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Burtch Correctional Centre Supporters Seek
County Council's Endorsement
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The Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk Citizen's Action
Committee (BHNCAC) made a presentation last night
to Brant County Council. Committee chair Justin
Griffin sought the new Council's endorsement for his
group's proposal to close the 157-year-old Brantford
Jail and build a Regional Detention Centre on the
400-acre Burtch Correctional Centre site. In 1997,
the former Brant County Council endorsed the committee's
action plan.
BHNCAC was formed in 1997 when the provincial
government announced that the Brantford Jail and
Burtch Correctional Centre would both close under
the Ministry of Correctional Services' Adult
Infrastructure Renewal Project (AIRP). The AIRP
plans to close 26 of Ontario's smaller and older
facilities and build a few "super jails". These
facilities are of American design, holding over
1,000 prisoners each under maximum security conditions.
Critics say the mega jail concept doesn't work. And
BHNCAC says that losing both facilities would bleed
almost \\$20 million annually in economic benefits from
the area. They are also concerned about the loss of
jobs, the loss of ties to the local Native community,
increases in transportation costs related to court
appearances and the loss of rehabilitative programs.
BHNCAC has proposed retrofitting the present 360-bed
correctional centre at Burtch and building a new modular
design, 200-bed detention centre with shared services.
The group claims that the proposed Burtch Correctional
Complex would cost \\$73.1 per day per prisoner,
compared to the Ministry of Correctional Services
target of \\$75 per diem.
Griffin promises that his group is dedicated to making
the issue of saving the local correctional facilities
an issue in the upcoming provincial election.
For more information,
BHNCAC has a website at
http://members.xoom.com/jffraser/public_html/jimfraser.html
A newspaper columnist on the Conservative Bus has this to
say
May 22, 1999............
I smell desperation on Tory campaign bus
COME JULY, I'll have been 20 years in this business and
over that time I've travelled on many a campaign bus.
Truth be told, it's probably the worst way to intelligently
cover an election. Still, as a consequence of all those
campaigns, my nostrils have come to recognize both the
smell of diesel fuel and the scent of panic. And I may be
wrong but I think the Premier and his people feel something
slipping away.
I think this because of the recent bizarre attacks on
Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty for being soft on crime,
allegations that he's somehow sympathetic to criminals.
McGuinty is ``soft on crime,'' says the Premier.
McGuinty has ``shown a consistent sympathy for criminals,''
says the attack-trained Solicitor-General Bob Runciman.
Then, the Premier was at it again during the televised
leaders' debate.
This is so, Harris and his parrots say, because McGuinty
was a defence lawyer.
This is lunacy. It simply doesn't stand scrutiny. It stinks
of desperation.
Let's have a look at Dalton McGuinty's life.
True, he is a lawyer. Bachelor of Laws, University of
Ottawa, 1981. (After he got a biology degree from McMaster,
which probably makes him soft on whales.) He was called to
the bar in 1983. In the sense that he started his own law
firm the next year with a brother, he is even a small
businessman, a species usually much loved by the Premier.
True, McGuinty was - please keep this from small children
and women prone to the vapours - a defence lawyer.
For two years this was how he made his living, a practice
usually much lauded by the Premier.
Only a fool or mischief-maker would construe this to
mean the Liberal leader is soft on crime.
The Premier probably doesn't much like it, but the fact
is we have a system of justice in this country, saints be
praised, in which vigorous defence of accused persons is
an essential part.
It is how we attempt to keep travesties like the Marshalls
and Morins and Milgaards to a minimum. Most of the time
it works.
Dalton McGuinty isn't soft on crime. He's merely big on
justice.
For heaven's sakes, look at his life. He is as straight,
as law-abiding, as God-fearing a man as ever arrived at
Queen's Park.
True, he has admitted taking two tokes of pot as a teenager.
And any Baby Boomer knows exactly what kind of teen it was
that only took two tokes - the ones most afraid or most
guilt-ridden about breaking the law or their own moral
code.
I rather suspect God and his priest long ago forgave
McGuinty that sortie into crime in a shag-rugged Ottawa
rec-room some long ago Saturday night.
The truth is, Dalton McGuinty knows all too well about
the impact of crime and the trauma of victims. Some years
ago, his sister was assaulted in Florida. McGuinty attended
the trial, providing victim-impact evidence, ensuring
justice was done.
It's not something he talks about much. And more power to
him.
What McGuinty is is simply willing to consider the causes
of crime, maybe doing the small things early on that
might prevent some, instead of paying the horrific costs
of merely punishing it afterwards.
Actually, I think there are two things going on here.
One, the Premier and his people are playing the voters of
Ontario for idiots, assuming that if they say something
often enough - no matter how absurd - it will be taken as
truth.
Two, I'm not on the buses these days and sort of miss the
diesel fumes.
Tuesday, May 18, 1999.........
Jail guards have a real beef
By MICHAEL HARRIS
OTTAWA -- Picture it.
You report for work bright and early, which means
supervising convicts in a custodial setting. By 11 in
the morning, 10 guys on your range are high. They blow
smoke rings in your face and laugh. They know you are
not allowed to administer blood/urine tests because that
might violate their civil rights.
Because most of the dope is "suitcased," or hidden in
the user's rectum until he can safely retrieve it,
guards are not able to conduct searches. True, there
are "dry" cells where suspects may be sent until they
pass their contraband. But there are only so many dry
cells and there is so much dope.
Then you see your immediate bosses make the absurd
claim that drug use in Ontario's provincial jail system
is at "acceptable" levels. An odd statement.
Last time I looked, drug use was still a criminal
offence. Given that we are talking about convicted
felons, such a conclusion is doubly mystifying. What
kind of respect for society do we teach when we
encourage convicts in the belief that there is an
acceptable level of law-breaking?
Breaking the rules doesn't seem to be restricted
to the inmates. In preparation for the narrowly
averted strike by prison guards in Ontario, management
at Maplehurst Institution stocked several semi-trailers
with secure supplies of food. Prison sources say that
included frozen steaks and shrimp. Although the official
line from the prison is that specialty foods were never
brought in for management, sources at Maplehurst say
two managers, OMI6s, were apprehended in the act of
breaking into the trailer and removing the frozen
food for personal use after the strike was averted.
"This was captured on video by one of the on-site
security cameras," a corrections source told The Sun.
"Management denies this incident took place because
then they would have to admit that these items were
there in the first place."
Maplehurst management also purchased special cots for
managers to sleep on in the event they would have to
man the prison in place of striking guards. The cots
were issued to managers and set up in offices throughout
the sprawling institution, which is now under renovation.
When a settlement was reached with the guards, jail
administrators recalled the cots. Five weeks after
that request, several of these cots had still not
been returned and were declared "missing in action."
Shrimps and hammocks are one thing; the personal
security of guards is quite another. At Maplehurst,
a situation has arisen in which the prison dentist,
who is under contract with the ministry, had to leave
the room to operate the x-ray machine. (The technician
refused to operate it because she believed it was not
safe and inmates were being exposed to dangerous doses
of radiation.)
"This necessitated his leaving the room with an inmate
in the chair with a full set of dental tools loose on
a tray. I should point out that at that time these tools
had never been inventoried and accounted for on a daily
basis," one source said.
Bad pay, poor working conditions, an undeserved public
image based on pure ignorance about what these
much-abused men and women do for the rest of us are all
part of being a prison guard. But the degradation these
people put up with is sometimes more subtle. And more
hurtful. Case in point:
In the recent speech from the throne, the Harris
government announced plans to erect a memorial at
Queen's Park to police who die in the line of duty.
No one, including yours truly, could do anything but
applaud. These brave men and women do a dangerous job
in an atmosphere geared to the rights of the people
they try to protect us from. Frequently they find
themselves the subject of investigation for the high
crime of merely doing their jobs. They deserve every
plaudit we can give them.
There is only one thing wrong with Mike Harris'
proposal. The memorial is for police officers only.
Compare that to the memorials in New Brunswick, Ottawa,
and the planned memorial in Saskatchewan, where all
peace officers are honoured, regardless of their
jurisdiction. Is this trivial nit-picking? Not on
your life.
Consider the grim roll call. Six Ontario Corrections
officers have given their lives for their fellow citizens.
So have eight game and conservation officers. So has one
probation officer. Eight federal guards have died in
the line of duty. Add to that tragic toll, one federal
customs officer. All lost their lives trying to keep
the peace in one way or another; all should be
honoured. As the president of the Correctional
Officers Association of Ontario, Rod Hutchinson put it:
"It is the belief of the members of the COAO that
not including the names of the others on the memorial
planned for Queen's Park is a slap in the face of the
peace officers who work for agencies other than the
police."
Hutchinson has it right. We already degrade prison
guards by refusing to reward their contribution to
society on a par with the RCMP. We already make their
lives miserable by building a system around the whims
of criminals whose only contribution is breaking laws
and hearts for their selfish gain.
We put them down further by taking away the very
tools that guarantee their personal safety in the
course of their hopelessly difficult and depressing work.
If we don't include them in the Queen's Park memorial,
it will be a monument to our stunning indifference to
the brave and lonely people who walk the line on
our behalf.
