PRESS RELEASE eam.penticonce For immediate release: PROPOSED OKANAGAN VALLEY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY PUBLIC ‘CONSULTATION BEGINS IN PENTICTON For Immediate Release slanvary 24, 2011 Penticton, B.C. - The iy of Penticion Is exploring the possibilty of having proposed Correction Centre located within its city limits and is launching a public consultation process to seek the public's input on the concept. The public consultation meeting is Scheduled to ocour at 6 PM on Monday, January 231 at the Penticon Trade and Convention Cente, “City Council has made no decisions with regards to this proposed facility, but we are interested in presenting further information to the community and garmering feedback on the concept asi could have ‘strong economic drivers for our Cy," said Mayor Dan Ashton. “I's imperative with an issue such as this to keep community consultation as a cornerstone of our decision-making process and i's important 10 remember that even if Penticton supports the proposal itis ultimately the decision of the Province in terms ofthe location best suted for its purposes.” New information from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General indicates that approximately 20 acres of land would be required forthe proposed new Tour-storey facity that would house 360 cells and 10 living units Other communities with similar fecties ~ Vancower, Victoria, Kamloops and Nanaimo —have experienced vast commurity benefits. Community benefits associated with the proposed Okanagan facility include: ‘+ Significant job creation ~ Approximately 240 correctional staff would be employed at the proposed cenire, as wel as additonal contracted staff such as nurees, doctors, dentists, food ‘service workers, rades personnel and counselors. The project wl ikely generate 400-500 direct Construction jobs as well as 66 indirect construction jobs. ‘+ Economie spinoffs ~ The proposed new facility would generate a payrol in excess of $17 milion er year, which would primarily be spentin the local community. According to a recent study done for Terrace, BC (for a similar sized correction cenire in that area), the construction of & new Correctional facility would provide economic impacts over the next 20 years of approximately $362 million. + Now tax revenue ~The Province pays grants in leu of taxes to municipalities wih correctional centres in amounts ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 millon, The Province would also typically contribute to local government infrastructure improvements and would pay development cost charges applicable to the proposed facil. More =Page 2 ‘Public Consultation Process Begins...” ‘The proposed facily would offer a number of programs focused on community work (supervised, ‘education, and spirtualily/culture with the aim of helping inmates to make positive changes In patterns of thinking and behaving that may contribute to a criminal Iestyle. Trere is no evidence that the inlroduction ofa provincial corectonal centre affects local crime rates ‘The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General indicated to Okanagan municipalities in December that it wishes to identify a site for a secure custody correction cenits in the Okanagan Valley to ‘accommodate remanded individuals awalting tial ané those sentences to fewer than ‘wo years Penticion City Council responded with an interest in exploring the possibilty and asked for further Information on the proposed facility, including its operational detals, potenial economic impacts and land requirements. For more information, visit www. penticton.ca For further information contact ‘Annette Antoniak Cty Manager iy of Penticton 250-490-2407