Crowded jails create 'powder keg'

Manitoba's overcrowded jails are a "powder keg" ready to explode in violence, claims the union representing correctional officers.

Provincial jails hold nearly double the number of prisoners they were built to hold, according to the Manitoba Government Employees Union.

The Winnipeg Remand Centre, built to hold 289 prisoners, currently houses 400. It's a similar situation at every Manitoba jail, from Brandon to The Pas.

"It is a powder keg that all justice employees have tried to manage to the best of their ability," said MGEU spokesman Ken Crawford.

"That ability is wearing thin."

Overcrowding blamed for riots

In October, 27 inmates rioted for four hours in the Brandon Correctional Centre, breaking several things and even starting a small fire. There was extensive damage to the jail, including an exterior wall that was smashed open.

Jail guards at the time blamed the incident on prisoners' anger about overcrowding. That facility was originally built to house 160 inmates and held 282 when the riot happened.

Four prisoners also started a fire in an overcrowded cell at the Manitoba Youth Centre in Winnipeg about a month later.

Two 17-year-olds, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old barricaded themselves inside their unit, started banging and yelling, then lit a fire, police said.

The flames were quickly extinguished by the Winnipeg Fire Department after police and members of the emergency response unit for Manitoba Corrections quelled the disturbance.

The damage caused by the riot was estimated at $52,000.

The official capacity of the MYC is for 150 inmates. At that time, it had 203.

"You take people in real life, cram them together and tensions rise," Crawford said at that time.

Demonstration planned

Provincial jail guards plan to demonstrate at the Manitoba legislature June 9 to draw attention to working conditions and inmate overcrowding.

The union wants a stand-alone 700-bed facility built immediately.

'We've got a wide-ranging expansion.' —Attorney General Andrew Sawn

Andrew Swan, Manitoba's Attorney General, said the province is planning 200 new spaces for inmates at various facilities across the province.

"We've got a wide-ranging expansion," said Swan. "This year shovels are in the ground in Brandon, shovels are in the ground in The Pas, shovels are in the ground at Milner Ridge [between Beausejour and Lac du Bonnet]."

Swan said the province will add 80 new inmate beds at Brandon and additions are being built at the province's largest jail at Headingley as well as the women's jail at Portage la Prairie.

There are 2,023 inmates in the system as of mid-May, Manitoba Justice Department statistics show. Of those, 1,376 were being held on remand, still awaiting trial.

Prisoners on remand longer

The jails are crowded partly because criminal cases have become more complicated for the courts to handle expeditiously.

There are new rules for disclosing evidence, for example, and many of those charged simply can't afford bail.

'We need to talk about innovative ways to deal with the [prison] population.' —MGEU spokesman Ken Crawford

Crawford said prisoners on remand get little programming and they require frequent transportation for court appearances and to meet with their lawyers.

The union wants the government to get lawyers, judges, police, and corrections officials to meet and find a solution.

"We need to get together with all stakeholders within the justice system together," said Crawford.

"We need to talk about innovative ways to deal with the [prison] population."

Swan said meetings aren't the solution, but the number of Crown attorneys has been boosted to help with the court backlogs.

Hold court on weekends, evenings

Michael Weinrath, head of the University of Winnipeg's criminal justice program, said the province must try harder and move expeditiously to relieve the brewing powder keg.

"Try scheduling [court] in the evenings [and] Saturdays. Hire extra prosecutors, judges, legal aid lawyers … and commit resources," he suggested.