There is more than a faint whiff of McCarthyism in Mike
Harris' attack on unions and the protesters who have been
dogging his campaign. This week he accused Dalton McGuinty
of "cutting a secret deal with the unions." Over and over
again Harris suggests that the unions are behind the
protests and that their real agenda is to take over the
province.
it were a secret deal. That's where the McCarthy tactic
McGuinty has denied the charge but of course he would
ifcomes in. Accuse someone of making secret deals and
their denial is pointless since the deal is secret so
they couldn't possibly admit it. The absurdity of the
charge becomes clear with Ontario Federation of Labour
President Wayne Samuelson's denial. "I have never even
spoken to McGuinty, " he told me, "never said one word
to the guy."
While most journalists reject the secret deal charge,
they are subtly accepting the notion that union-organized
demonstrations are somehow less legitimate. Reports tell
us that protesters were not sent by the unions, as if the
protesters would be less credible if they were from the
unions. Some journalists suggest that if the protests are
organized they are somehow less legitimate. How come being
well-organized gives a political party more legitimacy but
protesters less?
In today's elections where media coverage focuses
almost exclusively on the leaders, demonstrations are
the one of the few ways for people and groups outside
the parties to express their views. Protesting is a way
to raise the issues and in the case of Harris to remind
voters how much chaos his heavy-handed government has
created. The Tories spent millions in pre-election
propaganda trying to get us to forget how
confrontational, ideological and hard line their
government is. The protesters are reminding us.
David Peterson was also dogged by protesters. This
time it is different. Harris' appearances are much more
tightly controlled. You have to be very well-organized to
even find him, let alone get access to him. The protests
are angrier because Harris has excluded so many citizens
and groups from his governing of Ontario. There were no
arrests in the election where Peterson was defeated.
There have never been any arrests during a modern election
campaign in Ontario. Election campaigns are supposed to be
the most democratic moment in the life of our country.
Protests and heckling are part of democracy. That there
have been 12 arrests so far in the Harris election campaign
is a clear sign of his government's intolerance for dissent.
Harris told the Empire Club that he represents the people
of Ontario who are not represented by the protesters. Is
Harris actually admitting that he does not represent union
members, teachers, parents, students, nurses, poor people
or workers at women's shelters, the groups who thus far
protested? Is he admitting that he really represents
the members of the elite Empire Club who have bought
and paid for his support?
The Conservatives raised \\$27.7 million from 1995-1997
compared to \\$10.1 million for the Liberals and $8.8
million for the New Democrats. According to a report on
political financing by York political scientist Robert
MacDermid less than half of one percent of all Ontario
citizens who were eligible to vote gave money to the
Tories in 1995. Their megabucks come from corporations
and rich individuals, just the kind of people who
applauded his tax cuts at the Empire Club.
If there is a deal, and it is not very secret, it is
between the Harris Tories and the corporate elite. They
have been running the province in their own interest for
the last four years. The unions have provided the main
opposition and that's why Harris is out to discredit them.
Canoe May 7th....
Harris wrapped in security blanket
By JEFF HARDER
CNEWS Columnist
SMITHS FALLS, Ont. -- Two days of campaigning and two
arrests. It's a good start.
Out of bounds ... Protester Cathy Crow gets a helping
hand from a hard-hatted man as she was forced away from
the proceedings of a Mike Harris campaign stop in Markham.
(PHOTO, Mike Peake, Toronto Sun)
The Conservatives' Blueprint for re-election should
have included a section on security.
Guarding Premier Mike Harris has become just as
important as selling him during the June 3 election
campaign. At most stops along the way -- Newmarket,
Markham, Vaughan and Ottawa so far -- police and private
security guards outnumber the protesters.
In addition to an OPP unit that is permanently assigned
to Harris, local police and party-hired Pinkertons help
supervise all of the premier's campaign events.
The security has been justified. Although the
demonstrations are small, they are manned by the most
ornery agitators.
On Thursday in Toronto, union boss John Cartwright
was charged with assault with intent to resist arrest.
And later the same day, student James Pratt was charged
with tresspassing after he did a five-second run through
the middle of a Tory fundraiser in Ottawa. He was dressed
in tights and a red cape.
Harris just laughed it off. "I thought streaking was more
effective."
SCALES OUTWEIGH PUBLIC OPINION
The polls had nothing to do with the election call.
Premier Mike Harris said it was all about the scale in
his bathroom. "It said I lost 20 pounds."
As CNEWS readers will know, Harris promised to pull the
plug as soon as he dropped 20 pounds. This is quite
an accomplishment for a guy that spends a big piece of
his life attending fancy dinner parties and high-priced
fundraisers.
Not to be outdone in the new-look department,
Michael Jr., Harris' teenaged son, cut all of the
blonde dye out of his black hair. "It was getting a
little long," he said at Al Palladini's campaign office.
"But I did like it the old way."
The old, two-tone hair was a big hit at the Throne Speech
two weeks ago. Michael Jr.'s hair was far more interesting
that Lt.-Gov. Hilary Weston's speech. It earned him a place
in the Toronto Sun newspaper.
But dad came to his defence, saying the dye job is
"coolest" when it's half grown out.
Of course, we don't know what he said privately.
CANDIDATE RUNS LIKE CLOCKWORK
Wellington MPP Ted Arnott is the hands-down winner for
weakest political resume.
Under the heading MPP Achievements in the 1999 Conservative
candidate guide, Arnott lists the government-subsidized
restoration of the Elora clock. Pricetag: \\$10,000.
Arnott has been an MPP for eight solid years, voted on
countless laws and been part of a government that has made
unprecedented policy changes. But he doesn't want to talk
about that. He wants to tell people he spent eight years
drawing a \\$78,000 salary so he could help fix a broken-down
timepiece in Elora.
This man should be running for dog catcher, not provincial
politics.
EVES OUTSPENDS THE HATED NDP
Ontario's 1999 budget should be renamed the Eves Trough.
It has opened the floodgates of provincial spending to
\\$59.7 billion a year, making Finance Minister Ernie Eves
a bigger spender than his NDP predecessor, Pink Floyd
Laughren.
In fact, it makes Eves the biggest spender in Ontario
history. This, of course, isn't listed under Eves' MPP
Achievements.
The budget was also noteworthy for revealing the first
broken promise of the Harris government. Eves took
a \\$1.6-billion windfall from the sale of Hwy. 407 and
blew it on social programs. This is a blatant violation
of the Common Sense Revolution pledge to apply all
extraordinary gains to deficit and debt reduction.
Broken promises are as natural as arrogance for most
politicians. But these Tories are different. They have
built a reputation on making good in the face of
powerful resistance.
So, Eves deviation shouldn't just be a note to the
financial statements. It should be an embarrassment.
LIBERAL SHOWS HER BLUE COLOURS
Former Liberal MPP Annamarie Castrilli added another
chapter to her bizarre political career by changing
teams this week.
The former Liberal leadership candidate is running for
the Tories in Parkdale-High Park, where, if there is any
justice, she will be whipped by Liberal candidate Gerard
Kennedy.
She is the queen of flip-flops. First, Castrilli said she
would remain true to her Liberal roots even after veteran
Monte Kwinter defeated her in a nomination battle. The
contest wouldn't have been held if she followed her
leader's orders and ran in a neigbouring district. And,
according to the latest public disclosures, Castrilli has
yet to fully repay a \\$50,000 constituency association
loan she used to finance her failed leadership bid.
So, the Tories have recruited a proven loser who doesn't
keep her word or toe the company line. Wow, what a coup.
Jeff Harder's column appears Fridays
(Jeff Harder is Queen's Park Bureau Chief
for the Toronto Sun. He can be reached via e-mail
at jharder@sunpub.com)
April 18, 1999
It's a frame-up: Jail bosses
Fired managers say alleged brutality never happened
By ALAN CAIRNS -- Toronto Sun
LONDON, Ont. -- Former jail bosses, fired and "branded
as criminals" after allegations they had brutalized
youths who trashed and burned the Bluewater youth centre
three years ago, say the charges were fabricated.
Seven managers, with 150 years of service between them,
say they were victimized by youth lies, bungled probes
and a political coverup.
The former Elgin-Middlesex managers, vilified in a child
advocate's report, allege they were politically targeted
by London police and then "sacrificed" by key Ontario
officials to shield Solicitor-General Bob Runciman from
political embarrassment.
Former London police chief Julian Fantino angrily denied
all allegations.
"We were scapegoated and sacrificed on the altar of
greedy careerism, political opportunism and corrupted
process," former superintendent George Simpson said.
"This is a scandal. From the beginning, we asserted
there were no beatings and we brought it to everyone's
attention, including Premier Mike Harris, and they
couldn't have cared less. Only a public inquiry will
fix the terrible damage done to the lives and reputations
of good people."
Rowland Carey, a fired manager who two months ago was
cleared by a London jury of numerous criminal charges,
says "someone, or many people, screwed up and now they're
all protecting themselves."
For different reasons, the child advocate who they
say vilified them supports their call for an inquiry.
Allegations of beatings were first made public in late
May 1996, when Ontario's child and family advocate
Judy Finlay concluded in a report that the managers
used "excessive force," gave "insufficient care" and
degraded and intimidated the youths when they were
transferred to Elgin-Middlesex after the Feb. 29
Bluewater riot.
Finlay's report said youths claimed they were "poked
and struck with batons, bumped off doors, walls, with
loud yelling and name calling."
She said 19 youths told of cut mouths, bloody noses and
black eyes, or bruised and swollen heads. Another 22
reported baton-size bruises to backs, shoulders and ribs.
Six had injured shins, thighs and ankles.
A Sunday Sun investigation has found everyone from nurses
to managers, police, other youths and even a Catholic nun
did not see significant injuries on the youths on either
the night of the admission or in later days.
