The provincial government announced Wednesday that it will be closing female youth offender facilities in Prince George and Victoria, with all female youth offenders in the province now to be located in Burnaby.
According to a B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union press release, the union was told by the Ministry of Children and Family Development on Wednesday morning about plans to close the facilities in Victoria and Prince George and centralize services for female young offenders in the Burnaby youth prison.
"We're at the bargaining table with the B.C. government, yet we weren't given any advance notice of these closures," union president Darryl Walker said in a press release. "Frankly, we're dismayed and concerned. These cuts are unnecessary. Once again the government has refused to consult front-line workers before making significant program cuts."
According to the union, more than 20 union members will be affected by the closures, with six jobs cut in Prince George, 17 in Victoria and auxiliary staff members also affected.
"The timing of this announcement in the middle of negotiations isn't helpful. It's creating additional issues for the parties to resolve," said Walker. "As well, these cuts are short-sighted, given the anticipated increase in youth incarceration flowing from Prime Minister Stephen Harper's federal crime bill."
According to a Tweet from Vaughn Palmer of The Vancouver Sun, 12 female young offenders will be moved to Burnaby, with approximate savings of $2.5 million.
In 2011, Burnaby NOW reporter Jennifer Moreau spent a day at the high school located within the facility. Here's an excerpt of what she wrote:
If you don't know what to look for, you might miss Fraser Park Secondary. The high school for incarcerated teens is nestled inside the Burnaby Youth Custody Services Centre, close to Fraser Foreshore Park. The classes are on the lower floor of the secure custody area, a large, open circular space with a bit of sun peeking through the skylight.
After lunch on a recent grey afternoon, the young inmates file into the central area, always under the watchful eyes of guards dressed in blue.
The colours the kids wear indicate how much freedom they have. Green is for secure custody, and grey is for open custody, which means more privileges.
Kids who stay for more than two weeks attend the high school, run by the Burnaby school district. The classrooms are arranged by subject, and teachers handle small groups with varying abilities. To deal with the range of skills and grades in any given classroom, teachers tend to work one-on-one with students.
Chris Lekakis, head teacher, has been with Fraser Park for nine years. He used to teach English, but now he manages the school's 11 teachers.
He has strong, dark features, thick downward sloping brows, and a soft, nasally voice. Dressed in a pin-striped suit, he navigates the maze of yellowbrick hallways and a heavy security doors, recounting the site's history. The centre used to be a women's prison, it was then "dormant" for a while, and then used as a set for Smallville. The youth prison moved in four years ago from the old site on Willingdon and Canada Way, close to BCIT.
The kids can range in age from 12 to 19, but most are around 15 and 16. There are about 56 now, one of the lowest levels in ages, and only a handful are girls, who study separate from the boys.
The crimes they are in for vary, anything from stealing a car to murder, but it's safe to say that if they are in here, it's serious. Chris loosely estimates that 70 to 80 per cent of the kids experience alcohol, violence or drugs in the family. Some have low self-esteem, and it's not uncommon to have kids in various foster homes. Some are more accustomed to life on the streets, some are mixed up with gangs and others just hang out with the wrong crowd.
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For Moreau's full story, please CLICK HERE
