Solicitor General Rich Coleman has begun consultations in the Okanagan regarding the provincial government’s plan to build a new 360-cell prison in the area for 2015.
No price tag for the prison was disclosed in the government release.
The government said the new centre is to address growing demand for inmate space in the region, reduce pressures on local police lockups and improve access for lawyers, police, social services and families of those in custody.
The government wants the prison located in a central area of the Okanagan to minimize travel times between courts in the area.
A handful of cities and towns in the area have shown interest in housing the new facility.
The province is in phase one of a $185 million prison expansion – the largest capital investment in BC Corrections’ history.
The plan includes adding hundreds of cells to existing facilities around the province.