But relying largely on claims by repeat young offenders,
child advocates and union guards, London police laid 29
criminal charges against seven managers. Of 29 charges,
27 were later withdrawn or dismissed at trial.
The prosecution's two successes came when two managers
pleaded guilty to common assault. The men told The Sun
they were "forced" to deal when they ran out of money.
Speaking for the managers, lawyer Clayton Ruby said a
royal commission is in order.
Ruby said political involvement in the London police probe
was "very inappropriate," and laying 29 charges
shotgun-style is not the way the Criminal Code should
be used.
Simpson acknowledges his staff used verbal intimidation
and a show of force when the "riotous" teens arrived and
were unable to provide them with sufficient clothing and
bedding, but there were no assaults.
He said both Finlay and a subsequent government
investigation neglected to note severe limitations
imposed by a bitter OPSEU strike and the "inadequate
and unworkable" Essential Service Agreement negotiated
by bureaucrats without input from jail managers.
Finlay said the youths should never have been taken to
Elgin-Middlesex in the first place and then treated as
adult offenders after that, strike or no strike.
She said she is "absolutely concerned" about the fired
managers, and it was "unfortunate" they were
"villainized" when the situation could have been
remedied within days of the alleged assaults. Finlay
said she asked officials to find another institution
for the youths, but "nothing was done."
She said it was because of this bureaucratic inaction
that she wrote such a strong report.
She defended the report, however, saying her team saw
injuries and bruises that teens said were from beatings.
She said all young offenders should be put in facilities
designated specifically for youths.
Since the Young Offenders Act was introduced in 1985,
Ontario jails have kept youths in separate wings.
.............................................................
Toronto Star.....18/4/99
Human rights blemish
Despite the best efforts of Premier Mike Harris to
sidestep the issue, the shooting of Dudley George by
provincial police at Ipperwash Provincial Park in 1995
continues to dog his government.
So it should.
Queen's Park has steadfastly refused to confront the
many troubling questions around the shooting; namely
who gave the orders to use force on aboriginal protesters
who had occupied the park.
Harris himself has rebuffed the repeated calls of George's
relatives and their supporters for an inquiry into his
death.
Now a United Nations committee on human rights has
added its voice to those demanding a public probe. The
committee has called for an inquiry into all aspects
of the shooting, "including the role and responsibility
of public officials."
The committee also declared that the plight of aboriginal
people remains "the most pressing problem facing
Canadians." It said there are many worrying issues
about Canada's treatment of aboriginal peoples,
including poverty and discrimination.
When an unarmed Indian is shot dead by police and a
government stands in the way of answers, something is
profoundly wrong.
The Harris government cannot continue to duck its
responsibility.
An inquiry should have been ordered immediately after
the shooting. It should be ordered now.
The family deserves an explanation. The public deserves
the
whole truth.
What has more hyperbole, rhetoric and spin-doctoring
than an election campaign? Perhaps nothing, but for
Ontario Progressive Conservatives and Liberals, the weeks
leading up to the election call have to be a close second.
To some extent, this pre-campaign electioneering is
to be expected, but do you ever feel as if the
politicians and their advisers are insulting your
intelligence? Consider: In the last month, the governing
Tories have been flush with good news announcements,
including money to hire new nurses, money for
verloaded emergency wards and expanded cancer
treatment facilities and \\$54 million to help house
Ontario's homeless. This week, the province announced
that it will give municipalities \\$300-million-a-year
toward the \\$600-million annual cost of providing
ambulances, local officers of health and public-health
nurses. Under reforms initiated by the same Tories
two years ago, cities and towns were to have paid
the full \\$600 million themselves.
This extra money for Ontario's 800 municipalities is a
complete reversal of earlier ironclad policy requiring
municipalities to pay for services formerly provided
by the province.
So, what's not to like? Yes, this is all linked to
the looming election, but if the end result benefits
Ontarians, who cares? What is annoying, though, is the
fact that Tories, from backbench MPPs to ministers
and the premier himself, continue to insist -- with
straight faces, no less -- that all this isn't about
greasing the campaign skids in preparation for the
coming race. All this spending and these policy reversals
are good government, and the fact they come weeks before
an election call is just coincidence. Right.
The Tories aren't the only ones playing us for suckers.
In their own way, Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty and
his advisers are doing the same thing, and it's equally
transparent. Early this week, the leader of the Ontario
Liberals produced another piece of his pre-election
platform, pledging, if elected, to cut tuition
fees by 10 per cent and to loosen eligibility
restrictions on student assistance, a promise
worth \\$155 million. Days later, he promised arts
and culture in Ontario would get \\$7 million in new
funding if the Liberals are elected. A Liberal
government would develop policies to protect and
nurture the arts and overhaul the Ontario Heritage
and would also restore \\$2 million in funding for
museum and heritage programs, he said. So far,
so good. You may like where McGuinty's headed or
not, but at least he's offering a clear alternative.
There's just one problem. The Liberal leader won't
say where he'll get the money for his programs,
which carry a \\$2 billion pricetag, according to
NDP leader Howard Hampton. McGuinty has hinted
he'll tap the government surplus to pay for
his ideas, but he neglects to mention that
the surplus doesn't exist, yet, and even when
the deficit is eliminated, the ballooning
provincial debt remains a serious problem.
Liberal strategists may think they're being smart
by refusing to say how they'll pay for their promises.
They're not. Ontarians are skeptical of politics at
the best of times, and this is precisely the sort of
thing that could easily backfire and hurt the
Liberals election chances.
Speaking of Hampton and the NDP, credit should go
where it's due. Sitting at an abysmal 14 per cent
in the polls, the NDP are the only ones who have
clearly outlined their platform and said how they'd
pay for it. We may not like their plan, but at least
they're being forthright about it.
The Conservatives and Liberals should follow suit.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 8, 1999
From the OPSEU Webpage
Mixed emotions for Correctional Officers at
public mega-jail sod-turning
LINDSAY – Today’s sod-turning at the future site
of the provincial mega-jail in Lindsay will be a
subdued celebration for Ontario correctional workers
in the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.
"Correctional staff campaigned for two years to make
this a publicly-run, publicly accountable facility,
instead of an American-style prison-for-profit," said
Larry Cripps, a Correctional Officer at the Lindsay
Jail and president of OPSEU Local 309. "We’re proud
of that. It means that the 350 jobs that come to
Lindsay will be union jobs, with union wages that
will make a real contribution to the economy of
our community.
"We’re hoping that (local MPP) Chris Hodgson
and (Solicitor-General) Bob Runciman will re-confirm
today that the institution will in fact be publicly-run.
"What we’re not happy about is the price correctional
staff will pay for this facility," said Cripps.
"Correctional Officers work in a high-stress,
emotionally-charged, dangerous environment.
That’s why we have an average life expectancy
of 58 years.
"With 1,200 prisoners, the mega-jail can only
be more stressful," he said.
Cripps expressed disappointment that the Ontario
government had refused union demands for early
retirement for all provincial employees.
"Bob Runciman got an \\$800,000 payout when the
Tories changed MPPs’ pensions in 1997, which is
good for about \\$65,000 a year any time he wants to take it," Cripps said. "He gets early retirement, Correctional Officers get early death. It’s not right."
For more information:
Larry Cripps (705) 793-3814
ISN'T IT STRANGE??
This webmaster finds it strange that all of the gravy seems
to be going to key ridings - is it just a coincidence?
MPP Hodgson gets the Lindsay MegaJail
MPP Runciman gets a brand new facility
You really have to hand it to these guys - Ontario Voters
will have a lot to remember come this next election
Guard, Screw, Turnkey, Officer.......we're called all these
things
What would the average citizen say if it were proposed
that police officer be assigned to a neighborhood
which was inhabited by no one but criminals and those
officers would be unarmed, patrol on foot and be heavily
outnumbered? I wager that the overwhelming public response
would be that the officers would have to be crazy to
accept such an assignment. However, as you read this,
such a scenario is being played out in all areas of
the country.
I am a New York State correction officer, not a guard,
who is a person that catches school crossings. I work
in a maximum security correctional facility. I am
empowered by the State of New York to enforce its
penal laws and the rules and regulations of the
Department of Correctional Services. In short,
I am a policeman. my beat is totally inhabited by
convicted felons, who, by definition, are people
who tend to break laws, rules and regulations.
I am outnumbered by as much as 20, 30 and even
40 to 1 at various times during my workday, and
contrary to popular belief, I work without a
sidearm. in short, my neck is on the line every
minute of every day.
A correctional facility is a very misunderstood
environment. The average person has little knowledge
of its workings. Society sends its criminals to
correctional facilities and as time passes, each
criminal's crime fades from our memory until the
collective prison population becomes a vision of
hordes of bad people being warehoused away from decent
society in a place where they can cause no further
harm. There is also the notion that prison inmates cease
to be a problem when they are incarcerated.
Correctional facilities are full of violence
perpetrated by the prison population against each other
and the facility staff. Felonies are committed
daily but they are called "unusual incidents"
are rarely results in public prosecution. Discipline
is handled internally and, as a rule, the public is
never informed of these crimes. In the course of
maintaining order in these facilities, many officers
have endured the humiliation of being spit upon and
having urine and feces thrown at them. Uncounted
correction officers have been punched and kicked,
bitten, stabbed and slashed with homemade weapons,
taken hostage and even murdered in the line of duty,
all the while being legally mandated to maintain
their professional composure and refraining from
any retaliation which could be the basis for
dismissal from service.
