When Rocky (Selwyn Rocksborough-Smith)
was still director of New Haven, he was asked
to develop Gold Creek Camp. It was the first
camp that was initiated with a budget. Most of
the camps (such as the Chilltwack camps) were
built without a budget. Pre-fabricated buildings
were used for Gold Creek Camp, and New
Haven trainees helped to construct and set up
this camp.

According to Rocksborough-Smith, Gold
Creek was built for the Star Class, as it was
called in Britain. These offenders were
committed to a first sentence of imprisonment.
The open-type camp program in B.C. was not

initiated because funds were lacking to
construct more secure facilities. The reason
they were started was due to the “possibilities
of the open-type camp.” These inmates did not
require secure custody and the camp enabled
them to develop certain skills.'?

The inadequacy of facilities in the Interior
resulted in the opening of Clearwater Forestry
Camp in 1957. Inmates served their entire
sentence at this camp, which was a satellite to
the Kamloops Gaol. The opening of Clearwater
Camp”? eased population pressures at Oakalla
Prison Farm, Prince George Gaol and
Kamloops Gaol.

12 Interview with Selwyn Rocksborough-Smith, November 27, 1987.
13 In 1979, this camp was rebuilt and relocated seven miles up the Wells Gray Road as Bear Creek.

78

Corrections in British Columbia