The provincial Ministry of Justice unveiled a new model for corrections at a Yorkton-area facility grand opening on Wednesday.
Yorkton’s Whitespruce Provincial Training Centre is the first of its kind.
The inmates will do their time, but when it is time to leave they should be on the right path. Its goal is to provide inmates with the skills they need to get good jobs and become productive members of society, said Corrections Minister Christine Tell.
The facility used to be the Orcadia Youth Centre, but it’s now a reduced-custody jail that can house up to 39 men.
“Repurposing the facility will reduce crime and improve the lives of many Saskatchewan families,” Tell said.
The transition is part of the ministry’s efforts to put more emphasis on programs to reduce reoffending and at the same time relieve crowded conditions at other correctional centres in the province.
The main employment training programs include a 12-week Saskatchewan Polytechnic food services certificate program and a 12-week Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology construction worker preparation program.
There is also a community work crew program where inmates provide community service in the Yorkton and surrounding area.
The centre has been operating since July 10, and Wednesday was grand opening day.