Youth Custody Centre Closes
Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at 15:06
Youth from northern Saskatchewan who face incarceration for non-violent crimes will no longer travel to Prince Albert to serve out their sentences.
The province has decided to close the Nisbet Youth Centre in the city, because of what it says is a declining number of kids who are being taken into secure custody.
Corrections and Public Safety spokesman Dwayne Mills says the implementation of the new Youth Criminal Justice Act is the biggest factor in the decline.
In all, 13 beds will be lost and 11 staff members will be transferred.
Mills says centres in North Battleford and Saskatoon will be accepting the youth from now on.
He adds those two facilities already accept kids who have been found guilty of committing violent offenses.