Maplehurst reports virus outbreaks among inmates, staff

Guards’ union president urges more transparency about where cases occur

Weeks after COVID-19 swept through the Toronto South Detention Centre, jails in Milton and Thunder Bay are reporting several positive inmate and staff cases.

As of the latest available numbers from last week there were 14 inmate cases at the Thunder Bay jail.

As of Saturday, at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, there were four inmate cases and five staff cases, prompting staff concerns about unsafe work conditions, inadequate PPE and a lack of contact tracing to prevent further spread within the workplace and community.

According a message sent out by the union on Monday seen by the Star, the case count had grown to seven inmates and eight staff, the majority tied to a single unit.

In an interview Sunday, Peter Figliola, the president of Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 234, which represents correctional officers at Maplehurst, said there needs to be more transparency about where the positive cases are so that appropriate contact tracing and self-isolation can occur.

“The biggest way to fight this battle is sharing information,” Figliola said.

Figliola said he was very concerned that Halton Public Health had not yet declared the jail to have an outbreak, which could help speed up test results.

As of Monday, an outbreak number to expedite testing had been assigned, according to a message sent out by the union.

“Halton Region Public Health is aware of several cases at the facility. The investigation is ongoing and an outbreak has not been declared as yet,” said a spokesperson for Halton in an email.

The second wave has brought several outbreaks to prisons and jails across Canada. In Ontario, the Joyceville Institution in Kingston reported 80 cases and currently has seven active positive cases. The Toronto South Detention Centre saw a high of 61 cases, which resulted in some positive inmates being held in segregation units because the medical unit was full.

At a recent bail hearing, the jail’s deputy superintendent, John Marchand, testified that after reviewing hundreds of hours of video it was determined the outbreak began through a staff member who did not wear PPE correctly and had close contact with several inmates.

Advocates have urged the federal and provincial governments to vaccinate inmates and staff as soon as possible, noting how fast the virus can spread through the institutions and into the community, and the vulnerability of the population.

The federal government has announced it will be vaccinating 600 elderly and vulnerable prisoners. The Ontario government has released no information on when inmates and correctional officers can expect to be vaccinated.