On Feb. 22, 2001, then Corrections Minister
Norm Sterling insulted the professionalism of all Ontario
Correctional Officers when he declared that their use of sick
time was too high. Sterling said he would publicize the
absenteeism rate of Ontario correctional facilities – in
hopes, he said, of embarrassing correctional officers into
missing fewer work days. He also issued a threat, stating that
if sick time was not reduced, his government would "take
other kinds of corrective actions, like looking at private
sector options for more prisons."
Under the Harris government, use of sick time
among correctional officers has risen from an average of 12 days
per person in 1995 to 20 days per person in 2001. In late
February, CBC Radio asked Sterling what he thought was causing
high sick time use. His reply? "I don’t know."
This report provides the answer. Following
Sterling’s comments, the Ontario Public Service Employees
Union surveyed union locals in 44 Ontario correctional
facilities (see Appendix). Survey results confirm that sick time
use is directly linked to policy decisions of the Ministry of
Corrections:
- 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
behind bars, resulting in increased threats and
violence to staff. 86 per cent of
facilities reported an increase in threats to staff by
inmates; 80 per cent reported an increase in
assaults on staff by inmates. Active inmate gangs
were reported in 39 per cent of facilities.
- 77 per cent
reported an increase in the number of contraband
items being found in searches. 64 per cent reported
finding knives and shivs; 89 per cent reported
finding drugs.
- Deteriorating hygiene
as a result of cuts to cleaning and maintenance poses a
serious health hazard in the institutions. 45 per cent
of union locals rated hygiene at their institutions as
either "poor" or "very poor."
- Dirty, overcrowded conditions mean many
staff have been hit by infectious diseases running
rampant in the institutions. 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.
- Training standards for new
(contract) employees are in disarray. 61 per cent of
facilities said new correctional officers are never
evaluated after their orientation period.
- 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.
The inexcusable conditions found in Ontario
correctional facilities are the direct result of policy
decisions of the Ministry of Corrections. Staff do not cause the
overcrowding that leads to increased tension. Staff are not
responsible for the program cuts inside the facilities. Nor are
they responsible for program cuts in the community that put more
"high maintenance" individuals behind bars. Staff did
not cut cleaning and maintenance of the institutions. Staff have
not reduced officer training standards.
Staff do, however, have to bear the
consequences of these dangerous policies. The information
summarized here draws a grim picture of the life of an Ontario
correctional officer. It tells the truth about the awful
decisions that have systematically driven up sick time use in
correctional facilities.
