SMITH BEHIND BARS: Premier visits remand centre inmates in Red Deer

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith visited inmates at the remand centre in Red Deer to have conversations about their battles with addictions and its impact on their incarceration. Smith called it “a humbling experience, and many of these stories will stick with me for a very long time.”“When these folks are released back into society after serving their sentence, it’s important that they have the strength to make it on their own and put addiction in the rear view mirror,” tweeted Smith on Monday. “As your Premier, I will fight addiction in all its forms and give Albertans the tools they need to get their lives back.”.The Alberta government teamed up with Red Deer RCMP in 2022 to support allowing people to have immediate access to opioid addiction treatment by offering it to those who have been arrested.READ MORE: Alberta government partners with Red Deer police to offer addiction treatmentTo assist drug addicts, the Alberta government will be working with the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program. From now on, anyone arrested in Red Deer will have the option of consulting with an addiction physician if they need it.“Alberta is once again leading the nation with this innovative program to get more people connected with life-saving addiction treatment," said former Alberta mental health and addictions associate minister Mike Ellis. Smith said at the Recovery Capital Conference on April 3 mental health and addictions used to be an afterthought at the policy table. READ MORE: Smith says Alberta government busy fighting addictions crisisHowever, she said her government has given mental health and addictions priority status by refocusing efforts and establishing a ministry dedicated to it. “And we’ve been busy,” she said.

SMITH BEHIND BARS: Premier visits remand centre inmates in Red Deer

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