Edmonton's new Remand centre is being built in the city's north end next to the Edmonton Young Offender Centre at 127 Street and 186 Avenue. This new facility will replace the current 31-year-old Edmonton Remand Centre located in downtown Edmonton. When it opens, the New Edmonton Remand Centre will house 1,952 inmates in seven pods of living units. With future potential expansion it will be able to hold up to 2,816 inmates in 10 different pods.
Government approved $568.6 million to build the new facility. The selected site is approximately 16 hectares or about the size of 27 CFL football fields.
The new remand centre will look like a modern low-rise office building. This design allows landscaping to be used as an effective buffer. Enclosed exercise yards and exterior lighting that is directed toward the facility will minimize the impact on the neighbourhood.
Aerial view of the New Edmonton Remand Centre (January, 2012)
The site is surrounded by city owned land to the west, the future Anthony Henday Drive to the south, an environmental reserve to the east and the Young Offender Centre to the north.
The New Edmonton Remand Centre is being constructed using a direct supervision model, considered to be a 'best practice' throughout Canada and the USA. The majority of correctional facilities in Alberta currently use direct supervision, which is an inmate management system that places staff face to face with inmates and gives them the skills and tools to manage inmate behavior. Correctional Peace Officers (CPOs) are stationed inside of the living units and are not separated from inmates by any physical barriers (e.g. windows or walls). They maintain direct and frequent contact with the inmates in their work area and use this interaction to build effective working relationships.
Construction of the new Edmonton Remand Centre began in 2007 and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2012.
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