ETOBICOKE: New jail to replace Mimico
The 1,650-bed Toronto South Detention Centre is subject to an environmental assessment set to begin later this spring, the Ministry of Correctional Services said in a statement.
Correctional Services Minister Rick Bartolucci said the new Etobicoke-based jail "will significantly boost our ability to plan for the safe accommodation of our current and projected inmate population."
The number of adults awaiting trial or sentencing in the provincial corrections system has doubled in the past 10 years, the ministry said.
Public information sessions about the project will be held in late May and early June.
Presently, the Mimico jail typically houses 40 inmates full-time and as many as 350 on weekends.
The facility has a storied history. It was first opened as a reformatory for boys in 1887. During the Second World War, it was used as a prisoner of war camp.
