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Inmates removed from Hillsdale

Canada: Inmates removed from for-profit boot camp.
Tom Villemaire
December 02, 2003

Local News - Garfield Dunlop calls the early removal of inmates from the Hillsdale young offender facility a “dirty move.”

Last Friday, the last young offenders residing at the Project Turnaround facility were “secretly relocated,” said Dunlop, Simcoe North MPP and the conservative law and order critic.

Dunlop was told about the move by the media.

“You think the Liberals would have more common courtesy to let people know before they shut the door in their face,” said Dunlop.

“With this dirty move, the Liberals are sending a strong message: (Ontario Premier) Dalton McGuinty is not a friend of community safety, nor is he a friend of business.”

The Liberal government plans to shut down the controversial boot camp for young offenders, the only such facility in Ontario.

The reasons for wanting to close Project Turnaround, which was put in place by the previous Conservative regime, are practical rather than ideological, McGuinty said.

“It’s become a very expensive proposition,” McGuinty said as he headed into a cabinet meeting.

“We’re convinced that we can do the job more effectively and more efficiently through existing institutions.” Project Turnaround, which is about 20 kilometres northwest of Barrie, is the only private rehabilitation facility in the province for high-risk 16- and 17-year-olds.

The staff of 54 is supposed to look after 32 inmates, but there were only 16 in the facility last week.

Those who serve time at the facility are subject to 16-hour military-style work days, receiving job training along with literacy and life-skills instruction.

Critics argue the teens spend more time marching around and saluting flags than learning anything constructive.

Some inmates have said they were mistreated by staff or kept in isolation.

Proponents counter that the system works, with a 33 per cent recidivism rate that is far lower than the average 50 per cent rate for the province.

http://www.midlandfreepress.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?catname=Local+News&catmainname=Inside+Today