The BCGEU is calling on Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux to halt the planned closure of the Victoria Youth Custody Centre (VYCC) as more and more civic leaders and organizations are opposing the decision.

“This surprising and shortsighted decision needs to be reversed immediately,” says BCGEU president Darryl Walker. “Key, informed stakeholders are raising very real concerns about the ramifications of this cost-cutting move.”

B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond
has called the decision “dangerous”. The past chair of the youth division of the Canadian Bar Association calls the decision to close VYCC “appalling”.

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin has opposed the decision and today Victoria Police Chief Frank Elsner said his force will refuse to hold young offenders diverted from the soon-to-be-closed VYCC.

Monday’s surprise announcement comes after government assurances that the centre would remain open as other options were explored. “Our members were committed to working with the Ministry to explore new uses for the centre that would address the government’s concerns around over-capacity,” says Walker.

The BCGEU is concerned that other options were not considered, including:

• exploring alternative capacity uses for the centre;
• reaching out in the community to explore options and to seek support; and
• exploring repatriation of housing youth females at both Victoria Youth Custody Centre & Prince George Youth Custody Centre.

“When we met recently with Minister Cadieux we discussed other uses for the centre. Closing it was never mentioned as an option,” says Walker. “The minister needs to meet with key stakeholders and frontline BCGEU members to explore possible uses of the facility. Closing it is bad for these young people, bad for our justice system, and bad for the people of B.C.”