HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-09-11, Page 15Wednesday,
re Advance 15
Minister Meilleur says province needsmo�
re jail beds
Cathy Dobson
QMI Agency
Rare applause and whistles of appreci-
ation rose midday Monday outside the
Sarnia Jail with official word that the facil-
ity will not close.
"Based on an internal evaluation of the
ministry's operational needs, as well as
the conversation we had with the com-
munity, we have decided that the Sarnia
Jail will remain open," Minister of Com-
munity Safety and Correctional Services
adeleine Meilleur told a crowd of about
Jail staff, local politicians, Sarnia police
Chief Phil Nelson, about 15 local firefight-
ers and Save the Jail committee support-
ers were among those gathered to hear
the minister's announcement.
Mayor Mike Bradley had suggested on
Friday that Kathleen Wynne's Liberal
government reversed a decision made in
2011 to close Sarnia Jail by 2014.
But it wasn't until Monday when the
minister flew into Sarnia that the news
was confirmed and celebrations began.
Meilleur left the podium) to give a warns
hug to Dave McPhail, chairman of the
Save the Jail committee.
"I would personally like to thank Dave
McPhail and the Sarnia Save the Jail com-
mittee. Without your hard work, we
would not be here today," she said.
Jeff Plain, an advocate for aboriginals
at Community Legal Assistance Sarnia,
presented Meilleur with a braided piece
of sweet grass from Walpole Island.
Ile said he thanked her on behalf of the
native community, which would have
experienced real hardship if Sarnia
inmates were housed in Windsor and cut
off from their elders and family.
"The staff are really, really happy about
it;' said Dave Esser, union rep for the Jail's
employees. "(This announcement) could
have easily been an, oh well, we're going
to stay open for now. But there was really
no qualification on this thing
whatsoever'
Meilleur, who was visited twice at
Queen's Park by Save the Jail proponents,
said the correctional system) in Ontario
has changed since Dalton McGuinty's
government decided Sarnia Jail would
close.
"Since the decision was made, growing
capacity issues and the federal govern-
ment's so-called 'tough on crime' agenda
have increased pressure on our correc-
tional system," she said. "At the same
time, we have been listening to the con-
cerns of the community. Premier Kath-
leen Wynne and 1 have both met with
community leaders and heard them loud
and clear."
The 100 beds at Sarnia Jail will help
southwestern Ontario's correctional serv-
ices deal with crowding issues, provide
programs for inmates and a safer
Ott Ntl !rslil\ l}i
2014 Municipal Budget
Public Input Session
Municipality of South Huron
OD Citizens, Business owners, and Community groups are
invited to attend and provide input on:
September 23. 2013 Public Budget Meeting
at 5:00 p.m. —Municipal Town Hall Council
Chambers
Please provide written comments
to the undersigned on or before September 2Q, 2013
Michael Di LuIIo
Corporate Services Manager/Clerk
Municipality of South Huron
P.O. Box 759, 322 Main St. S.
Exeter, ON NOM 1S6
Email: Jn,dilullp@southhuron.ca
Phone: 519-235-0310
Fax: 519-235-3304
environment for staff and inmates,
Meilleur said.
"I know the past couple of years
have been an uncertain time for
the employees of the Sarnia Jail
and for the businesses and serv-
ices in the community. l want to
thank everyone involved for mak-
ing your voices heard, and for your
patience and understanding."
Later, Meilleur told reporters
that she couldn't guarantee that
Sarnia Jail won't close in the
future. Sarnia Jail is now one of 29
jails across the province in a
review to "modernize" the correc-
tional system, she said.
"1 ant not a person who makes a
decision and never reviews it," she
said. "But this facility is close to
the border and it's important to
have a )ail close to the border."
That was part of the argument
made by the Save the Jail commit-
tee from the, beginning, said
McPhail.
Ile said he believes the govern-
ment realized they made a mis-
take in 2011 and hadn't consid-
ered Sarnia Jail is only 52 years
old.
"1 think someone misread the
facts and then we came forward
with information about the costs
of transportation to Windsor
(where Sarnia inmates were to be
transferred)," McPhail said.
"'Phis is a great win for Sarnia-
Lambton. Really, every taxpayer
in Ontario won today," he said.
"The millions of dollars that would
have been spent on transportation
would have taken money out of
the system) for education and
health care:"
Frank Stancic, executive direc-
tor of the John Howard Society in
Sarnia, said the government's
reversal did not surprise him)
because Samia Jail is an important
facility in a border city, but he
wished it went a step farther.
CONTINUED > PAGE 17
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