Manitoba’s largest prison is going to get bigger.
The federal government will add almost a hundred new beds to Stony Mountain Institution, just north of Winnipeg, Public Safety Minister and Manitoba MP Vic Toews announced at the prison Friday.
The 45 million dollar expansion will involve the construction of a new 96 bed living unit at stony mountain institution, according to a news release Friday.
It is anticipated that these new living units will be completed at Rockwood in 2012-13 and at Stony Mountain in 2013-14.
Stony is currently a medium security facility that can accommodate up to 546 inmates: although it often houses many more.
50 additional beds will also be added at nearby Rockwood Institution, a minimum security federal jail with a current capacity of 167 inmates.
The expansions are will accommodate the expected increase in prison population resulting from recent tough-on-crime laws introduced by the Harper government and passed in Parliament – including new limits on the credit given to convicts for time already served waiting for trial.
"The expansion of Stony Mountain and Rockwood institutions not only reaffirms our government’s commitment to Winnipeg, but helps ensure that criminals serve sentences that better reflect the severity of their crimes," said Toews.
Toews was greeted by members of the union representing corrections staff, who protested at the gates of the institution Friday morning.
Corrections staff are demanding to meet with Toews to discuss overcrowding and other safety issues, including what the union says is a recent outbreak of scabies in the prison.
"Mr. Toews should remember that the lives of his employees are put at risk when decisions and choices are made that do not include their perspective and experience," said Kevin Grabowsky, the Prairie Regional President for UCCO-SACC-CSN is quoted in a news release. "Correctional officers should be consulted, not ignored."
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