Government Invests in New Correctional Facility

Public safety in Nova Scotia will be improved with the construction of a new correctional facility in Springhill, announced today, April 29.

"The construction of this new, modern institution is the next step in strengthening correctional services in our province," said Murray Scott, Minister of Economic and Rural Development, on behalf of Justice Minister and Attorney General Cecil Clarke. "This new facility will allow us to increase our current institutional capacity."

The new facility in Springhill will be called the North Nova Scotia Correctional Facility. It will include 50 cells and two holding cells for women or young offenders awaiting trial and will have a capacity of 100 beds. The 12,800 square metres (42,000 square feet) facility has been designed for separate pods of five housing units, with 10 beds each. Each cell has the space required for double-bunking, if needed.

The facility will be adjacent to the federal Springhill Institution on a 33-acre site, on Black River Road between Herrett Road and Highway 2 in Springhill. Being next to the federal institution will make it easer to transport inmates, which will increase public safety.

The new institution will replace an aging building in Amherst, which was built in 1890.

Construction is expected to begin this fall. The estimated cost of the facility is $18 million.

The building will be designed so it can be easily expanded, if required.

The project is being considered as a strategic infrastructure partnership with the private sector.

A public information session about the new North Nova Scotia Correctional Facility will be held in the Springhill area in the coming months.