In addition to these obvious dangers, corrections
officers face hidden dangers in the form of AIDS,
tuberculosis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Courts are
now imposing longer sentences and the prison population
is increasing far beyond the system's designed capacity.
As the Public demands more police on the street,
governments everywhere are cuffing police in
prisons where violence reigns supreme, jeopardizing
all those still working behind prison walls.
Although you will never see me on "RESCUE 911" or
"TOP COPS" I am a law enforcement professional.
I am THE FORGOTTEN COP, hidden from public view,
doing dangerous thankless duty on the world's most
dangerous beat, hoping someday to received the
respect of and approval from the public whom I
silently serve.
Another Tribute to the Men and Women of Corrections
Worldwide
A Poem dedicated to Correction Officers
This poem is dedicated to the forgotten ones, the
correctional officers. I would like to commend these
courageous men and women for doing a helluva job of
maintaining safety and security in the jails and
prisons/ as correctional officers, we know how
difficult a task it is to perform our daily duties;
Now I would like to let everyone else know.
Just as the men and women in blue attend roll call
before their tour of duty, so do we, but instead
of being armed with pistols, we are armed with whistles.
Just as the men and women in blue, we too do not
know if we will greet our loved ones at the end of the day.
It takes a correctional officer to deal with society's
undesirables, the overcrowding of prisons, the
thanklessness of the public and to efficiently carry
out the duties of a job that so many criticize and so
little want.
During our tour of duty not only are we correctional
officers we are also; police officers, firepersons,
suicide watch, coroners, nurses, counselors, computer
operators, mailpersons, newspaper delivery persons,
the united parcel service, and more......
And with all of this in mind at the beginning of
our tour...
We will stand tall beneath our hats.
With pride we wear our shields.
And with unity, integrity, and professionalism,
Like soldiers we march side by side into our unpredictable
institutions both
Bonafide and qualified to handle any situation that
may erupt.
So please, do not call us "prison guards"
Acknowledge us as professionals
And address us as Correctional Officers.
Latanya Long
Correctional Officer
Philadelphia Prison System
Another Corrections System where its
staff are appreciated
Department of Correctional Services -
Glenn S. Goord, Commissioner
Correctional Services honors employees; cites their
bravery, Governor’s assistance
Commissioner Glenn S. Goord today presented the
Department’s awards for valor to seven employees
during an annual ceremony held at the DOCS’ Training
Academy in Albany. Most of the actions leading to the
awards occurred during a riot last year at Mohawk
Correctional Facility.
The Department’s highest award, the Medal of Honor,
is presented to "an employee whose actions, in the
line of duty, evidence an extraordinary degree of
courage, bravery or heroism." The 1998 Medal of Honor
recipients are Mohawk Correction Officer Douglas A.
Christman, Clinton Correction Officer Larry L. Collins
and Mohawk Correction Sergeant Ernest E. Stevens.
The Medal of Merit is presented to "an employee for
extraordinary performance in the line of duty or for
an exceptional contribution to the Department." The
1998 Medal of Merit recipients are Mohawk Correction
Officers Bradley E. Bliss, Joseph F. Griffith and
Stephen T. Kline, and the Rev. Carl Stiglich, a Protestant
chaplain at Ulster Correctional Facility.
Commissioner Goord said, "These brave correction employees
have earned the gratitude and admiration of all New Yorkers. We honor them today as examples of the professionalism, dedication and bravery of our 32,000 correction employees. They can truly be called heroes."
Governor George E. Pataki last year became the first
Governor to ever attend the 15-year-old awards ceremony.
Because his schedule did not allow him to attend today’s
ceremony, Governor Pataki sent the honorees a letter,
stating that "It is a pleasure to join with your colleagues,
families and friends in commending you for your notable
actions" that have earned them the awards. The Governor
continued, "I am also proud of our Administration’s
initiatives that have advanced your efforts, including
the largest maximum-security expansion program in 70
years, enactment of the death penalty, criminalizing the
vile acts of ‘inmate throwers,’ increasing security
staffing and fill levels and eliminating parole for
violent offenders as well as barring these individuals
from participating in a work release program."
Governor Pataki noted in his letter that "Several of
today’s
honorees are being recognized for their selflessness
and heroism during the July 18-19, 1997, riot at the
Mohawk Correctional Facility. The Inmate Prosecution Task
Force that our Administration created in 1995 was
instrumental in bringing additional charges against
inmates who were participants in that unnecessary and
senseless display of violence."
At the time of the incident, the prison system had
69,697 inmates but only 20,281 cells. All other inmates
were housed in barracks or dormitory-style units. Since
then, under the Governor’s prison expansion plans, nine
100-cell double-occupancy maximum-security units have
been added at existing medium-security prisons. A 750-cell,
double-occupancy maximum-security prison is under
construction in Malone and opens in July 1999. A
second such prison is in the planning stages. That
will add 4,800 beds in cells by 2001, a 24 percent
increase.
"These additional cells," Commissioner Goord explained,
"give us the space to house inmates who attack staff
and break other prison rules. It also allows us to
transfer to these new cells inmates who are now locked
up in general confinement cells in maximum-security
prisons. That frees up ‘max beds’ so we can increase
our intake from the counties, who are holding record
numbers of felons awaiting transfer to state custody.
Thus, the counties are receiving relief by the state
opening new cells." The Commissioner noted the five-year
average number of felons backed up in county jails
is 1,450, but there are 2,400 today.
Commissioner Goord said, "The Governor’s commitment to
increased cell capacity is especially important in
light of his Sentencing Reform Act of 1995 and 1998’s
Jenna’s Law, which together mandate that all violent
offenders get longer maximum sentences and then serve
at least 6/7ths of them — rather than the old law,
which allowed their release after only as little as
one-third of their maximum sentences. They will be
staying longer. We need more cells to house them
and to reduce current pressure on the system."
To help secure the work place even further, Governor
Pataki created the Inmate Prosecution Task Force in April
1995 to commit state resources to assisting counties in
bringing charges against inmates who commit crimes while
in prison. The task force assisted the Oneida County
District Attorney’s office in gaining convictions against
11 inmates involved in the Mohawk riot, adding 65 years
to their prison sentences.
In 1996, Governor Pataki provided employees with further
protection when he signed into law a bill that made it
a felony for inmates to throw human waste and fluids at
prison employees. In the five-year period prior to
enactment of this statute, there was an average of
134 such incidents each year. There have
been 54 incidents through the first nine months
of this year. Among the first 17 inmates convicted
under the new law, the average additional sentence
handed down was three years. One other inmate received
an additional 15 years to life when he was sentenced
as a persistent felon. There are 161 additional cases
pending.
"Governor Pataki’s criminal justice initiatives have
contributed to a 23 percent decrease in crime on our
streets over the past three years," Commissioner Goord
noted. "That makes all New Yorkers safer. At the same
time, Governor Pataki remains committed to the safety
and security of our employees charged with the custody
of the offenders that his initiatives take off of our
streets. His construction program and program
initiatives are testimony to his commitment to all
our employees, whom he also honors by proclaiming
this as Correctional Services Employee Week."
Commissioner Goord said, "Each day of the year,
correctional employees go inside of prisons to perform
the most difficult tasks that the state asks of any of
its employees. And every day, they are equal to that
challenge. It is only appropriate that we take time each
year to recognize and encourage the commitment, esprit
de corps and selflessness of our work force, which are
typified by this year’s honorees."
Since the Department’s awards program was instituted in
1984 and including today’s ceremony, a total of 100 awards
have been presented. The Medal of Honor has been presented
to 32 employees, including 25 Correction Officers, three
Sergeants and four civilian employees. The Medal of Merit
has now been presented to 68 employees, including 48
Correction Officers, four Sergeants, three Lieutenants
and 13 civilians.
Attached are copies of the citations listing the action for
which each recipient is being honored as well as a sheet
listing biographical material on each recipient. Also
attached are a copy of the Governor’s proclamation and
his letter.
The Medal of Honor is presented "to an employee whose
actions, in the line of duty, evidence an extraordinary
degree of courage, bravery or heroism." The medal is
gold-colored metal, circular, approximately 1_" in
diameter and is suspended from a gold ribbon with two
vertical blue stripes. The obverse side displays a raised
state seal and "New York State Correctional Services,"
while the reverse is engraved with the recipient’s name
and the date the medal was presented. In addition,
uniformed employees receive a service ribbon, for
wear with Class A uniforms, that is approximately
1_" by _" having a gold field with two vertical blue
stripes. Civilian employees receive, in addition to
the medal, a lapel pin approximately ¼" by ¾" having
a gold field with two vertical blue stripes.
Mohawk Correction Officer Douglas A. Christman:
On July 18, 1997, rioting inmates at the Mohawk
Correctional Facility broke out of the west yard.
They began to converge on the east yard. You were on
post in the east yard. You were fully aware that staff
had been injured, and that 150-200 inmates were heading
toward your area. You could have sought personal safety
near the fence. Instead, you located the part-time
civilian Recreation Worker, and advised him to stay
with you for his protection.
As the rioting inmates came into the yard, you were
punched in the face and knocked to the ground. In spite
of a bloody broken nose, you got up and again told the
Recreation Worker to stay behind you for protection.
Perimeter staff then deployed chemical agents that
allowed you to escort the Recreation Worker to
safety. Throughout this crisis, and despite personal
injury, you exhibited valor and courage in the
performance of your duties.
