1AM ~)AitoGiaSS ýCracks! flavu 1i1 MAIN ST. #1 & 2, MILTON 816-47851 A Metroland Cornmunity Newspaper Vol. 142 No. 1 Friday, March 16, 2001 Mas!t us ai- 28 Pages $ 1.0() C;SF ncud vMilton 's 'superjail' offilcially open Up to 1,500 inmnates expected in afew weeks By FANNIE SUNSINE The Champion Milton is the officiai home of the first superjail' complex in Ontario. The ncwiy-expanded Mapiehurst Correctionai Centre was oficially opened yesterday and inruates are expecled to arrive wilhin the next few wecks. The maximum security compiex, which took almost ihree years 10 compicte ai a cost of $89 mil- lion. occupies 29.200 square metres of new con- struction and ham the capacity to bouse 1,500 inruales. Thlis laciily introduces a new era in Ontario corrections and is a signilicant sîep in moving from oid. inefficient jails t0 modem, safe, no-frilis institutions that represent a responsîble use of tax- payera' dollars,' Ontario Correctional Services Minister Rob Sampson bold reporters at a press conférence heid inside the new facility yesierday. "Mhis govemment's main priority is public safe- ty and ensuring we have a corrections system that is safe, secure, effective, efficient and account- able." Mayor Gord Krantz, who was also on hand at the opening, said he's been looking forward t0 the new faciiity for more than two years. "Ive always supported the Maplehurst location in the community. We're ail înterested in the future of Maplehurat and the future of the community." Maplehurat will be thse larges! jail in Canada, with 21 different types of secunity systems and 300 metres of razor ribbon. Currently, prisonera are housed in two separate areas. The tirst houses inmates that have been sen- tenced to two years less a day and the second area is a detention centoe for holding pnisoners in cus- tody awaiting court procedures. Inmates froru both sections of the complex will be housed in the four new units, designed as pods. The old facility will be constructed to a retro fit. The pods are self-contained. 192-bed units in which maie inmates spend their days. Each pod is divided into eight "slices" - six living units con- sisting of 16 celîs (two inruates per celI) eight tables and a showening aiea, an outdoor yard and a hallway for laundry and health care facilittes. The design is similar to thse West Valley Correctional Centre in Califomia. The design will also be featured ai the new Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene and Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, which are currently under con- struction. .see PRISONIERS on page il lieed For ail of your Emissions Testing & Car «pÏileeà.s Spring flane-up Trim!t Cati to book your appointment! CLAN I For the air we breaUm Sto in an le *u * ,.* * i~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ e tcncastio O %e 5Vr.FOMOE.IFRAINCL8 8 7 2 0 DO NA 8CM ECA T of .r(1,to v n v v a 0 Comment........ 6 NS Report........ 8 A&E ............ 10 Datolns...16-17 Sports ......22-24 Classified . ... .25-27 Mm moUdm a Umum, Paws-ltlve Pet CuV 0 CoresIoluion* *Eobrldgse .n'ers Appllscs Isctil arias only 141Pekend