Thunder Bay jail inmate revolt no surprise to lawyer Christopher Watkins

A Thunder Bay lawyer says the province needs to increase staffing at the Thunder Bay jail and offer programming to meet inmates' basic needs.

Christopher Watkins says, if the government wanted to, it could quickly put those short-term solutions in place.

"Why aren't there basic programs for addictions, substance abuse, family violence, parenting, the ability to deal with some religious — whether it's Christianity or First Nations — belief structures?"

• Hostage-taking at jail signals need for transformation, minister says
• Thunder Bay jail on lockdown after hostage-taking
• Thunder Bay corrections officer sent to hospital after hostage incident

Watkins said addressing staffing and programming issues could reduce the type of stress that causes tensions to rise, while the province is dealing with the long-term project of replacing the aging jail.

A corrections worker was taken hostage by inmates at the jail on Monday night.

"A situation like this was never contemplated, but the fact that there was going to be difficulties at the jail did not come as a surprise to me," he continued.

Conditions in the jail are so abysmal that judges give inmates enhanced credit for time served there when they're sentenced for crimes, Watkins added.

Specifically, he said the jail is chronically overcrowded. People often sleep three to a cell, and some sleep on the floors of their cells with blankets.

People also aren't getting yard time. There are no places to use equipment to exercise to burn off stress. There's no programming for addictions, for stress, or to help aboriginal people heal from the effects of abuse or residential school, and there is no access to religious programs or First Nations spiritual programs.

Watkins said he knows of one person who has been housed in the jail for two years, and he's watched that person's level of depression grow dramatically.  He said the individual is not a complainer, but he's noticed him gain weight, and he can see the emotional impact in his eyes.

Conditions are also bad for the people who work in the jail, he said.

Staff members sometimes work too many shifts, back-to-back, and are fatigued.