Edmonton Remand Centre

The Edmonton Remand Centre (ERC) is a correctional facility in Goodridge Corners, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The facility is operated by the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General of Alberta. The original correctional facility originally opened in 1979, after overcrowding and additional bed space required a second facility was proposed and completed in 2012. The new facility named the New Edmonton Remand Centre (NERC) opened on April 12, 2013, and is currently Canada's largest prison.^[2]

Edmonton Remand Centre

Location	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Coordinates	53°38′48″N 113°32′15″W / 53.64667°N 113.53750°W / 53.64667; -113.53750
Status	Operational
Security class	Maximum/medium
Capacity	1,952 (new facility), 388 (old facility)
Population	1,546^[1] (as of 2017-2018)
Opened	Original 1979; 45 years ago (1979) New 2013; 11 years ago (2013)
Closed	2013 (2014) (Old facility)
Managed by	Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General
Street address	18415 127 Street
City	Edmonton
State/province	Alberta
Postal code	T5Y-6E7
Country	Canada

Background

Remand centres are provincial or territorial jails where people awaiting trial for charges they have not yet been convicted of, are held for up to two years.^[3] Since 2004, adults in remand have outnumbered adults serving sentences in provincial institutions.^[4] The highest rates are in Alberta and Ontario, where in 2019 roughly 70% of incarcerated people in remand centres were awaiting trial or sentencing.^[5]

History

Original facility

 

The former Edmonton Remand Centre facility

The original 12-storey Edmonton Remand Centre was built in 1979. The facility was located in downtown Edmonton and cost $138.0 million in 1979.^[6][7] The original set capacity was 388; however, the facility population grew to 800 in early 2012. The original facility closed in April 2013.^[2][8] Demolition began in June 2023, and is expected to be completed by 2025.^{[9][10][11][12]}

New facility

Proposals to build a new facility originated in the early 2000s after overcrowding in the original facility. In 2007 construction began on the new 645,000-square-foot (59,900 m²) Edmonton Remand Centre with a cost of $580.0 million. The newer facility was completed in fall of 2012, with the new prison operating in spring 2013.^[13] The newer facility features a 2,000-inmate capacity and new security technologies.^[2][14] The new facility structure aimed at targeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certifications. The New Remand Centre is the largest in Canada by area and capacity, but is not the largest by number of inmates currently serving time.^[13][15]

See also

• Edmonton Institution, a federal maximum security prison also in Edmonton.

References

1. Alberta Correctional Services Division, Strategic Services Branch (1 January 2018). "Average Daily Adult Custody Population by Centre and by Indigenous Status, 2017-18" (PDF). Open Alberta. Government of Alberta. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
2. CORMIER, RYAN. "New Edmonton Remand Centre to house growing inmate population". Global News. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
3. "Adult correctional and remand centres | Alberta.ca". www.alberta.ca. 2024-02-08. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
4. "People Waiting for Trial Keep Dying in Prison. Can Our Corrections System Be Fixed? | The Walrus". 2023-04-19. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
5. Wakefield, Johnny (13 May 2019). "70 per cent of prisoners in Alberta are in remand, the highest in Canada". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
6. CRYDERMAN, KELLY. "Alberta corrections strike threatens to spread after sheriffs decide to join". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
7. "Edmonton Remand Centre". ONPA Architects. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
8. Maimann, Kevin. "Province doesn't know what to do with old Edmonton remand centre". Edmonton Sun. Quebecor. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
9. Junker, Anna (2023-02-15). "Former Edmonton Remand Centre to be demolished". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
10. Archer, Meaghan (2023-02-15). "Demolition of former Edmonton Remand Centre to start this year - Edmonton | Globalnews.ca". Global News Edmonton. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
11. Mulcahy, Karyn (2023-02-15). "Former Edmonton Remand Centre building to be torn down". CTV News Edmonton. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
12. Staff, CityNews (2023-02-15). "Province to demolish old Remand Centre". CityNews Edmonton. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
13. "New Edmonton Remand Centre" (PDF). Solicitor General and Public Security. Government of Alberta. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
14. "Edmonton Remand Centre". The Canadian Business Journal. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
15. "Edmonton Remand Centre". Solicitor General and Public Security. Government of Alberta. Retrieved 12 November 2014.

External links

• Government of Alberta - Edmonton Remand Centre