Premier Christy Clark joins Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie at Monday's announcement revealing that a new $200-million provincial prison will be located in the band's Senkulmen Enterprise Park north of Oliver.

A South Okanagan jail is good news for prisoners and courthouse sheriffs in Kelowna.
The Kamloops jail is so overcrowded, some cells are triple-bunked. The new jail will be a nicer facility and relieve pressure on the Kamloops facility, said Penticton lawyer Don Skogstad.
"They've been double-bunking for years, and triple-bunking with the third guy on the floor. There's been a tent in the yard for 1 1/2 years. It houses low-risk prisoners in summer and winter," he said.
Inmates appearing in the Kelowna Law Courts will spend less time at the RCMP lockup in Kelowna because the drive to Oliver is an hour shorter than the two-and-a-half-hour journey to Kamloops.
If they finish their court appearance on an afternoon, they're more likely to travel to Oliver on a truck run than to overnight in Kelowna, said the province's chief sheriff Dave Maedel.
Sheriffs now make five runs each week between Kelowna and Kamloops. Once the new jail opens, they'll likely replace those runs with five 90-minute jaunts to Oliver.
"That's good news for us because it's not tying up our staff," said Maedel. "But it's also good for (prisoners) because they don't spend all that time in the back of our trucks."
The same number of sheriffs will likely remain. The shorter travel time allows them to service the courts for longer periods, he said.
Kelowna sheriffs also transport prisoners to and from the Kootenays once a week. Prisoners arriving in Kelowna then take a second vehicle to Kamloops jail.
Once the new facility opens, the Kootenay prisoners will be transported
directly to the new prison.
"That's saving time, distance and money. And it's easier for the people riding in our trucks," Maedel said.
Kelowna could see more high-security trials involving inmates accused of gang-related crimes, like the Greeks case in Vancouver. The RCMP cells are sparse and not designed to hold several accused people for long periods, said Maedel. But the Oliver-area jail is.
"We're looking forward to having a facility in the Okanagan corridor. It's great for all parties involved," he said.
The Osoyoos Indian band had a business plan in place for the new jail site months ago. They have power, water, close access to Highway 97 and modified turnoffs, said Skogstad.
"They told me in October they'd get a prison because they have the best plan."