The Director of Adult Forensic Services, J.A. “Gus” Richardson, was seconded to the Corrections Branch as Director of Psychological Services to help implement the protocols. Corrections Branch staff took the lead in implementing the protocols and co-ordinating services with other agencies.

According to Richardson, the protocols “...are important for a number of reasons, but particularly due to the fact that they indicate that no one in B.C. should be denied services on the basis of being involved with the criminal

justice system.””"*

Replacing and upgrading adult secure institutions

As noted during the reparation era, most of the adult and youth institutions of the Branch required upgrading or replacement. Many facilities were overcrowded due to increases in the population of offenders. While plans proceeded to replace the older facilities, conditions in these centres deteriorated.

In December 1987 and January 1988, a riot and mass escape highlighted the need to replace Oakalla and other aging facilities. The Drost Inquiry report’? addressed issues arising from these incidents and called again for the facility to be closed. The report highlighted the overcrowded conditions, dilapidated state and antiquated security of Oakalla to emphasize that a replacement was urgently needed.

As a result of commitments from the reparation era, most secure institutions were replaced through the 1990s. Two community correctional centres were also replaced. Most of the planned new centres focused on housing remanded and higher risk offenders. Lower risk offenders were to be released into the community as soon as possible. The closure of

several community correctional facilities and camps resulted from reduced numbers of offenders suitable for these levels of custody.

By early 1990, construction of Fraser Regional Correctional Centre (FRCC)—the second of the Oakalla replacement facilities—neared completion. Rene Gobillot left Oakalla to become the centte’s first director. Deputy Director Grant Stevens became responsible for the closure of Oakalla.

FRCC, located in Maple Ridge, officially opened with a capacity of 254 beds for sentenced offenders in July 1990. Surrey Pretrial Services Centre (SPSC), the last of the replacement centres for the men’s Oakalla facility, opened with a capacity of 150 beds in May 1991. This centre was designed to accommodate the remaining remand population at Oakalla. While Oakalla had the capacity to house mote than 600 men, the three

replacement facilities had a combined capacity of only 554.

An official ceremony closed Oakalla prison in July 1991. Following this event, the prison was

14 CorrTech Quarterly, Corrections Branch, Spring 1994.

15 Released in November 1988. The Royal Commission of Inquiry, headed by Judge Ian L. Drost, was established under Order-in-Council No.1 January 6, 1988) to review the escape of prisoners from the Lower Mainland Regional Correction Centre (Oakalla) on January 1, 1988.

The Era of Risk Management (1990-1997)

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