Commissioner Goord, I am proud to present Officer Douglas
Christman to receive the Medal of Honor.
Clinton Correction Officer Larry L. Collins:
On September 17, 1997, you were the first Officer
responding to an incident in H-Block, where an inmate
was assaulting an Officer. Upon your arrival, the inmate
was repeatedly stabbing Officer Luke Fessette with a
homemade weapon. You immediately confronted the inmate,
backing him away from the injured Officer.
The inmate was still brandishing the weapon
when you pushed Officer Fessette in the direction
of additional responding Officers. You continued
to confront the inmate while the injured Officer
was removed from the area for medical treatment.
You exhibited extraordinary courage in the performance of
your duties. Your immediate actions before the arrival
of additional staff were instrumental in saving the
life of Officer Fessette.
Commissioner Goord, I am proud to present Officer
Larry Collins to receive the Medal of Honor.
Mohawk Correction Sergeant Ernest Stevens:
You assumed a critical leadership role in responding
to the inmate disturbance of July 18-19, 1997. You came
to the assistance of Officer Torres and Officer Rounds
who had been injured during the first stages of the
disturbance. You were one of the first to come to
the aid of Lieutenant Prusko after he was assaulted
by inmates wielding baseball bats. Along with others,
you helped the injured Lieutenant to escape from the
mob of inmates surrounding him, and removed him to
the relative safety of 73 F Dorm. You were struck
with a bat and punched in the face while helping
rescue Lieutenant Prusko. Despite these injuries,
you continued on with your tireless efforts to
control the situation.
You then directed the defense of Building 54, where
staff were under assault from rioting inmates. You
and other employees were able to force the inmates to
retreat back into the East Yard.
You then went on to remove some 64 inmates – who
did not want to participate in the riot – from the
scene, by securing them in the Counseling Unit of
Building 54.
Your efforts on this evening are nothing short of heroic.
In the face of overwhelming odds, you persevered, and
contributed greatly to regaining control of the facility.
Commissioner Goord, I am proud to present Sergeant
Ernest Stevens to receive the Medal of Honor.
The Department’s Medal of Merit is presented
"to an employee for extraordinary performance in
the line of duty or for an exceptional contribution
to the Department." The medal is gold-colored metal,
circular, approximately 1_" in diameter, and is
suspended from a blue ribbon with two vertical gold
stripes. The obverse side displays a raised state
seal and "New York State Correctional Services,"
while the reverse is engraved with the recipient’s
name and the date the medal was presented.
In addition, uniformed employees receive a service
ribbon approximately 1_" by _" having a blue field
with two vertical gold stripes for wear with Class
A uniforms. Civilian employees receive, in addition
to the medal, a lapel pin approximately ¼" by ¾"
having a blue field with two vertical gold stripes.
Mohawk Correction Officer Bradley Bliss:
On July 18, 1997, rioting inmates at Mohawk Correctional
Facility rounded Building 73 and came upon and assaulted
Correction Officer Richard Torres. You immediately came
to the aid of Officer Torres, and fought off the inmate
attackers. Despite suffering injuries yourself, you
assisted Officer Torres to safety, preventing any
further injury to him.
You then responded to the east yard, where rioting
inmates had barricaded themselves. You made effective
use of chemical agents to separate rioting inmates from
three Mohawk staff members who were trapped in the east
yard. Your fast action allowed these employees to escape
safely from this potentially life-threatening situation.
Despite being injured, and being exposed to chemical
agents, you remained on duty, demonstrating courage and
professionalism under adverse conditions.
Commissioner Goord, I am proud to present Officer
Bradley Bliss to receive the Medal of Merit.
Mohawk Correction Officer Joseph Griffith:
On July 18, 1997 at 7:09 PM, you and Correction Officer
Stephen Kline took decisive action at great risk to
yourselves. You came to the aid of your fallen comrade,
Lieutenant Prusko, after he had been viciously
attacked from behind and struck in the head with a
baseball bat. He lay bleeding and helpless, in the
midst of a crowd of rioting inmates, who continued
to taunt, kick and strike him. Along with Sergeant
Stevens, the three of you managed to move the injured
Lieutenant to a safer location, inside of Building
73 F Dorm. You administered basic first aid until
the Lieutenant could be removed and receive
appropriate medical attention.
You remained on duty on the outside perimeter of
east yard. You used your shotgun to fire warning
shots which helped contain rioting inmates who
were trying to get to staff trapped in the east
yard area.
You demonstrated valor and dedication to your fellow
Officers throughout the entire incident.
Commissioner Goord, I am proud to present Officer
Joseph Griffith to receive the Medal of Merit.
Mohawk Correction Officer Stephen Kline:
On July 18, 1997 at 7:09 PM, you and Correction Officer
Joseph Griffith took decisive action at great risk
to yourselves. You came to the aid of your fallen
comrade, Lieutenant Prusko, after he had been viciously
attacked from behind and struck in the head with a
baseball bat. He lay bleeding and helpless, in the
midst of a crowd of rioting inmates, who continued to
taunt, kick and strike him. Along with Sergeant
Stevens, the three of you managed to move the
injured Lieutenant to a safer location, inside
of Building 73 F Dorm. You administered basic
first aid until the Lieutenant could be removed
and receive appropriate medical attention.
Your courage in the face of rioting inmates is
testimony to your commitment to your fellow Officers.
Commissioner Goord, I am proud to present Officer
Stephen Kline to receive the Medal of Merit.
Ulster Chaplain Rev. Carl Stiglich:
On October 1, 1997, you left a Chaplains’ meeting at the
Thornfield Conference Center in Cazenovia to meet a
friend for dinner. As you walked to your car, you
heard cries for help from nearby Cazenovia Lake.
A boater had apparently fallen overboard without a
life jacket, and was dangerously close to drowning
in the frigid waters.
You ran to the lake and quickly shed your shoes,
jacket and tie. You located a 6-foot board and jumped
into the lake. You swam approximately 100 yards before
reaching the victim who immediately grabbed the board.
You then started swimming back toward shore, dragging
the board with the victim hanging on to it, encouraging
the victim to keep kicking.
By this time, the Center's cook, who also happens
to be the chief of the local fire department, managed
to drag a canoe to the water. He paddled out to you
and the boater. You and the boater hung onto the
outside of the canoe as the chief paddled back to
shore. The boater was taken to a nearby hospital
where he was treated for hypothermia and released.
Due to your quick actions and courage, a life was saved.
Commissioner Goord, I am proud to present the Rev.
Carl Stiglich to receive the medal of merit.
WE APPLAUD OUR FELLOW OFFICERS
Officers here in Ontario are up against another type
of government. Unlike the State of New York where correctional
officers are praised for their worth, the Ontario Government under Premier
Mike Harris treats us as second class citizens.
We hope under the next government our worth will be
elevated to that of our Provincial Police
Force - The OPP.
Local News
Thursday Feb 4th, Whitby Ontario.....prisoners in the local jail
had a riot and destroyed a large section of the jail.....one guard
was
injured.......prisoners were rioting over the fact that they were not
allowed to
smoke in this jail......The Ontario Government is slowly introducing
a NO-SMOKING POLICY into its jail system.........further riots expected.
.........
Rioting inmates finally surrendered after being given a carton
of cigarettes.........
Hmmmmmmm....
Subsequent to the above riot the local jail in Whitby has issued
batons,
bullet-proof vests and helmets to all staff on duty.
This is a major breakthrough as subsequent to this, Ontario's
jail guards carried no weapons during their tour of duty!
This was due to a work-refusal by Whitby Jail staff after the riot
and
no action taken to tighten security
TORONTO - Thursday's riot at the Whitby Jail could have been
prevented had the jail administration only listened to its staff,
said OPSEU President Leah Casselman.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union, which represents
provincial correctional officers, said the union's health and
safety committee had raised concerns about losing control of
the jail at a meeting the day before.
"Our members told the administration that the situation was
dangerous and inmates were in a volatile mood. In recent weeks,
inmates have assaulted staff on at least two occasions with minimal
repercussions," she said.
"Tragically, the administration's response to the uprising just
increases the danger to our members. The riot was not generated
by the smoking ban at the Whitby jail, but the decision to give
cigarettes to inmates sends a pretty clear message to anyone held
in a non-smoking institution: Riot and you'll get your smokes.
"As a direct result, the Sault Ste. Marie jail had to call in
extra staff on Friday to ensure the population there didn't get
out of control," Casselman said.
"What happened in Whitby yesterday is just plain unacceptable.
It is pure blind luck that nobody suffered serious injuries,"
she said.
Casselman listed a series of things which contributed to the
situation:
The disturbance began at 7:30 a.m., but the administration
waited an hour before calling in police and extra staff
reinforcements. This gave inmates time to arm themselves and
get organized.
There are no Institutional Crisis Intervention Teams (ICITs)
in the Greater Toronto Area. Ten years ago, Whitby had its own
ICIT, which won provincial championships. It was eliminated to
save money. Help had to be called in from Millbrook and Maplehurst,
adding to the delay.
Staff training in use of batons and aerosols has been dropped to
save money, so the jail couldn't distribute what little control
equipment it had on premises.
Inmates who have been unruly have only had their fingers rapped.
The jail houses high-risk inmates (murderers and bank robbers) who
have little to lose by acting up.
No inmates were charged following two previous riots in the jail,
giving the message that there will be no penalty for violent behaviour.
