Male inmates from Saskatoon being housed at women’s jail because of overcrowding

Male inmates at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre have been moved to a women’s jail in Prince Albert because the Saskatoon facility is overcapacity.

According to the Ministry of Justice, 30 men are being housed in the gym of the Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert. The centre’s female inmates do not interact with the male inmates, the ministry said.

The Elizabeth Fry Society, a group that advocates for women in the justice system, told CTV News it is writing a letter to the ministry to express its disapproval of the move.

The decision to shuffle the inmates was made because of overcrowding at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre, the ministry said. Part of the reason for the overcrowding is ongoing construction.