HALIFAX: The Attorney General and Minister of Justice for N.S. announced Oct. 6 the province will be purchasing two facilities from Alderney CFE Limitied.
In a release, Brad Johns said N.S had advised Alderney CFE Limited they will be buying both the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility and East Coast Forensic Hospital in Dartmouth when the lease expires in 2026.
“These facilities are centrally located and provide important programming and supports for some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Johns in the release.
“The decision to purchase will result in substantial savings compared to renewing the lease or investing in new construction.”
The purchase price will be about $18 million. The lease agreement with Alderney CFF required that a decision to purchase, surrender the building or extend the lease be made this year.
Quotes:
“The purchase of the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility and East Coast Forensic Hospital is a positive step for the province.
There will be continued operation and supports for patients in this central location.”
– Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness
Quick Facts:
— the Province signed a 25-year lease agreement with Alderney CFF Limited in 1999
— the facilities were constructed as a P3 project, replacing four aging facilities in Colchester, Lunenburg, Kings and Halifax counties
— the facilities opened in October 2001 and were the first co-located correctional facility and hospital in Canada
— in 2019, the Province invested $6.8 million to upgrade and modernize the correctional facility to support direct supervision
— staff provide educational, vocational and spiritual programming and clinical services; in the past 24 months, five inmates have graduated from Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) through Limitless, a Justice-NSCC partnership program that offers individuals in custody the opportunity for meaningful change, successful reintegration into communities and sustainable employment
Additional Resources:
Information on the Limitless program is available at: https://www.nscc.ca/learning_programs/schools/access/limitless.asp#:~:text=Limitless%20is%20a%20partnership%20between%20the%20Nova%20Scotia,Department%20of%20Justice%2C%20The%20Windsor%20Foundation%20and%20NSCC
