TORONTO - A comprehensive survey of 44 Ontario correctional facilities
shows a direct link between Corrections Ministry policies and increased
use of sick time by corrections staff.
The
survey of front-line correctional staff, released today by the
Health and Safety Task Force of the Ontario Public Service Employees
Union, details how severe overcrowding, program cuts, and poor sanitation
are causing increased violence, sickness, and stress behind bars.
“These survey results make it absolutely clear that high sick time
use is a result of Tory policies,” said OPSEU President Leah Casselman.
OPSEU began the survey in late February after former Corrections
Minister Norm Sterling threatened to privatize more Ontario correctional
facilities, not just the 1,200-bed “superjail” in Penetanguishene, if
correctional officers did not cut their use of sick time. Under the Harris
government, sick time use by correctional officers has risen from an
average of 12 days per year in 1995 to 20 days per year in 2001.
“The Harris government is deliberately making scapegoats of
correctional officers to provide a flimsy rationale for privatizing
prisons,” said Casselman. “Mike Harris and [Corrections Minister] Rob
Sampson couldn’t survive an hour in the pressure-cooker environments
they’ve created in our jails. They should hang their heads in shame
instead of attacking the honest, hardworking people who put their lives on
the line every day.”
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In addition to the survey report, the union has also produced a
15-minute video,
Sabotage: the Ontario government scheme to destroy public correctional
facilities.
The video features the real-life stories of life behind bars from 17
Ontario corrections workers.
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Among the highlights revealed by the survey:
· Chronic overcrowding: 61 per cent of institutions surveyed
were operating over capacity, i.e., with more inmates than beds, on a
“regular” or “daily” basis.
· Overcrowding has led to increased tension, resulting in increased
threats and violence to staff. 80 per cent of institutions
reported an increase in assaults on staff by inmates.
· Deteriorating hygiene as a result of cuts to cleaning and
maintenance poses a serious health hazard in the institutions. 45 per
cent of facilities rated hygiene as either “poor” or “very
poor.”
· Dirty, overcrowded conditions mean many staff have been hit by
infectious diseases. 65 per cent reported outbreaks of
communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, meningitis, and
scabies. Staff have been infected through contact with inmates in 44
per cent of institutions.
· Cuts to health and social programs in the community have resulted
in an increased number of “high maintenance” inmates such as
those with psychiatric problems or developmental disabilities. 100
per cent of institutions reported an increase in the number of these
inmates being incarcerated. Only 23 per cent of institutions have
a special needs unit for housing these inmates.
· 95 per cent of institutions reported increased levels of
psychological distress among staff, resulting in frequent illness,
depression, family and marital problems, substance abuse, anger, panic
attacks, and, as a result, increased absence from work.
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For more information: Don Ford, OPSEU Communications
(416) 723-8430
ALL ONTARIO:
Leah Casselman, president, OPSEU (416) 443-8888 ext.
300
Barry Scanlon, Chair, OPSEU Corrections Ministry
Employee Relations Committee (416) 562-7252 (cell)
TORONTO:
Garry Peck (416) 757-5525 (Toronto East)
Mort Todd (705) 436-6294 (Toronto West)
James Ogle (416) 463-6511 (Toronto [Don] Jail)
Bill Kruger (416) 381-3430 (pager) (Mimico Complex)
BARRIE: Tim Mulhall (705) 733-2519; Dan Marshall (705)
730-8025; Mort Todd (705) 436-6294
BRAMPTON: Raymond Davidson (905) 457-7050; Mike Foley (905) 459-9100;
Al Mentor (905) 450-3775
BRANTFORD: Ken Aicken (519) 752-6578; (519) 426-9577
BROCKVILLE: Cathy Couture (613) 342-1456; (613)
345-3650
COBOURG: Peter Harding (905) 342-9102
FORT FRANCES: Chris Bonner-Vickers (807) 274-0472
GODERICH: Jack Hopkins (519) 524-8091; (519) 524-2107
GUELPH: Paul Hughes (519) 622-6315; Lanny Clive (519)
746-9330
HAMILTON: Edward Almeida (905) 574-5943
KENORA: Peter Cann (807) 468-6746
KINGSTON: Bob Courtney (613) 354-9701
KITCHENER-WATERLOO: Doug McArthur (519) 740-1489
LINDSAY: Larry Cripps (705) 738-0249
LONDON: Rosalind Teale (519) 690-1669
MILTON: Bill Gillies (905) 878-8141; (905) 879-9677
Judi Almond (905) 878-8141 ext. 2210
NIAGARA: Blaine Warden (905) 984-3075
NORTH BAY: Michel Bisaillon (705) 495-0543; (705)
472-8115
OAKVILLE: Mohar Budhram (905) 848-1953
OSHAWA/WHITBY Nick Tefoglou (905) 434-5896; Glenna Caldwell (705)
277-3079
OTTAWA: Mark Grady (613) 837-4869; (613) 755-9415
(pager)
OWEN SOUND: Paul Johnstone (519) 794-4290; (519)
376-0435
PARRY SOUND: Roxanne Palmer (705) 762-1380; (705)
645-8718 ext. 227
PEMBROKE: John Riendeau (613) 735-0568; (613) 735-0647; 613-639-7660
(cell)
PENETANGUISHENE: Al Donaldson (705) 526-9138;
PETERBOROUGH: Steve Clancy (705) 745-2766; (705)
741-7121 (cell); Tim Hannah (705) 741-1071
SARNIA: Mark Kotanen (519) 336-6926
SAULT STE. MARIE: Joe Wright (705) 541-9529; Daryl Pitfield (705)
256-3020; Vern Silver (705) 946-3653; (705) 542-5454 (cell)
SIMCOE: Brad Hoover (519) 428-1789
SMITHS FALLS: Andy Armstrong (613) 283-7050
SUDBURY: Simone Max (705) 647-6996; Larry McGregor
(705) 693-2982; (705) 564-4150
THUNDER BAY: Len Mason (807) 683-3900
TIMMINS/MONTEITH: Rick Dagenais (705) 235-8219; Cindy
McQuarrie (705) 232-6682
WALKERTON: Gerry Hope (519) 881-0307
WHITBY/OSHAWA: Nick Tefoglou (905) 434-5896; Glenna Caldwell (705)
277-3079
WINDSOR: Dominic Bragaglia (519) 972-7352; (519)
561-4360 (pager)
