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The Saskatchewan government committed $52 million to a new remand expansion at Saskatoon’s provincial jail this year, but it may not eliminate the need for 30-person dorm-like settings.
The provincial budget released on Tuesday included the funding pledge for the previously announced $120 million remand expansion to add capacity for more than 400 new beds. Announced last June, it’s expected to be completed in 2024.
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In an interview on Wednesday, Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Christine Tell said the government continues to try to reduce the number of people on remand, “But … we’re not successful enough and this issue of remand is a challenge right across the country and it has been a challenge in Saskatchewan for a number of years.”
Sask gov t pledges $52 million to Saskatoon remand expansion nipawinjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nipawinjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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A Saskatchewan program aimed at diverting people accused of criminal offences from custody who would otherwise be held in remand will wind down by the end of March.
The Community Alternatives to Remand program, established in 2017, involved partnerships with community-based organizations that provided short-term case management and sometimes accommodations in the community.
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People who are remanded are charged, but not convicted of a crime and are held in custody as they await court appearances.