Overcrowding in Ontario jails continues to be a major contributor to the smuggling of contraband by inmates, says the president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).
Ottawa (26 Aug. 2008) - “Correctional officers working in institutions across Ontario are professional and vigilant in searching every inmate who enters a provincial facility, and they are intercepting a tremendous amount of contraband each and every day,” said OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas.
“But the ongoing problem of overcrowding is making a tough job a lot tougher.”
Thomas made the remarks after a newspaper report last week on contraband smuggling at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, known locally as OCDC.
"Overcrowding at OCDC has become critical over the last few months and is, in fact, the most urgent issue facing the institution right now,” said Thomas.
“With no room for new inmates, there are emergency transfers out of the institution every few days because it is unable to house new inmates that the police and other agencies are dropping off.”
“The result is an inmate population that is continually moving in and out of the facility,” he said. “You couldn’t invent a better way to give inmates more opportunities to bring in contraband.”
OCDC can safely house approximately 500 inmates but typically holds 550 during the week and close to 600 on weekends, Thomas said.
“Ontario Correctional Officers are extremely effective at stopping contraband from entering our jails, but they will never be able to keep it all out as long as the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services ignores the underlying problem of overcrowding,” he said.
The 120,000 members of OPSEU include 4,000 Correctional Officers working in facilities across Ontario.
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