$10M renovations at Sudbury Jail to help make it 'a place of rehabilitation, not only punishment'

There are multi-million dollar renovations underway at the Sudbury Jail and an advocate for inmates is hopeful it will improve conditions at the aging remand centre.

The Ministry of the Solicitor General declined an interview, but in a statement saidit is investing $10 million on an expanded parking lot, covered exercise yard and "upgrades to lighting, doors, and security systems."

It notes that this is part of a $500 million modernization of provincial jails across Ontario, which also include facilities in Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Monteith.

Sara-Jane Berghammer, the CEO of the John Howard Society of Sudbury, saidshe and her board recently toured the jail for the first time since COVID-19 hit in the spring of 2020.

She saidthey immediately noticed a better smell inside the jail and took it as a sign that long-standing ventilation problems at the 95-year-old jailhave been addressed.

In recent years, it was common for Sudbury judges to give prisoners who awaited sentencing in the jail credit for 1.5 years for every one year serveddue to the poor conditions.

Berghammer is also happy to see mental health and addiction workers at the Sudbury Jail, as well as a recreation co-ordinator.

"There are things that are happening that are reducing the chances of people's suffering, which is really what we want to do," she said.

"It should really be a place of rehabilitation, not only punishment."

Berghammer saidthe new exercise yard is most welcome afterinmates lived through many lockdowns during the pandemic when they weren't allowed outside or able to take showers.

"It's really important that folks that are in custody have access to fresh air, being outside. It's their right," she said.