Front line supervisors with the training to deal with this kind of
situation, are over-ruled by their superiors.
Staffing levels at the jail are below the "red line" - the number
needed to operate safely.
"It's a combination of ill-advised penny-pinching and bad management,
and every single one of those items has been discussed at our health
and safety meetings," Casselman said.
She suggested that the training in control equipment had been dropped
as a way of downgrading the responsibilities of Correctional Officers,
so they could be paid less under a re-evaluation system under way
across the public service.
"These skills aren't needed daily, but when they are needed they are
needed instantly."
Casselman called on the ministry and its administrators to do a little
soul-searching over the weekend.
"They got an expensive message at Whitby on Thursday. They are lucky
it was written in dollars, not in blood. What I want them to do now is
talk to us and correct everything that went wrong there, so it
doesn't happen again."
........more disturbances expected in Ontario Jails..........
A. Managers are not listening to their Health and Safety Committees
B. Doesn't it seem strange that Toronto has no ICIT teams?
C. Rioting inmates not charged by the court system is an open
invitation to further disturbances!
Monday Feb 8th, Thorold Ontario......another prisoner
disturbance in a provincial institution. This time a larger
institution
is involved......no word yet officially on the reason for the
disturbance......unofficially, nineteen inmates have been identified
as being involved. The Niagara Detention Centre is not a "NO SMOKING"
institution as yet, so denial of cigarettes isn't expected as
the reason for the riot.
............more riots expected......
Newspaper Followup..Feb 9th
Power blackout ignites rampage
Jason Brown and Grant Lafleche -
The Standard
Officials at Niagara Detention Centre are looking into why their
emergency generator failed during a blackout Monday night that sparked
a prison riot.
No one was injured in the two-hour power outage that darkened most of
south Thorold when a transformer blew at a nearby intersection,
although prisoners in the maximum security wing smashed tables and
broke glass in their common area.
"They took advantage of the blackout and went on a rampage," said
Norman Jones, the detention centre's superintendent.
Compounding the situation, the jail's backup diesel generator
stopped working five minutes after it was turned on, leaving guards
trying to keep control of the centre's 200 inmates in complete
darkness.
"It was tested 11 days ago with no problem," Jones said. "We'll be
having a look at what happened."
Niagara Regional Police received a call from the jail for
assistance around 6 p.m. Monday, almost immediately after the
lights went out.
As the violence escalated within the walls, dozens of NRP cruisers
surrounded the detention centre to ensure none of the prisoners got
out.
The Thorold fire department, the St. Catharines fire department,
as well as ambulance services, had several vehicles on the scene
in case they were needed.
"We provided some light, but it was more of a standby for us," said
Thorold firefighter Gary Coplen. He said prison guards were able to
put out all the fires that were started.
Prisoners became antsy in the darkness in other parts of the centre
and small fires and fights broke out in the minimum security wing.
Bill Craig, 32, serving eight months for a domestic assault, said
when the lights first went out, most inmates thought someone had
accidentally hit the light switch.
"We thought is was a trainee trying to work a phone line," he said
in a telephone interview while the riot was going on. "But after a
while, well, people started to get intense."
Craig, who lives with 25 other inmates in a medium security dorm,
said no one would tell the inmates what was happening.
To make matters worse, with the power off, the air stopped flowing
through the prison.
"There are no windows to the outside so all the air in here is
pumped in," he said. "There is no air circulation. It is getting
hot and sweaty and guys are starting to lose their tempers."
At one point, Craig put down the phone to hear a guard tell the
inmates not to light candles or cigarettes because the flame would
eat up their oxygen supply.
"I just don't know what is going on, but the guards don't react
like this unless something is going on," he said as he watched
guards scramble down the hall to the maximum security wing with
fire hoses and extinguishers.
"They have gone to code blue and that means a fight or a fire,"
he said.
Craig said the inmates began to get nervous with the lights out
because they could no longer see who was around them.
"If there are guys who aren't getting along, there is going to be
trouble," Craig said.
Throughout the incident, NRP officers, including members of the
emergency task unit and the canine units that were on the scene,
never entered the building.
Police public affairs officer Sergeant Marty Kalagian said they
were on the scene to ensure the security of the centre's perimeter.
Kalagian said Correctional Services has a special armed "entry
team," the Institutional Crises Intervention Team, that handles
situations like these. He pointed out the NRP has trained for exactly
this type of situation and quickly surrounded the detention centre
without a problem.
The Correction Services unit arrived from Hamilton some time after
8 p.m. after power had been restored by hydro crews and the inmates
had returned to their cells.
According to Jones, the Intervention Team removed 19 prisoners from
the No. 1 maximum security wing where the rampage began and
transported them to various other detention centres around Hamilton
and Toronto.
The NRP is investigating whether any charges will be laid
......Further Disturbances Expected............
Inmates in Ontario's Jails are well aware of where Premier Harris
is going with respect his warehousing of inmates in MegaJails
...MORE RIOTS ANTICIPATED THROUGHOUT ONTARIO...
Newspaper Article dated Feb 6th....."Don Jail is ready to blow"
.....prisoners at the Don Jail are on the verge of a riot that
will dwarf Thursday's rampage at The Whitby Jail......Gerry Bourgeois,
local president of the guard's union said,"The officers in the jail are barely
keeping the lid on." He blamed overcrowding and the number of psychotic
inmates for the increase in volatitlty.
.......further rioting expected.....
March 17/99.....crisis negociator brought into the Hamilton
Wentworth Detention Centre after a range of general population
inmates barricaded themselves and started to tear up their
living area. Impending strike by jail guards
was the reason.
......further rioting expected....
This is just the beginning of what Ontario inmates are
capable of if the Harris Government does not bring back
stability to this Ministry. Someone out there better tell Mike
about this website and our solution - he wont acknowledge
my e-mail!
And now an article from a local newspaper about prison guards - not
Ontario jail guards, our brother guards working in the Federal system.
Their plight is shared by us with regard this article....
February 7, 1999.....
Prisoners at the trough
By MICHAEL HARRIS,
Ottawa Bureau
OTTAWA -- Don't get me wrong.
A guy's got to do what a guy's got to do. If that means flying in
your horse to make the days pass more agreeably inside, hey, ride
'em cowboy -- even if you are a first-degree murderer serving life
for offing the ex-wife.
Actually, Colin Thatcher's reunion with his quarterhorse goes very
nicely with the other harsh measures Correctional Services Canada
has designed to bring about his rehabilitation. Like the nice
little bungalow, the cable TV, and the prison golf course for
those days when a cow-puncher needs to give the saddle sores
time to heal.
But while Colin rides the ranges on the Circle M (for murder)
Ranch, overseeing his 100 head of cattle, the men and women who
guard such fine, upstanding felons aren't having nearly as much
fun. In fact, their life sucks.
Their boss, the solicitor general, has exhausted his supply of
the milk of human kindness on the bad guys. So much so that prison
guards in this country haven't had a pay raise since 1990. While cons like Thatcher mount up and ride off into the sunset, guards have been trying to make do with an income that has remained static. Not much fun, when during the same period, the cost of living has risen 14%.
Nor is it much reason for immersing one's self in a cesspool
every day to protect a largely unappreciative public that depends
on the drivel of the Left for their idea of what prisons are really
like.
Foul smell
Guards not only have to deal with the dregs of humanity each and
every working day, they have to do it with a management team bent
on turning our prison system into a dude ranch for the murderers,
rapists and drug dealers who wind up there.
Even Paul Bernardo, that scum-bag of scum-bags, gets more
consideration than your average guard -- midnight visits from
lady friends with a screw loose, (midnight, yes, so the media
won't get wind of his antics and damn the overtime) and phone
calls to a series of doctors in the United States. Is that foul
smell in the air the beginnings of some tortured, medical appeal
of his sentence? For the sake of my friend, Debbie Mahaffy, I hope
not.
No matter. The guards, as I said, continue to get screwed.
Betrayed by their employer, they have also been let down by their
union. The best Darryl Bean could do for them was a pathetic 2%
raise. Colonel Sanders' finest would pass on such chicken feed.
Bean's accomplishment was so underwhelming that a few of the
brothers gave him a few ringing smacks up alongside the head.
With \\$11 million in their strike fund, I guess they expected
more of their negotiator than a deal that would leave a smile on
the face of Treasury Board six inches high and a mile wide.
No wonder the rank and file think Bean is on his way to the
other side of the table when his term expires.
What the guards want, and richly deserve, is pay equity with
the RCMP. Once upon a time they had it. But the gulf between
these two vital public service groups has become a national
embarrassment. A first-class RCMP constable can make more than
a senior prison guard after just two years of service. In fact,
it takes prison guards eight years to work their way up to the
maximum of \\$43,000 a year.
Internal struggle
That's not much compensation for the tight-rope we ask these
people to walk on our behalf each and every day. Example: There
are now more than 30 gangs operating within and outside of our
prisons. That means on any given day, a prison guard, or his or
her family, could face lethal reprisals for anything that happens
inside.
As one former guard put it:
"We had a guy inside who actually ran the institution at Collins
Bay. An Asian gang tried to muscle in on his drug trade and he
didn't like it. So one of the Asians ended up killed in the Yard
at Christmas time. Not long after, the inmate's brother got into
his car one day and has never been seen since. These gangs can
even the score in a heartbeat. It keeps you awake at night."
The failure of the Public Service Alliance to come through for
its prison guards has touched off an internal labour struggle
that may yet make the news.
