News Releases

Quebec Region

News Release

Communiqué

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PORT-CARTIER, QC, July 26, 2006 - The winds of change have recently blown through the health care centre at Port-Cartier Institution, a maximum-security penitentiary located on the North Shore. As of July 1, health care centre staff are employees of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).

Since the Institution opened in 1988, health care centre services had been provided by a private company. The number of staff hired by the Correctional Service of Canada will more or less stay the same, with one department head, five nurses and one administrative support employee. Through this transition, CSC hopes to manage its material, financial and human resources for inmate health care more effectively.

Port-Cartier Institution was the only federal penitentiary among the country's 54 to use a private company to provide inmates with health care services. CSC therefore wanted to standardize the management of health care services for offenders.

Institutional authorities wish to remind citizens that, in an effort to combat the entry of drugs, a toll free telephone line (1-800-713-5424) has been set up by Port-Cartier Institution for reporting any pressure to which a visitor may be subjected by other visitors and/or inmates involved in drug trafficking, intimidation, assault and loan sharking. Such information is treated with confidentiality and a security intelligence officer will provide follow up.

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For more information, media representatives may contact:

Joël Martin
A/Assistant Warden, Management Services
(418) 766-7070, ext. 2707