Ontario government plans to shut down Sudbury youth detention centre in two years

The Ontario government plans to close the Cecil Facer Youth Centre in Sudbury in two years and convert it into a institution for adult females. 

The centre is a secure detention and custody facility for young males, between the ages of 12 and 17, who have been convicted of a crime. It is meant to hold them accountable for their actions and steer them away from crime.

Peter Harding, co-chair of the youth justice ministry employee relations committee with OPSEU, said workers learned on Monday the facility will close.

Harding said Ontario's Ministry of the Solicitor General plans to convert Cecil Facer into a 50-bed institution for adult women.

He said staff reaction to the closure ranged from anger to tears.

"And others were just solemn and didn't say much," Harding said.

The Cecil Facer Youth Centre currently employs 24 full-time youth service officers, a few part-time officers, along with nurses, social workers, psychologists, kitchen and maintenance staff and rehabilitation officers.

Harding said the facility is built to accommodate up to 16 youths, but due to insufficient staffing, it currently has 12 beds.

He said the young people at the facility will be transferred to facilities in Brampton and Sault Ste. Marie. 

"Young people shouldn't be placed in custody hours away from their families," said OPSEU president JP Hornick, in a media release.

"Our members who work with these kids every day know that community and family support is crucial for their wellbeing."

Harding said staff will likely have the options of either transferring to other facilities for youth, at least three hours away from Sudbury, or receive training to work at the planned facility for adult women.

Harding added the Ministry of the Solicitor General announced in 2021 it would conduct a review at the site to see if it was possible to build a facility for women there.

Statement from the province

The Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services provided CBC with the following statement:

"The government is repurposing Cecil Facer Youth Centre (CFYC) in Sudbury to an adult women's institution to provide additional capacity and mental health supports to adult women in the North.

This is not an immediate closure of the youth facility, but a transfer of CFYC property and operations over roughly two years.

During this time, CFYC will continue to operate as a youth justice facility and admit youth from the surrounding areas.

This time for transition will allow the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) to plan for transitioning youth when required, with the best interest, well-being and safety of the youth at the centre of all considerations.  It also allows MCCSS to meaningfully engage Indigenous, justice and community partners for advice on how we can support the transition of youth to other facilities when required.

Across Northern Ontario, MCCSS is also working to support continued connections to the community and family through the Connected to Communities program which helps mitigate financial barriers to visitation, along with investments in video calling capabilities to allow youth to connect with family, guardians, elders and positive mentors.

All staff at the facility will have the option to either transition to the Ministry of the Solicitor General or transfer to another youth justice direct operated youth facility."