Inmates allege excessive force at remand centre

Allegations of excessive force against inmates by staff at the Edmonton Remand Centre will be investigated, officials say.

The complaints were made by inmates, Dan Laville, spokesman for Alberta Justice and Solicitor General, said in a statement Tuesday. He did not say how many complaints were received, or when.

About 19 inmates continued Tuesday to refuse to eat their provided meals to protest limited time allowed in common areas outside their cells.

On Sunday, about 55 inmates refused to eat their provided meals. The remand centre serves three meals on what it calls business days — breakfast, lunch and supper. It serves two meals — brunch and supper — on other days.

“They still had access to food from other sources such as canteen purchases,” Laville said in a Monday release.

Alberta Health Services staff were monitoring the inmates’ physical condition, the statement said.

Tensions between guards and inmates have been high over the past few months, with officials imposing a nearly 12-hour lockdown Dec. 15 after “serious assaults on correctional officers.”

One of the resolutions reached to end the lockdown included letting inmates in common areas on a rotating basis only.

The average daily population in 2016-17 was 1,628 inmates.