Prince George Regional Correctional Centre
that had been closed was reopened to become
the primary centre for Chinese migrants
detained by Immigration Canada. The Branch
agreed to incarcerate them on a cost-recovery
basis."”

Ultimately, British Columbia witnessed the
largest single influx of illegal migrants in its
history. The Corrections Branch responded by
providing accommodation for more than 430
detainees.

Working with the Chinese migrants has given us an
interesting opportunity. Tam posted in the women’s
unit in the annex at Prince George Regional
Correctional Centre (PGRCC). We house 32
women awaiting immigration hearings. Every day,
an exercise yard is offered and the group chooses to
£0 to the gym or the outside yard. One day, we
beaded outside for some fresh air, and discovered
that winter temperatures were plummeting. The
women were delighted and amazed at the layers of
ice forming on the many puddles. Some bad never
experienced a northern climate. It was like an
exciting session of “show and tell,” watching them
gather pieces of ice like they were precious gems.
Daily stresses were forgotten, and all too soon, the
exercise period was over. Upon return to the unit,
routine pat frisks revealed melting bits of ice,
trickling from clenched fists. It seemed the yard was
stripped clean of it.18

The UN High Commissioner for
Refugees—responsible for monitoring the
treatment of migrants—praised the Branch
for its handling of the detainees, In an
interview, UNHCR representative

Suzanne Duff expressed appreciation for
the actions of Branch staff: “The humane
treatment by B.C, Corrections staff has
helped to bring more dignity to the
circumstances of asylum seekers living in
detention.” !9

The Branch was honoured for its culturally
responsive services to the Chinese migrant
population. In September 2000, Adult Custody
Division received an award from the Ministry
of Multiculturalism and Immigration.

Anticipating the possibility of another mass
influx of migrants, the carpentry shop at
Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre
(VIRCC) was moved to Nanaimo Correctional
Centre. In place of the shop, two large
multi-purpose areas were created that could
house 250 immigration detainees at VIRCC if
needed.

Facilities

The shift to risk-based allocation of Branch
resources affected several open custody centres.
Given the illustrious history of these centres,
this shift in resources was painful. The general
hardening of offenders and introduction of
conditional sentencing meant that fewer
offenders were being placed in open custody.

In 1998, four centres reduced their capacity by
60 beds:

a Rayleigh Camp (60 to 50);
« Bear Creek (60 to 50);
« Hutda Lake (60 to 50);

17 This meant the federal government would reimburse costs associated with the incarceration.
18 Dusty Palmer, Correctional Officer, ConrTech Quarterly, Corrections Branch, Winter 1999/2000, p. 4.

19 CorrTech Quarterly, Corrections Branch, Spring 2000, p. 5.

The Era of Directing Change (1997-2001)

247