
The Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre.
The Vice president of Corrections and Sheriff Services at the BCGEU says the level of violence has gotten worse inside the province’s jails.
Dean Purdy was speaking on NL Newsday, where he says just last month at the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre (KRCC), an inmate sucker-punched a correctional’s officer, while injuring a second who was also responding.
“It’s not going away,” he said. “The last five years at KRCC, we’ve seen an average of 16.4 assault on CO’s. We’re in line to pass that because we’re already at 14 for 2019. These two assaults, both of those officers are still off.”
Earlier this year, Purdy told NL that there was a record 26 reported assaults on jail staff last year in Kamloops.
And to help raise awareness about the issue, officers will be holding a rally outside the KRCC at noon tomorrow.
“Try and bring awareness to the increase in violence, changes in how inmates are kept in segregation and the need to support our officers who through the course of their duties have to use force to control the situation,” Purdy said. “You know inmates who might be acting out.”
He says despite the increase in violence over the last five years, there has been a lack of support from the Corrections Branch.
“It’s just a matter of time before one of our members gets killed on the job,” Purdy added. “Inmate over-crowding and double-bunking are serious safety issues that increase the threat to staff safety, but we still haven’t seen much movement by management on this issue.”
The BCGEU estimates that prior to 2001, the inmate-to-staff ratio in BC’s correctional facilities was 20:1. They now allege it is as high as 72:1.
Purdy also previously told NL that he has met with Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth to discuss measures that can be taken to reduce violence in jail.