New urban camp opens at Saskatoon Correctional Centre

The Saskatoon Correctional Centre’s new urban camp is officially open.

The provincial government made the announcement Monday, saying reduced-custody inmates began making the move from the old facility to the new, $8.59-million urban camp at the beginning of the week.

The urban camp program is the only one of its kind in the province, and provides 50 low-security inmates the opportunity to participate in supervised work assignments around the community while receiving programming to address issues including addictions and mental health problems.

According to the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, the new camp is about 13,000 square feet in size and includes a recreational space and two dedicated programming rooms designed to accommodate specific needs including smudging.

Minister Christine Tell said the new urban camp will help with rehabilitation efforts for lower-security offenders.

“This modern facility will further enable the Urban Camp program to deliver valuable programming and services to reduced custody offenders transitioning back into the community,” Tell said in a statement.

“The results of investments like this are rehabilitated inmates, reduced returns to custody, and safer Saskatchewan communities.”

The new camp was first announced as part of the Building a Strong Saskatchewan stimulus package, which also included an expansion of the Saskatoon Remand Centre — a $135-million project. That expansion is now approximately 15 per cent complete, the ministry said, with the construction expected to wrap up in June of 2025.