Proposed barbecue raises concerns

Guards’ union has raised repeated concerns

Today, for the first time, all 170 male and female Regional Psychiatric Centre offenders are scheduled to attend a barbecue and “fun day” together, the assistant warden said.

The event is bitterly opposed by the union repre- senting the guards at the RPC, a facility housing all levels of federally-sentenced offenders or “patients” with psychiatric issues. It comes at a time when suicide attempts, attacks on staff, hostage takings and other violence is skyrocketing inside the RPC, according to statistics compiled by the union.

“It’s a recipe for disaster,” said Kevin Grabowsky, regional president for the Union of Canadian Corrections Officers.

RPC assistant warden Lorraine Guay said the male and female patients have never been allowed to mix during her five years working there. But all of the 16 women and 154 men can attend if they choose, she said.

“This is a special event,” Guay said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “This is the first time it’s happened.”

Hotdogs, hamburgers, salad and dessert will be served. Following the meal, the men and women will engage in separate activities such as softball or walks in the prison yard.

Guay wasn’t sure who came up with the idea or exactly why the policy had changed.

“I believe it’s because it’s summertime, just a new initiative,” she said.

No extra guards will be on duty, but various safety measures were put in place, she said. A number of groups, including the unions, were consulted in the planning process, she said.

Grabowsky said guards had been assured the event — originally scheduled for last week — had been cancelled. They are angry it now may be going ahead.

It’s inappropriate to mix the male and female population, Grabowski said. It’s also wrong to mix minimum security patients with unstable sexual and violent offenders, he said.

“At no time is the entire population exposed at once,” Grabowski said. “Opportunity breeds bad behaviour, and there will be too much predator, too much prey.”

In 2005, there were 151 reportable “incidents” at RPC. That ballooned to 697 in 2011.

The union documented dozens of specific incidents which included an “inmate” slashing his own throat with a razor blade, as well as offenders biting, punching and kicking staff. Staff had feces, blood, hot coffee and other “unknown substances” thrown on them. There were also three hostage taking incidents in the past year. Numerous improvised firearms, blades and other weapons were seized.

Grabowski said the union has repeatedly raised concerns about job cuts and other risks to staff and patients. He said there have been “no” improvements.

The situation is about to get even worse, he said. RPC and other prisons will be forced to house inmates from maximum security prisons in Ontario and elsewhere following scheduled federal government cuts.

“That’s a big concern,” he said.