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(TORONTO – August 17, 2011) – The union representing provincial
correctional officers is prepared to work with Ontario’s ombudsman in
his investigation of the complaints procedure inside jails with the goal
of addressing the serious health and safety issues of those who work
inside the facilities.
“The ombudsman is fully aware of the grave health and safety dangers
that exist inside our jails and which are frequently directed against
correctional officers,” said Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president of the
Ontario Public Service Employees Union, which represents more than 5,000
staff inside the province’s jails.
“We are prepared to cooperate with Andre Marin’s investigation. We
anticipate that his report will also reflect the many dangerous health
and safety threats that our members face on a daily basis. The outcome
of his investigation will be a glass half-filled if he neglects to
report on health and safety issues we have brought to the attention of
his office for many years.”
The ombudsman’s office announced on Tuesday that it would launch an
investigation into alleged “excessive force” used by jail guards against
inmates in some provincial facilities and the complaints’ procedure used
by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services to follow
up on those reports.
Dan Sidsworth, head of the corrections division of OPSEU, said the
ombudsman’s investigation must take into account a range of ancillary
issues affecting conditions that correctional officers face each day,
including overcrowding, cutbacks in inmate programs, the ratio of
prisoners to guards, the personal protection equipment that officers are
prohibited from possessing inside the facilities, a freeze on new
hiring, and long-term health concerns like post-traumatic stress
disorder.
“Unfortunately, the ombudsman has refused to address these issues
that we’ve brought to the attention of his office for many years,” said
Sidsworth. “It’s only fair and just that if he looks into the complaints
of prisoners, he take the same investigative approach that we’ve been
calling for on behalf of our members for some time now,” said Sidsworth,
referring to “systemic problems” that the union has raised with the
ministry – including video surveillance records, occurrence log books
and reports of injuries and medical files on injuries sustained by
correctional officers – but for which it seldom receives satisfactory
follow-up information.
Sidsworth said the union would be contacting Marin’s office shortly
to indicate its willingness to participate in the investigation of
inmate complaints.
More information:
Dan Sidsworth
Chair, OPSEU Corrections
905-691-7955
Greg Hamara
OPSEU Communications
416-443-8888 ext 8777
647-238-9933
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For more information:
Dan Sidsworth
Chair, OPSEU Corrections
905-691-7955
Greg Hamara
OPSEU Communications
416-443-8888 ext 8777 office
647-238-9933
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