Correctional officers in Brandon echo inmates’ cries of poor conditions

The union representing correctional officers in Manitoba jails is echoing prisoners’ concerns about conditions on the inside. They say both correctional officers and inmates are trapped in a razor-wire clad system that’s failing them.

“This current government, as we’ve heard from our members, has been making it far more difficult with budget cuts and the like. And we’ve heard from our correctional officers, who are very professional, that there are challenges in the workplace,” explained Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union.

CityNews recently spoke to inmates at the Brandon Correctional Centre who claim the provincial jail is putting their rehabilitation and well-being at risk. But inmates aren’t the only ones hurting, which has increased tensions inside.

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• Inmates speak out on inhumane conditions inside Brandon Correctional Centre

“It makes the jobs more challenging and they need to work on a balance of mutual respect. Our members need a safe work environment and these inmates need to be safely held. We know that programs have been cut. A workshop was cut from Headingley, and there were cuts at Milner Ridge. And in Brandon, the jail there, their gym is a dorm, it’s not a recreational facility — so there are opportunities,” added Ross.

The inmates at Brandon Correctional Centre are encouraging Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson and Manitoba Justice Minister Cameron Friesen to visit BCC to see what life is like.

“There [are] opportunities for improvement and when you see it first hand, you’re more likely to seek change and those are the kind of people who can make these changes.”

“Jail is the punishment, got it. But they should be treated humanely and be treated fairly inside,” said Ross Robinson, Executive Director of the John Howard Society.

Robinson added that inmates’ concerns are valid, but notes they may be rooted in restrictions around COVID-19.

“We’ve witnessed a strained relationship, and I don’t want to use COVID as a cop-out, but we have to take into consideration that anytime that a staff member has to quarantine, they’re short-staffed.”

He says John Howard Society has a good relationship with the BCC and the correctional officers and individuals it works with are professional and dedicated, but he acknowledges more work can be done, saying everyone on the frontline wants to see positive change for that inside.

“We want inmates to get programming. We want them to develop these skills, so they have a better opportunity when they get out,” said Robinson.

Robinson says he’s hopeful the concerns being raised at the BCC are an anomaly triggered by the pandemic, but it’s time for a systematic review.

“Regardless of who does the reexamination, I think this is a great opportunity, there’s no time like the present to look at where we’re at and at improving situations if that’s possible, or if that’s the case.”