Moving female inmates to HMP 'the only option,' Andrew Parsons says

Due to a "sharp increase" in inmate numbers at the Correctional Centre for Women in Clarenville, 14 women will be temporarily moved to Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's, Minister of Justice and Public Safety Andrew Parsons says.

"This is the best option that we can come up with right now," Parsons told reporters in St. John's Tuesday. 

The Minister issued a release earlier that day which stated that housing women at HMP is necessary "to ensure the safety and well-being of the inmates and our staff."

We have a lot more options in dealing with overcrowding of male inmates than female inmates.-  Superintendent of prisons Owen Brophy

The women will be moved to an intermittent unit at HMP over the next week or so, "hopefully" for a period of just one to two months, said Parsons. 

According to the minister, the correctional centre in Clarenville has the capacity to hold 26 inmates, but the average daily count during the month of February was 36 women.

In addition to that, he said, "several females were also being regularly held at the St. John's lockup."

Parsons, together with Superintendent of prisons Owen Brophy, told reporters that the decision was made "very rapidly, very recently," over the last couple of weeks as inmate numbers reached a "historical high." 

'There's no way around it'

Brophy said HMP can house 175 inmates, not counting those in its intermittent unit. There are currently 173 male inmates in general populations cells. 

Brophy said men housed in the intermittent unit can be moved elsewhere within HMP, or to another facility altogether — "could be the St. John's city lockup."

Neither Brophy nor Parsons expressed concern over the potential for male overcrowding. 

"We have a lot more options in dealing with overcrowding of male inmates than female inmates," said Brophy. "With female inmates, we only have Clarenville."

According to Brophy, existing staff — 2 people per shift — will be reassigned Monday through Friday to accommodate the additional inmates. 

"We will be able to staff the intermittent department with the resources we have now," he said. 

'Total separation'

Renovations are underway on the intermittent unit to ensure that male and female inmates have no interaction, and "staffing requirements are met."

Brophy said there will be a total separation, "both auditory and visual," between male and female inmates. 

The renovations will allow the women to have a self-contained space with access to their own washrooms, showers, common room, kitchenette and outdoor area.

The Minister said it's not yet known how much it will all cost.

Parsons called it a temporary fix and said women will stay at HMP only when it is absolutely necessary.

"This was the best of the options that presented itself, based on the fact that we've got a place that's full and was a danger to inmates and our staff ... this is a difficult situation."

The Minister said both the John Howard Society and the Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women recognized the need for the move, and "provided valuable input." 

Parsons said there is a growing number of women in prisons across the country, but he doesn't know why that's happening here.