A $25 million expansion at Bowden Institution is underway that will ultimately increase the population at its medium and minimum-security facilities by almost 150 prisoners.
The institution, which was built in 1974 and currently houses about 620 federal inmates, is already ranked as having one of the largest populations in Canada’s prison system, which now numbers 57 across the country. There are also more than 410 employees at Bowden Institution, which includes more than 200 correctional staff.
The current expansion, which was announced last year by Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), includes creating a 96-bed medium-security living unit as well as adding 50 new beds at the institution’s minimum-security annex. It is anticipated that construction at the Bowden annex will be complete by 2012 and finishing at the Bowden medium-security institution the following year.
Last year the federal government said the expansion at Bowden, as well as a similar project at Drumheller Institution, was in response to recent legislative changes that are forcing criminals, particularly violent offenders, to serve longer terms of imprisonment.
“As a result of recent legislative changes, the number of inmates in the Correctional Service of Canada’s (CSC) custody has grown and is expected to significantly increase over the next few years,” said Lori Pothier, CSC senior media relations advisor. “CSC is responding to this growth by maintaining safety and security standards and ensuring appropriate levels of staff, accommodation space and other resources are in place to allow for effective case management, program delivery and community supervision.”
Pothier said over the next few coming years it is anticipated CSC will be adding 2,200 beds to men’s and women’s facilities across Canada. This will also force CSC to hire more than 4,000 front line administrative and management staff for its institutions.
“These additional staff will provide the capacity to carry out our mandate and deliver the programs and treatment to keep pace with the offender population growth,” said Pothier. “The exact number of new employees at Bowden Institution will be determined using existing staffing formulas. The new units will require correctional officers, correctional managers, parole and program officers as well as maintenance staff, shop instructors and nurses.
“It is important to realize that along with infrastructure expansions, CSC is expanding delivery of its correctional, education and work programs to assist offenders in their rehabilitation,” she added. “CSC is also recruiting additional parole officers and working with its community partners to ensure the safe reintegration of offenders.”
