'Dangerous' inmate incited riot: Clarke

A riot that left parts of Nova Scotia's largest jail a burned and dirty mess was started by a well-known troublemaker, the justice minister says.

Cecil Clarke provided more details Thursday about Wednesday afternoon's disturbance at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth.

Fifty-nine inmates smashed windows, set fires and ransacked common areas of the jail after they were told to return to their cells. No one was seriously hurt, but one person was treated for smoke inhalation.

Clarke said the riot began as a search was underway for a missing set of keys to a storage room or classroom. An inmate who is well-known in the jail system got out of control, he said, and started inciting others.

"This inmate is known to be a very dangerous individual…and was very deliberate in the actions and very knowledgeable about how to excite other prisoners," Clarke said.

Police plan to lay charges, he added.

It took correctional workers several hours to quell the disturbance. By Thursday morning, all was quiet at the jail, Clarke said. Sixteen inmates remained under lockdown.

Clarke said the keys were still missing.

"It was important to look for the source of those keys and while they have not been located, the locks are being replaced as we speak," he said.

The justice minister commended staff for dealing with the riot in a professional manner.

The number of inmates at the facility has spiked and includes convicted offenders serving their sentences as well as accused offenders awaiting court dates.

Correctional workers have complained that the jail is overcrowded and problems arise because of double-bunking, where two inmates live in a space designed for one.

Jim Gosse, with the union representing correctional workers, said he's not surprised a riot erupted.

"It all really ultimately goes back to very, very inadequately staffed correctional facilities in this province," said Gosse, president of Local 480 of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union.

Clarke dismissed that, saying his department has beefed up staffing in the admissions and discharge area.

Justice officials said two more workers and a supervisor are working in admissions and discharge. Some part-time workers have been made full-time, and the department hopes to fill more positions.

In an earlier interview with CBC News, Clarke said the riot underscores the importance of negotiations with the federal government to build new correctional facilities in Nova Scotia.

"The reality is, in responding to public concerns and dealing with those issues, [it] has increased inmate population levels within the facility," Clarke said.

He also said his department is trying to find ways to reduce the flow of inmates between jail and court, such as using video conferencing.

"If I could pinpoint one thing, we would deal with it and that would solve everything. So it's not just the number of people in the facilities, it's where they have to go in and out of them," Clarke said.

There have been a dozen cases where prisoners were mistakenly released or escaped from custody in the last few years. The Justice Department said it has implemented 17 of 51 recommendations from a review of  policies and procedures within correctional services.