Inmates strike over conditions at superjail
100 inmates want clean water, fewer lockdowns, books, access to rehab
LINDSAY — A group of around 100 inmates at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay are on a hunger strike, demanding changes at the jail including access to clean drinking water, fewer lockdowns, access to books and rehabilitative programs and clean, hygienic living conditions.
Like all jail inmates in Ontario, they also have not been able to have in-person visits since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March — a measure intended to prevent an outbreak.
The striking inmates are hoping the jail will introduce video visits and allow better access to phone calls to allow them to keep in contact with their families. Access to phone calls is often limited by lockdowns that start at 6:30 p.m., they say, leaving a limited window of time for calling family members outside of working hours and fights among inmates for who can use the phones.
The majority of Ontario’s jail inmates — 71 per cent — have not yet gone to trial and are legally innocent.
A key demand is allowing books to be sent into the facility, as is allowed at other jails. They are also advocating for better access to rehabilitative programs which were not widely available prior to the pandemic, and have since been stopped along with visits.
“We are being treated worse than convicted criminals,” said one of the inmates who organized the strike at the superjail. “We are supposed to be able to better ourselves, there is no room for rehabilitation.”
The inmate, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he has not yet gone to trial, said the inhumane conditions at the jail create a highstress environment that leads to violence.
Lockdowns were already a problem at the institution prior to COVID-19 due to staffing shortages and are now occurring more often. An Ontario auditor-general report released last year found that 56 per cent of the 1,828 instances of institu
tional lockdowns in Central East in 2018 were due to staffing shortages and correctional officers frequently calling in sick.
The report also found there was insufficient effort to provide programming for inmates awaiting trial at the facility, as well as an increasing number of violent incidents.
Sundus Ali, an advocate for improved jail conditions who is helping share the inmate demands, said inmates either have to drink contaminated tap water that tastes like chemicals and causes rashes, or purchase bottled water from the canteen at $1.20 a bottle. This is not an affordable option for many inmates and their weekly canteen allowance is limited to $60, she said. Inmates are also complaining about being forced to eat expired or mouldy food.
“We can’t put our prisoners into a place where they actually end up getting into more trouble because of the conditions,” she said.
Staff at the jail “are engaging with the inmates at Central East Correctional Centre regarding their concerns,” said Kristy Denette, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General. “In response to concerns raised, the ministry can confirm that the water at the correctional facility remains drinkable and inmates are not required to buy bottled water to drink,” she said.
Inmates are also provided three “nutritionally balanced meals plus one snack each day” and are supplied with hygiene products, with more available in the canteen, she said.
While in-person visits remain suspended, jail staff are working on providing more canteen items and more entertainment options, she said. She did not say whether video visits are being considered. Denette said most community agencies and volunteers have not been coming in person during the pandemic but jails are making efforts to work with them to continue programming where possible and to share literature and resources with inmates.
“We would encourage our partner community agencies to reach out to their local correctional institution to discuss ways to continue providing supports if they are unable to make in-person visits,” she said.
She did not respond to a question about whether inmates at the Central East jail are allowed to receive books sent by family and whether there is a lack of programs at the jail compared to other institutions.
According to a list of detailed demands, the striking inmates say they are often not provided with enough clean clothing to last the week and the clothing that is provided may be stained with urine, blood or feces. They say they are receiving a change of bed linens every two months instead of weekly and have limited access to items like nail clippers and hair clippers.
The ministry did not respond to specific questions about this.
“These are things we are already supposed to have,” said the inmate who helped organize the strike.
The inmates are also requesting more televisions to allow for equal viewing access for all inmates, not just the ones with the “penthouse” cells that have a direct view of the screen.