Announcement tomorrow about Young Offenders Facility

The following news release was issued today by the City of Sault Ste. Marie:

***************************************************************** Deputy Minister of Public Safety to discuss local Young Offenders Facilities

(Sault Ste. Marie, ON) - John Rabeau, Deputy Minister of Public Safety and Security will be meeting with City and Police Officials tomorrow morning as a follow-up to an earlier meeting that took place this past February.

The Deputy Minister and City and Police Officials will meet regarding the Province’s findings with regard to a review of the feasibility of retaining Young Offenders Facilities in Sault Ste. Marie.

With the Province’s announcement that the Sault Ste. Marie Jail would be closing, including the Part 2 Young Offenders Unit, the province announced the possible transportation of Sault Ste. Marie and area Young Offenders to the Cecil Facer facility in Sudbury.

City Council and City Police raised concerns with the Province’s plans for the Young Offender Unit to be demolished and requested the February meeting with the Deputy Minister to discuss possible opportunities to salvage a portion of the existing unit, keeping Young Offenders from our community in a local facility.

In February, the Deputy Minister John Rabeau met with City and Police Officials, toured the Young Offenders facilities, and gathered information to take back to the Province for review.

The Deputy Minister plans to discuss the Province’s findings at the meeting on Thursday, April 10, 2003 at 11:15 am in the Russ Ramsay Room, Level 3 of the Civic Centre.

All media and interested parties are invited to attend the meeting.

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