Stuffed cells – Are we placing lives at risk?

 

Over-crowded cells are causing employees at the South West Detention Centre to worry about the health and safety of staff and inmates.

The detention centre is a 200,000-square foot state-of-the-art detention centre. The facility was built in 2014. Since then, the building has become over-populated and the impact has had a negative effect on not just the inmates, but employees and lawyers. Andrew Morrison, a spokesman for the Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services said the ministry is aware the centre is experiencing some capacity pressures.

“Over crowding is a key issue for correctional facilities across the country,” said Morrison. “Sentencing of offenders is managed by the courts and the judiciary. The courts are also responsible for determining whether or not someone is remanded into custody before trial.”

Most of the inmates at provincial correctional facilities are remanded into custody by court order awaiting their trial or sentencing. In 2019 the monthly average of remanded inmates in custody across Ontario was around 74 per cent. However, the monthly average for remanded inmates at the South West Detention Centre in 2019 was around 80 per cent.

The facility holds 315 beds for both male and female inmates. Each cell carries up to two people, but due to capacity, some cells are now accommodating up to three people. The decision to accommodate for three may not be ideal, but decisions are constantly being made to determine maximum safety for inmates.

“The ministry has a legal responsibility to uphold the orders of the courts and to ensure the safety and security of those in custody,” said Morrison. “The ministry continually assesses capacity needs to ensure that beds are available where they are most in need.”

Jason Stroud, a correctional officer at the South West Detention Centre and OPSEU Local 135 President said, in April 2019 the SWDC reached its excess capacity, which breached the building’s design.

“The physical size of each unit was designed to ensure inmates could live collaboratively within the walls of each unit,” said Stroud. “The staff are very concerned that we have breached the capacity of multiple areas. Are we placing lives at risk?”

Classification is a tool used to properly assess, evaluate and place inmates into established units based on multiple risk factors. The inmates at the SWDC are managed without physical barriers. Typically, this would not be a problem but because it is over capacity, inmates are harder to supervise. Stroud said proper classifications are not being made.

“Today, due to overcrowding, our officers are now subjected to substantial increased workplace violence,” said Stroud. “Assaults within our institution have increased by 167 per cent over the same period last year. Inmates are left with no alternative than to revert to self-preservation comprising of isolation, fabricating weapons, compensation for protection, grouping with other inmates that have displayed poor judgement.”

Stroud said locally, the SWDC Senior Administration and OPSEU Local 135 have been drafting contingency plans to control the direct access with officers.

“Despite extraordinary efforts from OPSEU Local 135 members, the facility will continue to be plagued with exponential operational failures,” said Stroud. “Unless overcrowding is addressed with the health and safety of all people who live and work within the walls.”