correctional system since the original restructuring plans were announced in 1996.
The government has also introduced a number of measures to support its tough on crime approach, which have resulted in more arrests and longer stays in jails.
Since 1998, 1,000 new police officers have been placed on Ontario’s streets to enhance public safety.
“Our government is pleased to announce the Fort Frances Jail is part of this strategy,” said Runciman. “This provides greater job certainty for the 22 people employed at the jail.”
Since 1996, the government has committed $450 million to modernize the correctional system. The government’s goal is to deliver a more safe, efficient and accountable correctional system.
As part of this process, it is decommissioning older facilities and replacing them with larger modern facilities. Given changes in the original projections, the ministry must continue to safely accommodate its current inmate population in existing facilities.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
