That’s what the Ontario government found out this week, when the Hamilton Spectator revealed what correctional staff have known all along: Ontario’s jails are getting more dangerous. A lot more.

This week, the Spectator reported on documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

From 1991 to 1999, the government’s own figures show a 43 per cent increase in assaults on prison staff. Violent assault charges among inmates rose 34 per cent.

Barry Scanlon, OPSEU Chair of the Corrections Ministry Employee Relations Committee, states that not only are the incidents of violence increasing, they’re getting more serious.

What was the government response? Well, Mr. Ross Virgo, speaking for the Ministry, stated that, for instance, inmates are more aware that even touching another inmate can be considered an assault, and so are now reporting more assaults.

After Barry Scanlon stopped laughing when told about Virgo’s comment, he said, "That’s absolute garbage because the inmate code is that you don’t report it at all. Once again, this Ministry is trying to shirk its responsibility for the safety of staff and inmates by making up absurd excuses.

"The bottom line is that overcrowding is now the accepted norm. Many of our jails are chronically overcrowded, and, increasingly, understaffed. The 12-hour lock-ups and lack of recreational programs add to inmate frustration, then BOOM! – more people at risk of serious injury or even death."

Scanlon also points out that the planned new superjails will not add any new beds to the system.

"This government’s been in power for five years now. It’s time they stopped shirking their responsibility for addressing the needs of the correctional system and make changes that WORK, not changes that will worsen the system."

In another Hamilton Spectator Article this week, Edward Almeida, local president of the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre (Local 248), called his jail a "powder keg" waiting to explode. He spoke of daily assaults, inmates being forced to eat their meals in their cells to control the violence, and the cramming of three inmates into cells designed for one for 12 hours at a time.

Almeida spoke about the need for a gym to give the inmates some physical activity. Ministry response? "Certainly the use of a gymnasium is not something everybody gets in society" – a quote from, you guessed it, Ross Virgo. The Ministry’s preference, obviously, is to keep creating powder kegs to try to "justify" privatizing the system. The Tories are following the same prescription that got former Education Minister John Snobelen into hot water when he said it was necessary to "create a crisis" to make big changes.

The Toronto West Detention Centre (Local 517) and Toronto Youth Assessment Centre (Local 521) are just two other facilities in the province suffering huge problems due to overcrowding and understaffing.

At the West, president Mort Todd reports that over the last month they’ve had inmates sleeping on the floor in Admissions & Discharge – up to 15 a night. They’re also suffering from serious staff shortages. The local has filed a policy grievance over understaffing.

At TYAC, which houses young offenders, they have had kids sleeping on the floor ROUTINELY over the last year and a half! In addition, understaffing there has led to many of these kids being limited in their access to telephones and showers, and resulted in correctional staff cleaning up the floors before the kids lie down so they’re not lying in other inmates’ food or dirt.

Barry Scanlon says the MERC is pursuing these issues aggressively at both the MERC table and the Ministry of Labour. Stay tuned.

Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre (local 248) is hosting a "BBQ" (should be a hot one!):

Wednesday, July 5, 2000
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre
164 Barton St. East, Hamilton

Please put the word out and plan to attend. Invitees include Rob Sampson himself.