Jails hit with ‘staffing issues’ in fourth wave

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This article was published 13/01/2022 (1716 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Provincial jails are facing “staffing challenges” as active COVID-19 cases in correctional institutions creep up in the fourth wave of the pandemic.

All jails currently have active cases of the virus, including four at the Brandon Correctional Centre, according to the province’s COVID-19 outbreaks table. The Headingley and Milner Ridge correctional centres are tied for the most active cases with 55.

There are also 19 active cases listed by the province at the Women’s Correctional Centre, 17 at the Winnipeg Remand Centre, five at the Manitoba Youth Centre, four at the Agassiz Youth Centre and one at The Pas Correctional Centre.

All correctional facilities have safety protocols in place, according to a statement from the province, including personal protective equipment for staff and inmates.

“In general, like in the community and at health-care facilities, correctional facilities are experiencing staffing challenges due to sick calls. The department is making adjustments to ensure that facilities can be safely managed,” the statement reads, adding it “would not be appropriate” to comment in detail about staffing issues.

The statement does not give any detail about the adjustments being made.

Inmates are eligible for both rapid and PCR testing, like the general public, according to the province.

Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union president Kyle Ross said his organization, which represents correctional officers, is concerned with how the fourth wave of the pandemic is affecting jails.

“Many staff and inmates have been affected by the virus by either contracting it or becoming a close contact and it has in no doubt had an effect on the daily operation of all our jails. It has to be pointed out that understaffing has been a problem before COVID existed and has now only gotten far worse during the pandemic,” Ross said in an emailed statement.

The union is pleased with the government’s announcement on Tuesday that it was working on a plan to get more rapid COVID-19 tests to jail guards and sheriffs, Ross said.

“This is something we were actively calling on the government to do,” he said.

The fourth wave of COVID-19 cases at the Brandon Correctional Centre follows a significant outbreak at the local jail in December 2020. At the time, there were approximately 98 positive cases.

Currently, the province lists a cumulative total of 116 cases of the virus at the Brandon jail, including 25 staff members and 91 inmates, and 112 cases are listed as recovered.

Stony Mountain Institution, a federal prison in Manitoba, has also seen recent COVID-19 cases. On Dec. 30, 2021, the Correctional Service of Canada said in a press release two inmates and 12 employees at the prison had tested positive.

“This is an evolving situation and we continue to apply and reinforce infection prevention and control measures to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19, and adapt based on public health advice.”

“All staff and inmates are equipped with masks, and we have increased cleaning and disinfecting throughout the site,” the release reads.

No deaths due to the virus are listed at any provincial jails.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

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