A spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Department of Inmate Housing told This Is That that the province has been housing prisoners in unused condominiums for the past year.

Lorrie McDermott, the spokesperson, says the province has saved millions of dollars through the pilot project. Rather than building a new facility, they addressed their overcrowding problem by taking advantage of the 12% vacancy rate of Halifax condominiums.

Under the pilot project, it is typical for six to eight inmates to share a two-bedroom condominium, which is more space in a safer setting than they are afforded in province's prisons.

According to McDermott, security isn't a concern: "There's a concierge at most of these places and we intentionally not given any of the inmates a fob."

McDermott said that some of the condos have been purchased by the Department of Corrections, some are leased, and others are obtained through Airbnb.

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