Anxiety mounts as virus spikes at Saskatoon jail

Chantelle Reimer plans to demonstrate outside the Saskatoon Correctional Centre on Tuesday to call attention to conditions inside the jail, the site of a COVID-19 outbreak that has affected about a fifth of the inmates.

Reimer's fiancé, Tyler Magnus, is on remand in an overflow unit. Her anxiety is through the roof during his current incarceration and she's finding it hard to cope, she said.

As of Sunday, Magnus was one of four inmates in the 20-man unit who hadn't tested positive for COVID-19.

In a phone interview, he said the 16 men who tested positive

remained in the unit.

He described having trouble breathing, a dry cough and burning eyes for about a week.

“Everyone had knowledge the second wave would come. They should have been more prepared on their end,” he said.

As of Monday afternoon, 116 inmates and 26 staff were affected, according to the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union (SGEU).

There are now 476 inmates in total at the Saskatoon jail, according to the corrections ministry.

Magnus said there's barely any room to get between bunks without bumping his shoulders against the beds, and air circulation is poor.

He has a bail hearing scheduled at the end of the week, and plans to raise concerns about conditions at the jail in court.

Reimer said her initial plan is to demonstrate outside the jail for one day, but she may return each day until her message is heard.

Inmates in at least two of the jail's units continued a hunger strike into a third day on Sunday, and now want the Saskatchewan ombudsman and/or public health officials to tour the jail and view conditions during the outbreak.

A spokesperson for the Saskatchewan ombudsman couldn't say whether it had received the request, citing confidentiality, but encouraged inmates to contact the office.

By supper on Monday, all inmates were accepting food, according to the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety — which meant the hunger strike had ended.

In a statement sent to media, the ministry said although some inmates in affected units have tested negative, there's potential the virus is still in the incubation stage. For this reason, public health has advised that the movement of inmates between units should be restricted.

The ministry has to ensure that “incompatible offenders” such as members of rival gangs “are not put in a situation where they are more likely to endanger themselves or others,” the statement added.

The ministry said inmates at other institutions who are symptomatic or test positive will continue to be isolated.

An outbreak at the Saskatoon jail was declared on Nov. 17, followed by the Regina jail's isolation unit and the Paul Dojack Youth Centre on Nov. 25.

Inmates are all being provided with masks — a measure that came into effect before a universal masking requirement at jails was included in public health order changes last week.

The SGEU, which represents correctional workers, had asked for “optional accommodations” for staff in COVID-19 isolation, in order to prevent the virus from spreading to their family members.

The ministry said last week that it had no plans to provide that; on Monday, it said informal discussions are underway with the union regarding options that may be available.

On Monday, Premier Scott Moe told media that preparations had been taken by the ministry to ensure there were opportunities to distance when necessary.

He said the virus will get into the places we don't want it when the community transmission rate “sneaks up.”

Moe added Saskatchewan residents have to “bend” the COVID-19 numbers down to protect such places because the “outcomes are just too severe.”

Moe said the province took “very quick action early in this pandemic” at corrections facilities as well as long-term care homes and group homes to limit the number of visitors.

“Unfortunately in Saskatoon, we do have an outbreak. We do have a system that does have a large population in the facilities that we have,” he said.

“This is unfortunate, and I most certainly, not only the minister, ( but) the deputy minister as well as all of those involved, are working closely with public health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority to ensure that we are able to get this under control as quickly as possible and to confine it to the one facility.”