New Yukon jail to open in February

Construction is complete on the newYukon correctional centre, which is expected to open in early February.

The new facility was built beside the old 85-bed Whitehorse Correctional Centre built in 1967.

The new jail cost $75.3 million and will be able to house up to 190 prisoners. It was built after consultation with First Nations, police, and community justice groups.

"This correctional centre was designed for the most part thinking of the things we heard in the correctional consultations in 2006 where we had about 160 meetings across the territory talking to people about changes in the corrections system," said Robert Riches, assistant deputy minister of Community Justice and Public Safety for the Yukon Department of Justice.

The new correctional centre is based on what's known as "enhanced direct supervision." That means more interaction between staff and inmates without compromising safety.

The facility also features more inmate-friendly amenities, including televisions and windows in most cells. Many cells have wood doors and porcelain fixtures.

"One of the reasons we've designed it the way we've designed it is to intrude the least amount as is possible on people and to require them to adapt the least amount as is possible to this kind of environment,," said Riches.

Justice officials say those kinds of perks create a better atmosphere for everyone.

"I had this experience for five years when I ran the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre using TVs," said Riches.

"At the beginning, people said Oh, they don't deserve it. Why are we doing this? But at the end of the day the staff all came to me and said it's the best thing you ever did for us. It works well; the inmates liked it."

He added the building is designed so that inmates and employees can work effectively together. The new jail features workshops, a library and a healing room, which was a wish of the Whitehorse Correctional Centre Elders' Committee.

"This building is meant to be a program-focused institution," said Riches.

"It's meant to be a place where staff and inmates can work together on the changes that inmates want to make in their lives."

Most people in police custody in Whitehorse will now go to the new territorial jail instead of being lodged in RCMP cells, including people who are picked up for public intoxication.

The territorial government and RCMP decided to make the changes after an inquest into the death of Raymond Silverfox, who died just over three years ago after being taken to the RCMP drunk tank.

A report on his death found the RCMP did not provide reasonable care to Silverfox, who was in physical distress.

People in police custody will be kept in cells in the admissions area of the new jail for now. A new cell block specifically for temporary inmates will be ready later this year.