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Youth detention centre in Calgary will stay open

Youth detention centre in Calgary will stay open

The Notley government has reversed a decision to close the Calgary Young Offender Centre.

The closure was announced earlier this year by the PC government as a cost-cutting measure. The provincial government intended to move the youth services to Edmonton. The minister of justice at the time, Jonathan Denis, said the Calgary centre was under-utilized.

During a break in Thursday's cabinet meeting in Calgary, Premier Rachel Notley announced the closure of the facility on the city's northwestern outskirts was being cancelled.

"In our view, it was simply wrong to close this facility and so we won't do it," said Notley.

During the provincial election campaign, the NDP leader said that if elected, she would reverse the Prentice government's decision.

'Counter-productive'

Notley said closing the centre would be counter-productive.

"Our goal is to help young offenders learn from the trouble that they've gotten themselves into. Separating them from their families works directly against this goal," said the premier.

It costs $3 million a year to run the facility.

When the closure was announced, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees said 23 part-time staff would lose their jobs and 67 others could be re-assigned or be laid off.