More jail time for Regina prison agitator

Angling to have fellow gang members brought onto their unit, a group of inmates at the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre started a riot that ended up costing the jail $55,000.

Far from getting what he asked for, one of the men instead earned himself more time behind bars.

Christopher J. Okabe, 34, pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief during a Monday appearance at Regina Provincial Court. After hearing submissions, Judge Leslie Halliday agreed to hand down the six-month jail sentence jointly proposed by Crown and defence counsel.

The six months will follow the combined 30 months Okabe was already serving on charges that included break and enter, criminal harassment and assault.

Okabe was sentenced in February to a 20-month period for the break-in (10 months was later added for the harassment and assault convictions) and, within days, he was involved in the Feb. 22 riot.

Crown prosecutor Connie Hottinger told the court a group of inmates on Tiers 1 and 2 of Unit 2 were exercising when they simultaneously began breaking off sprinkler heads and smashing windows on the range. During the incident, the men armed themselves with brooms, mops, pails and wheels broken off carts.

When an order for the group to stop went unheeded, the jail’s tactical team was called in for potential use. Shortly after 1 p.m. — about half an hour after the riot began — the men voluntarily locked back up in their cells.

Hottinger said the motive behind the offence was unusual, several inmates having signed a note containing a stated demand that other members of the Saskatchewan Warriors “be put on the same range.”

Though Okabe was among those who signed the note, defence lawyer George Combe told the court his client — said to be remorseful — was not the leader of the group and merely went along with the others.

While the precise amount of physical damage wasn’t stated, Hottinger said the jail was out a total of $55,000, including overtime, that had to be paid to have repairs done.

In addition to the jail term, Okabe was handed a stand-alone restitution order for the damages.

Calling the situation dangerous and volatile, Halliday noted Okabe and his fellow inmates caused “significant chaos within the facility,” adding that Okabe accomplished nothing but adding to his alreadysignificant sentence.

“I’m aware of that,” Okabe replied, glumly.

Several others have been charged and remain before the court.