Regina jail inmates getting COVID-19 vaccinations

SASKATOON Vaccinations of inmates are underway at the Regina Correctional Centre as the number of COVID-19 cases in the facility continues to rise.

The Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety said in a statement to Postmedia that the Saskatchewan Health Authority began to vaccinate inmates in the “appropriate age bands” on site at the jail on Thursday. According to the earliest numbers, 10 inmates at the jail have been vaccinated.

The ministry said it's working with the Ministry of Health and the SHA to facilitate vaccinations at other correctional centres “as soon as possible.”

This comes as the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union — which represents correctional workers — confirmed that as of Thursday morning, five inmates with COVID -19 had been taken to a hospital in the community. Three inmates were transported on Wednesday and two others earlier in the week.

Minister of Health Paul Merriman said on Thursday that inmates and staff in the correctional centres would be vaccinated when their age category is eligible.

“We just want to make sure that we're guarding our total vaccine supply, making sure that everybody has an opportunity to get a vaccine,” Merriman said.

By Wednesday, 15 inmates — including those from the Regina, Prince Albert and Saskatoon jails, Besnard Lake Correctional Camp and Pine Grove Correctional Centre — were vaccinated through community vaccination sites. The Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety said that before taking an inmate to a community vaccination site, the ministry assesses them for vaccine eligibility and to make sure they pose no public safety risk.

It's also placing new restrictions in the reduced custody facilities in Saskatoon and Regina.

As of Wednesday, COVID -19 cases at the Regina jail reached 135: 115 active cases among inmates and 20 active cases among staff. Cases were identified at two other adult facilities and one youth detention centre.

The John Howard Society of Saskatchewan released a statement Thursday reiterating its call for vaccines for staff and inmates in the province's jails, as well as for the inmate population to be reduced.

“There are currently more people with COVID -19 at Regina Correctional Centre than there are at both of Regina's hospitals combined,” John Howard CEO Shawn Fraser said.

“When it comes to catching COVID -19, working in a prison is one of the most dangerous jobs in Saskatchewan right now.”