Sources say Quebec prison guards may soon break away to form
their own union, once they get the required numbers to demand
decertification. If that happens, it will be open season on PSAC
and the country could see its labour map redrawn.
But the real story is the smoking volcano of Canada's penal
system. Last week there was a murder at Kingston. The natives
are restless. They will get more restless when no-smoking
regulations come into force.
The Whitby Jail has already had its riot. When the call for
the cavalry goes out, who will answer?
Colin Thatcher? At least he's got a horse.
Trouble Brewing in the Federal Prison System
Prison Guards not happy with Union
PRISON GUARDS MAY LOCK OUT THEIR OWN UNION
IN BID TO PLAY TOUGH WITH OTTAWA
Canada's prison guards have declared war on their own union and are threatening to join another, more militant group in a move that sets the stage for a unique labour dispute.
The federal prison guards have demanded wage parity with the RCMP since 1977.
They blame the complacency of the giant Public Service Alliance of Canada for failing to stand up to the federal government to narrow the widening wage gap.
Today, PSAC and federal negotiators head into conciliation hearings in a final attempt to settle the first contract for the 4,500 guards in a decade.
At the heart of the impasse is pay, but guards also have grievances over hours of work, overtime, and training.
Hanging over those talks is a nationwide organizing drive to dump PSAC and replace it with a new union affiliated with the powerful and militant La Confederation des Syndicats Nationaux, based in Quebec.
Marc Langlois, a guard at Drummond Institution and one of the key organizers, refused to say how many guards have signed cards with the new Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, but said it will easily get the 51% majority needed to apply for certification.
It poses a labour nightmare for the federal government. If no deal is reached at conciliation, the government could be facing a new militant union that is itching to show up PSAC with "creative" pressure tactics to win better wages and working conditions.
A prison is like no other workplace, and the guards' most effective tool is a work-to-rule campaign. Inmates are dependent on the guard's assistance for almost everything, and the slightest disruption to routine, such as delayed meals or classes, could cause tension. Off-duty guards who set up picket lines could delay all deliveries, or slow down the mounds of paperwork that is needed for anything from a family visit to a transfer to day parole.
To further complicate matters, the government made an administrative error that could open the door for guards to strike. Guards are typically deemed "essential" workers and cannot legally strike. Treasury Board, however, seems to have missed the deadline to designate about 600 guards as essential, which means they can legally strike for the first time in history.
The tension between PSAC and some guards has been simmering for years. Guards have long tended to be more militant than other federal workers and they have long felt PSAC was too "large, bureaucratic, and generic" to represent the specific needs of guards, said Mr. Langlois. They also feel that PSAC should have used tougher more militant tactics to press the government for a better deal during the 20 months of negotiations.
The bad blood between PSAC and guards came to head at a demonstration in January when a group of angry guards, protesting the latest contract offer negotiated by PSAC, kicked and punched Daryl Bean, PSAC president, when he arrived for work.
Then a group of dissident guards organized a highly effective campaign to overthrow that deal, which also opened the door for an organizing drive. A union can only raid another during the period between the expiration of a contract and signing of a new one.
Mr. Bean said he doesn't condone such action, but he has put that incident behind him and will try and get a better deal at conciliation. He says guards face the same risks and dangers as RCMP but conceded that the government is unlikely to give them wage parity when most public servants got raises of about 2% a year.
"Chronic under staffing of shifts increases the dangers they face and cutbacks have crowded jails to the point that many are powder kegs. To top it off, most of them are paid less than \\$40,000 a year," he said.
Like all federal workers, guards faced a six-year wage freeze, with most earning between \\$29,300 and $42,000. An experienced RCMP constable earns about $53,400 a year and is in line for another 3% increase this year.
In the earlier deal that was rejected, PSAC managed
to negotiate raises worth up to 9% over two years for
about 70% of the guards. Most public servants got about
2% a year, except executives and computer specialists,
who got premiums to ensure they stayed with the
government to handle year 2000 repairs.
From the National Post, March 03, 1999,
written by Kathryn May, Southam News.
There is a similar movement happening in Ontario with
provincial jail guards upset about their representation.
It has grown in popularity and the current contract
negociations and what the final outcome is, will probably
bring this to a head. Meetings have been held throughout
the province and it could just become reality
before long. This website will try to keep abreast of
any new developements and report them here..........
POKO
Crisis Intervention Teams Will Be Very Busy We Expect
Our Coat of Arms Looks Troubled
Mike Harris is truely a humanitarian
Romania will get Ontario castoffs -
Surplus prison uniforms sent as humanitarian aid
By Bob Mitchell
Toronto Star Peel/Halton Bureau Chief -
Inmates in Romanian jails will be wearing Ontario prison
uniforms some time next month.
`We've had a request for humanitarian aid and we're in the
process of collecting surplus uniforms for them,'' Corrections
Services spokesperson Ross Virgo said.
Ontario prisons are currently changing their standard inmate
garb from the two-piece blue uniform to a one-piece bright
orange jumpsuit.
As a result, surplus uniforms are piling up at the storage
area at Milton's Maplehurst Correctional Institute, Virgo said.
Several containers of clothing are expected to be shipped to
the eastern European country during the first week of March.
Virgo said the prison uniforms are desperately needed in
Romanian jails.
``These prisoners are apparently facing a very harsh winter
with very few blankets and clothing,'' Virgo said.
The province initially received a request for clothing for
survivors of hurricane-ravaged Honduras, but the request was
never followed up.
``That's too bad because it would have been good for them,''
Virgo said. ``We will entertain requests from any agency
representing a needy cause.''
Some of the clothing being shipped to Romania normally
would be destroyed or discarded, Virgo said.
This committee is ashamed - all this time we were convinced that
Mike Harris, Bob Runciman and Ross Virgo were NOT
humanitarians. Sorry fellers!
Prison Riots Elsewhere in Canada
MONTREAL (CP) -Quebec’s security minister downplayed the
weekend riot at Bordeaux provincial jail after he inspected the
damage on Monday. Serge Menard said the disturbance would have
flared into a full-fledged riot had it taken place 10 years ago
before renovations to improve living conditions at the aging jail.
"The vandalism took place in one section, so it was isolated," he
told reporters after a three-hour visit to the prison.
"The vandalism was checked, it never spread to other parts of the
prison. "
About 21 prisoners smashed through walls, ripped down shelves and
broke water pipes in one block Saturday night. There were no
injuries.
Menard met with prison officials and a representative of the guards’
union. He also said he spoke with some of 900 prisoners.
It’s believed the disturbance is related to a failed drug
delivery.
Two sandwich-sized bags of hashish and marijuana were discovered
between the two walls that encircle the prison courtyard, as if
someone had tried to throw the bags into the courtyard.
Menard said the rioters were able to smash holes through the
cement cell walls reinforced with metal bars by locating weak
points in the renovated areas.
He said no prison can be made to withstand determined attacks
by prisoners.
"Inmates find ways of ways of destroying even the most solid
of prisons," he said.
He said the prisoners at the damaged block were known for their
"negative leadership."
He described the block as "a unit with people with whom there
were more problems than with the others."
Provincial police have opened an inquiry into the disturbance
and charges will be brought against participants, Menard said.
He said renovations to the jail done in 1993 cost about \\$9
million. He would not put a dollar figure on the damage. But
he did say the vandalized block, which can house up to 29
prisoners, will be repaired.
Daniel Legault, a union official representing 400 Bordeaux
guards, said there is concern over the solidity of renovations
done around the same time at other jails in the province.
Menard said his chat with prisoners made him think that life
at Bordeaux was not as horrible as described in a hard-hitting
report by the provincial ombudsman on the corrections system.
Daniel Jacoby’s report, made public two weeks ago, painted a
system on the brink of a crisis, with rampant drug use and
dangerous overcrowding.
Jacoby said \\$40 million to $60 million in drugs circulate annually
in the prisons.
He said the rise in drug use behind bars is an offshoot of jailing
members of the Hells Angels and Rock Machine biker gangs. The gangs
are waging a bloody turf war over Quebec’s drug trade.
His report also said that Bordeaux is one of two Quebec jails that
have the worst crowding of the province’s 17 detention centres.
Menard said the report was a good one and would help in setting a
framework for transforming the prison system.
Prison Riots in The United States - private prisons
Investigators keeping quiet on prison riot........
Too early to announce blame, official says.....
The life of Clint Farrell, a correctional officer at the
Brantford Jail was celebrated Feb 8th after his recent passing. A large
group of family, friends and co-workers attended the Dennis Toll
Funeral Home in Brantford Ontario to say our final goodbyes.
Clint will not be soon forgotten.
Tuesday 16 February 1999 - Hamilton Newspaper
- MPPs should be back at work
Premier Mike Harris isn't doing the people of Ontario
any favours by refusing to call the provincial legislature
back to business. Ontarians will be better served if the
provincial parliament is up and running, not only to tackle
pressing issues but also to allow voters to rate the
performance of the three political parties in an expected
election year. Three months of inactivity at the legislature
might suit the ruling Conservatives, but there are many
reasons why it's not in the public interest.
Some much-needed legislation -- including an overdue law to
give the Children's Aid Society more power to assist
children at risk of abuse -- died on the order paper when
the politicians closed shop on Dec. 17. The House isn't
scheduled to resume until March 22. A political hibernation
of that length is hard to justify. Concerns are growing
about the government's handling of issues that affect
people, ranging from the health care system to the
protection of vulnerable children.
