IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 21, 2002
Inmate escape from management-run jail “a complete outrage”, says union
OTTAWA - An inmate escape from a jail staffed exclusively with managers should be clear evidence that the Ontario government is playing “Russian roulette” with public safety, warns the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. Tonight’s escape is the third inmate escape from a management-run jail in less than a week.
Earlier this evening, an inmate made his way over the perimeter fences at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre (OCDC) and escaped into the forested area behind the facility. Local union officials claim that the security cameras that are supposed to monitor the fences were aimed at the picket line instead.
Mark Grady, president of Local 411, and one of 200 correctional workers that have been illegally locked out of OCDC, said the managers were more interested in watching the union than watching the inmates.
“Our members should be inside, providing essential services and protecting the public,” Grady said. “Yet managers are putting the public at risk by watching us instead of maintaining security. It is a complete outrage.”
Barry Scanlon, chair of the OPSEU Corrections Bargaining Team, said that the province’s jails are reaching the point of “meltdown” because unionized staff are illegally locked out.
“The government has locked out staff at 80 per cent of the jails in the province,” Scanlon said. “The institutions are being run by jail managers who have had one day off in the last six weeks. Those managers, who are barely functional, are being augmented by managers from Finance and other ministries who don’t have a
clue how to run a jail or deal with inmates. The whole system is approaching meltdown, and it’s the public who will pay the price.”
Scanlon went on to say that the new Ontario premier should be more worried about public safety than trying to win a by-election. “We need to get our people back inside and performing the essential services we agreed to provide,” Scanlon said. “The Ontario government is playing ‘Russian roulette’ with people’s lives by
continuing to illegally lock out our members. Not only is the government being irresponsible, they are unnecessarily endangering the citizens of this province.”
-30-
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Mark Grady 613/913-8352
Barry Scanlon 416/815-1407
