Two city units put under quarantine

No details given, but inmates allege lack of effort to create social distancing

Two units are under quarantine as a “precautionary measure” at the Saskatoon jail, according to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Corrections and Policing.

The province would not release further details.

Earlier this week, the Justice Ministry declined to specify how many inmates would be considered for release, or whether there were any COVID-19 cases at any provincial jails.

When asked about a total number of confirmed or presumptive cases in provincial correctional facilities, a Ministry of Health spokeswoman said public health officials will not release “this level of detail on cases.”

Long-standing issues of overcrowding and limited access to medical care in jails make the facilities ripe for the “easy spread” for such pathogens as COVID-19, said lawyer Nicholas Blenkinsop, who works with Community Legal Assistance Services For Saskatoon Inner City Inc.

He said inmates face long waits to see doctors. Many have pre-existing health conditions and live in proximity. Blenkinsop supports advocates calling for the release of certain non-violent remand inmates to prevent the spread of the virus in jails.

If COVID-19 spreads to and within jails, inmates returning to the community could carry it with them, he noted.

Inmates feeling supported is an important piece of effective rehabilitation, which in turn supports public safety, he added.

“Virtually all people sentenced to go to jail at some time come back out.”

Benjamin Kedoin, who is on remand at the Saskatoon jail, said it’s only a matter of time before someone contracts the virus and brings it into the facility.

The provincial government has restricted groups gathered in one place to 10 people, so he questions why 30 to 35 people are allowed to congregate in one spot in the jails, he said.

“They say you got to keep two metres away. I got someone on either side of my bed, one metre away.”

Fellow remand inmate “Ziggy” Johnston said he’s concerned about the dorm-like setting in his unit, where 35 people live less than two metres apart.

“I don’t want to risk it,” he said, insisting that he isn’t trying to get out of jail but does not want to get sick.

Both men said they’re in a unit where inmates were quarantined after one claimed to have COVID -19.

Kedoin said he’s concerned about a man brought in late last week who coughed up blood and phlegm on his sheets before being taken to the infirmary and returning wearing a mask.

The man was gone the next day, he said.

“A lot of guys are really worried. There’s a lot of guys who feel helpless.”

Inmates follow the news, and are well aware of what’s happening on the outside, Kedoin said.

“When we see things like the Iranians pardoned prisoners, that makes us wonder how bad did it get over there in order for them to do that? We’re talking about Iran. This is Canada. This is supposed to be the humanitarian country of the world. Why are they not doing anything for us?”

The Justice Ministry announced earlier this week that the public prosecutions office would consider releasing remanded inmates who pose no risk to public safety, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

A Corrections Ministry spokesman said in a emailed statement this week that the province is “working to use existing infrastructure and contingency space” within the jails to create added separation between inmates and staff.

He said inmates may be quarantined and staff are being asked to self-isolate if they have recently travelled, been in close or prolonged contact with someone presumed to have COVID-19 or display symptoms consistent with COVID-19, among other precautionary measures.

Inmates who become ill are typically put in “medical cells” or other isolated areas to reduce the risk of transmission, the spokesman wrote.