There's added reason for worry this year. Worthwhile
legislation might not be passed if, as expected, the
Tories call a spring election and the House is quickly
dissolved. The government's priorities will likely be a
Throne Speech, followed by a budget, then an election call.
As the partisan atmosphere in the House becomes more heated,
it will be more difficult to promote co-operation among MPPs
to pass legislation that has broad support.
The child protection bill definitely falls into that
category. It's a major step forward in giving Children's
Aid Society workers more power to act when children are in
danger. The bill, putting child protection ahead of the
autonomy of parents, should have been law by now. It might
well have made a difference in helping CAS workers reduce
the toll of deaths and abuse among children in recent years.
With all three parties saying they're agreeable to speedy
passage of the child protection bill, there is hope that it
will pass when the House finally resumes. But
non-partisanship is a rarity at the legislature. There are
no guarantees about child protection legislation or anything
else. The parties disagree as to whether public hearings are
needed on the bill. In any event, it would be easier to pass the child protection bill if MPPs had more time to concentrate on the government's legislative agenda as opposed to being swept up in the crass partisanship of an election.
MPPs should also be working on other legislation that fell
by the wayside in December. The list includes a bill to
strengthen the wine industry with government-sanctioned
standards to protect the quality of Ontario wines. The bill
would enable Ontario wine exporters to satisfy new quality
requirements by the European Union, to take effect on
April 1. Another bill would improve consumer protection,
in part by cracking down on door-to-door salespeople and
consumer lenders. The Tories should also take action,
sooner rather than later, to improve the weak bill they
unveiled last fall to help disabled people.
If there are any advantages for the public to keeping the
legislature in limbo, let's hear them. Harris' strategy is
a bust for the voters, and perhaps for the Conservative
party too. By not advancing the spring session, Harris
could be perceived as trying to hide from the opposition.
That's not a good impression to create going into an
election.
Could this mean a Liberal or NDP Government will follow?
Something I received from an American Fellow Officer
When the Lord was creating Corrections Officers, he was into his sixth day of
overtime when an angel appeared and said, "You're doing a lot of fiddling
around on this one."
And the Lord said, " Have you read the spec on this order? A corrections
officer has to be able to run five miles through dormitorys and cellblocks in
the dark, scale walls, enter locker boxes the health inspector wouldn't touch,
and not wrinkle his uniform. " He has to be able to sit in a the oldest
vehicle left in the fleet without heat or air conditioning all day on the
fence, walk the tuffest beat in town 24 hours a day 7days a week, has to
stand their ground everyday and not break the rules (protect and serve) but
then be judged by anyone and everyone who wouldn't do the job if they had and
testify in court on the job they did do the next day.
"He has to be in top physical condition at all times, running on black coffee
and half-eaten meals. And he has to have six pairs of hands. " The angel
shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands ... no way." "It's not
the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord, "it's the three pairs
of eyes an officer has to have."
"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel. The Lord nodded. One pair
that sees through a bulge in a pocket before he asks, "May I see what's in
there, sir?" (When he already knows and wishes he'd taken that accounting
job.) " Another pair here in the side of his head for his partners' safety.
And another pair of eyes here in front that can look reassuringly at a
bleeding victim and say, 'You'll be all right, when he knows it isn't so. "
"Lord," said the angel, touching his sleeve, "rest and work on this tomorrow."
"I can't," said the Lord, "I already have a model that can talk a 250 pound
unruley inmate to the lock down without incident and feed a family of five on
a civil service paycheck." The angel circled the model of the peace officer
very slowly, "Can it think?" she asked.
"You bet," said the Lord. " It can tell you the elements of a hundred crimes;
recite it post orders in its sleep; detain, investigate, search, and issue a
court ticket on a gang member on the compound in less time than it takes 3
person rib court to debate the legality of the ticket ... and still it keeps
its sense of humor. This officer also has phenomenal personal control. He
can deal with dorm scenes painted in hell, coax a confession from a group of
fighter, comfort a murder victim's family who calls in complaining about the
inmates rights, and then read in the daily paper how corrections officers are
not sensitive to the rights of convited criminals . "
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the
corrections officer. "There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you
were trying to put too much into this model."
"That's not a leak," said the lord, "it's a tear."
"What's the tear for?" asked the angel.
"It's for bottled-up emotions, for fallen comrades, for commitment to that
funny piece of cloth called the American flag, for justice." "You're a
genius," said the angel. The Lord looked somber.
"I didn't put it there," he said.
Unknown
Breaking News from The United States - it should be noted
that Mike Harris's MegaJails take on the American design as
talked about below, however there are no gun turrets. All
inmate activity will be videotaped - there will not be enough
staff available to deal with prisoners fighting with eachother
or assaulting staff members.
good news that inmates will not be shot at....bad news that
an innocent inmate can be attacked by another inmate and the
institution holding him cannot stop the fight......
Sussex - inmate wounded by guard / Shotgun blast was
not preceded by warning shot
Tuesday, February 23, 1999
BY FRANK GREEN ....
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
An inmate at the new Sussex I State Prison was hit
and wounded by a shotgun blast fired Sunday by a
correctional officer who failed to fire
a warning shot as required by policy of the Virginia
Department of Corrections.
The incident was the most serious in a series of
shootings at the maximum-security prison during the
weekend and yesterday, when two other inmates were shot,
but not seriously injured, with rubber pellets.
The inmate wounded by birdshot Sunday was Kevin Ogburn,
33, of Richmond, serving a 32-year sentence for robberies
and firearms violations. He was listed in satisfactory
condition yesterday at Southside Regional Medical Center
in Petersburg, a spokeswoman said.
A correctional officer in the hospital room with him
yesterday said the inmate was not allowed to take phone
calls.
Meanwhile, gunfire continued at the prison yesterday.
Two shots were heard over the phone as an inmate in a
housing area spoke with a Times-Dispatch reporter. The
second shot was a so-called "stinger" round of rubber
pellets that hit two inmates the department said were
disobeying an order.
The inmate on the phone said the prison had been on
lockdown from Feb. 1 until Saturday.
When the lockdown was over, inmates discovered new
"red lines"
marking prohibited areas had been painted on the ground
around the mess hall exits where Sunday's shooting occurred.
The new lines, he claimed, had caused a great deal of
confusion.
Officials confirmed the lockdown dates and that new red
lines had been painted. The lines, however, had not created
confusion, said Larry Traylor, spokesman for the
department. Instead, it appears inmates are bent on testing
the system in a new prison, he said.
Traylor said a warning shot had been fired Saturday at
Sussex I, and the inmate complied with the officer's order.
Another warning shot was fired Sunday, and that inmate
complied with the order, he said.
In a second incident on Sunday, the inmate was shot without
a warning shot. Traylor said the wounding occurred about
1:30 p.m. outside an exit from one of the mess halls.
A correctional officer, posted on a catwalk overlooking
the mess hall exit, warned an inmate to leave a restricted
area. "The officer then fired his shotgun after the inmate
failed to comply," Traylor said. The inmate was struck by
No. 8 birdshot, he said.
The inmate was examined by the prison medical staff and
then taken to the hospital, Traylor said.
Traylor said department policy calls for the firing of a
warning round in cases where an inmate fails to obey an
order. Department investigators are trying to determine
why no warning shot was fired in this case, he said.
The officer who fired the shot, and whose identity was
not released, is on administrative leave while the
investigation continues.
A Sussex I inmate was on the phone with a reporter
yesterday from a day room when he said he noticed an
officer preparing to fire a weapon. He said: "She got
the gun pointed out now, just listen. Hold up, she's got
the gun pointed out." Just then there was a gunshot.
"They be doing it just for the hell of it. . . .
She getting ready to do it again. She just put the round
in it. The gun jammed. She just put ammo in it, she's
getting ready to shoot again, [another gunshot is heard]
there it goes," he said.
Traylor confirmed the two shots were fired when two inmates
disobeyed an order to come down from the upper tier to the
day room floor for recreation. A warning shot was fired,
followed by another verbal warning, and they still refused
to obey the order.
A stinger round was then fired, hitting the two inmates.
Their injuries were minor, said Traylor.
Traylor noted the shootings were prompted when a nearby
inmate was on the phone with a reporter.
The 704-cell, 1,121-inmate, \\$74.5 million prison near
Waverly began receiving its first inmates last April.
The prison has four guard towers, staffed with officers
armed with rifles and shotguns, outside the double fencing
that is topped with razor wire. An armed officer also
patrols from a catwalk on the roof of the support building
where the dining halls are located.
The cells are arranged around 16 day rooms. Officers can
watch the entire day room and two tiers of 44 cells from
a computer-operated control room. Officers inside the
control room are armed with shotguns that fire bird shot
and rubber pellets.
An armed officer also watches the two dining halls from a
gun port inside the support building.
Human Rights Watch, a private organization that monitors
the observance of internationally recognized human rights,
is investigating an unusual amount of gunfire at the new
Red Onion State Prison, near Pound, the only "super-max"
facility now operating in the state. Jamie Fellner,
associate counsel with the New York-based Watch group,
is to meet tomorrow with Department of Corrections officials
in Richmond.
At least 28 gunshots have been fired and three inmates
have been hit by rubber pellets at Red Onion since that
prison opened in August, according to Corrections
Department figures. Before last weekend, Sussex had
reported four shooting incidents. Those were the only
two facilities where shots were reported fired last year.
The department runs more than 40 correctional facilities
throughout the state.
