Gov’t cuts inmates’ pay for work, training

Inmates in Saskatchewan will now be paid for completing, rather than attending a program.

But government officials also say there are consistent wait lists for inmates to attend programs and no concerns with them completing the courses.

Dennis Cooley, associate deputy minister of custody, supervision and rehabilitation services for the Ministry of Justice told a provincial committee on Monday: “I don’t think there is a problem with completion.”

On Wednesday, Justice Minister Gord Wyant said that inmates not completing programming “was a problem within our institutions.”

Statistics on completion rates could not be provided, but justice officials say they can vary depending on the type of program and the inmate.

Inmates used to get $3 each day for attending a program. Now they will receive money based on completion.

According to justice officials, completing an employment program earns an inmate $15. If they complete a dedicated substance abuse program, they get $20. A construction preparation course — which runs longer than the substance abuse program — earns an inmate $25.

No money is being made available to increase program offerings or reduce the waitlists.

In a related change, inmates who don’t hold a work assignment, refuse to participate in a work assignment, quit or are fired from a work assignment will now no longer be paid. They used to receive $1 a day.

Those who do have a work assignment will be paid less. They used to make $3 a day, but will now only make $1.

Wyant said there are wait lists for programming and work assignments within correctional facilities, but inmates “should work if they want to get paid.”

The changes are a result of the recent Sask. Party budget and are, according to government officials and Wyant, being done to create an incentive for inmates to complete, rather than simply attend, programming.

It’s a move that will save the government $560,000.

“When expenses for things that inmates use in the facility are quite high, and wages are moved, lowered or outright cancelled, as they’ve done in this budget, it can create quite a bit of tension in the facility and is a concern in terms of safety for the correctional workers,” says NDP justice critic Nicole Sarauer.

She added the province’s argument for making the changes are “quite thin” and says it’s important to have programming available so inmates can learn a “non-criminal way of making money once they are released.”

Another change is seeing a “rebalance” in the number of free calls provided to inmates.

As of May 1, rather than giving three free calls to all remanded offenders and no free calls to sentenced offenders, all inmates will now receive one free call, to anybody, each day.

Beyond that, though, the cost of local calls is going up from $1.35 for 20 minutes to $2.50 for 20 minutes. Long-distance calls are being reduced, from $7.50 for 20 minutes to $2.50 for 20 minutes.

Inmates are also being offered the chance to buy calls in bulk. For $35 a month, they can make two calls a day for 15 days.

Wyant noted inmates being able to communicate with family members can help reduce recidivism rates, but said “there should be some cost to that system.”