BC Corrections says there are about 30 per cent fewer adults behind bars in provincial jails compared to when the COVID-19 pandemic first started.
In a lengthy fact sheet sent to NL News, the province says there were about 2,200 adults in custody in mid-March of 2020, and now are about 1,550 inmates.
The province says jail capacity continues to gradually increase as courts resume normal operations. It says there were as few as 1,400 inmates in provincial prisons in the spring of 2020.
Between March 1, 2020 and Feb. 7, the province granted 509 early releases for inmates serving weekend sentences. There were also 35 inmates serving full sentences who were granted early releases last spring. Early releases for full-time inmates were suspended at the end of June last year.
At the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre, 10 full-time inmates were released early last spring. In the past 11 months, 47 weekend sentences at the jail have ended early.
Of the 10 provincial prisons, four have granted more early releases for intermittent sentences than the KRCC. Those are the Surrey Pretrial Centre (165), the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam (134), the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre in Victoria (56) and the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver (50).
BC Corrections says inmates serving weekend sentences can only be released early if they don’t have any outstanding court dates.
“The assessment for a (temporary absence) considers criminal history, sentence length – typically fewer than 60 days remaining – offence type and any other relevant information, including any underlying health conditions and risk to public safety,” the province says.
“As well, staff consider whether the person would have necessary supports in place, through family or within the community.”
The data does not take into account incidents during the pandemic where the BC Prosecution Service has not pursued convictions against low-level crimes that would result in intermittent sentences. Anecdotally, that has been happening, which was explained by Kamloops mayor Ken Christian during a council meeting earlier this month and has been mentioned publicly several times in recent months by Kamloops city staff.
A full list of early releases at each provincial prison can be seen below. Data is from the Ministry of Public Safety.
Movement Count from March 1, 2020 to February 7, 2021 |
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Correctional Centre (CC) | New admissions | Releases: Bail and/or sentence completion and/or *other | Early release: Straight-Time Sentenced*** | Early release: **Intermittent |
Alouette CC for Women | 443 | 526 | 3 | 11 |
Ford Mountain CC | 0 | 79 | 0 | 0 |
Fraser Regional CC | 61 | 505 | 6 | 0 |
Kamloops Regional CC | 422 | 593 | 10 | 47 |
Nanaimo CC | 11 | 144 | 4 | 28 |
North Fraser Pretrial Centre | 2,193 | 2,059 | 3 | 134 |
Okanagan CC | 639 | 703 | 5 | 50 |
Prince George Regional CC | 1,017 | 935 | 4 | 18 |
Surrey Pretrial Services Centre | 2,091 | 2,077 | 0 | 165 |
Vancouver Island Regional CC | 1,008 | 999 | 0 | 56 |
Total | 7,885 | 8,620 | 35 | 509 |