Time to root out culture of rot at prison

Late Thursday, Correctional Service Canada announced it had fired another two staffers at the Edmonton Institution. That makes a total of six dismissals this month. Of the six, four were managers and two were correctional officers.

There are further disciplinary hearings pending and additional investigations ongoing.

The Edmonton Police Service and the RCMP are also co-operating in a separate, independent investigation into allegations of possible criminal activity at the maximum security men’s prison.

At the same time, Ottawa appointed France Gratton as the new regional deputy commissioner for the Prairie region and appointed Gary Sears as the new warden.

What exactly did these fired employees do? The government is being vague, citing only “allegations of harassment, intimidation and bullying.”

However, for years there have been allegations of sexual harassment of female corrections officers; allegations that guards set up a “fight club” that pitted prisoners against each other; allegations that staff who tried to speak out were threatened, ostracized, or left without backup; and allegations that prisoners were mistreated or neglected.

In 2016, the correctional service hired a Winnipeg human resources consulting firm, TLS Enterprises, to assess working conditions at the Edmonton Institution.

But the public only learned the firm’s damning conclusions when the CBC obtained a copy.

The report described a nightmare Lord of the Flies scenario with a half-dozen bullies intimidating other staff into submission. The report’s authors likened the setup to the 1950s’ horror movie The Blob.

“Many of the people who become part of it are good people but helpless against its power,” wrote the consultants. “How do you get rid of something so allconsuming?”

You start, apparently, by terminating problematic staff, appointing new senior management and calling in the police.

Veronique Rioux, who speaks for Correctional Service Canada, says it has also created a confidential tip line, hired a new director of “workplace renewal” and struck a steering committee of management, union and community representatives to track the situation.

All staff will also be required to complete workshops on workplace violence and workplace respect by March 31.

Will that be enough to clean up this culture of rot?

No one expects the Edmonton Institution to be a resort. The 274 men held at the Max are some of Canada’s most violent, dangerous criminals. Still, it’s supposed to be a place where prisoners are held safely and humanely.

But inmates keep dying. They commit suicide. They die of drug overdoses. They’re victims of homicide. The lawless, toxic, callous environment described in the TLS Enterprises report has made the Edmonton Institution more dangerous for everyone.

It’s essential that we root out and fire the most toxic or negligent corrections officers and managers, of course, and press charges, where warranted. But a culture of rot like this runs deep. It will take more than a few sensitivity training classes and team-building exercises to rebuild a culture of respect and trust, for staff and inmates alike.

The Correctional Service of Canada reports 10 in-custody deaths at the Edmonton Institution between April 1, 2010, and September 2017. Here are 10 deaths we know about:

Aug. 12, 2010: Edward Snowshoe, 24, hanged himself in his cell after spending 162 consecutive days in solitary confinement. A public fatality inquiry found Snowshoe had been forgotten in segregation due to paperwork errors.

Feb. 26, 2011: Gyozo Victor Barasso, 45, was stabbed to death in his cell. Two other inmates pleaded guilty to manslaughter in his death. Aug. 16, 2011: Mason Tex Montgrand, 21, was stabbed to death. Fellow inmate Lance Matthew Regan was charged with first-degree murder. The charge was stayed because of trial delays. Regan alleged guards provoked the fight for their own amusement.

Oct. 11, 2012: Mehari Wodaje, 46, was found unresponsive in his cell. Police determined he’d died of selfinflicted injuries.

July 16, 2013: Jesse Ryan McAdam, 22, was found unresponsive in his cell. No cause of death was ever released. At the time, Correctional Service Canada said it was investigating.

Sept. 26, 2013: Ryan Holteen, 32, died after being beaten and kicked. Four other inmates were convicted in connection with his death. Feb. 28, 2013: Ernest Gordon Strowbridge, 37, died of what appeared to be natural causes. At the time, Correctional Service Canada said it was investigating the death, but that it was unrelated to any prison incident.

Aug. 20, 2015: Ryan William Witvoet, 31, died of a fentanyl overdose. His parents sued, alleging negligence.

May 25, 2016: Jason Croft, 38, was found unresponsive in his cell. Correctional Service Canada said at the time it was reviewing his death.

July 14, 2017: Benedict Ralph Corrigal, 58, was found dead. Correctional Service Canada said it was reviewing the circumstances.