Pine Grove Correctional Centre is located on the northeast edge of Prince Albert. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Corrections

Over 500 complaints made this year by Pine Grove inmates, ministry confirms

Dec 21, 2022 | 5:23 PM

Over the course of 11 months this year, there have been 512 formal complaints issued by inmates at the Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert.

That’s according to information provided to paNOW by the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety.

In comparison, the Prince Albert Correctional Centre received 114 formal offender complaints between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30.

Within the statement provided by the Ministry, they explain all complaints receive a written response from personnel within the correctional facility, but added the complaints are not tracked/recorded as founded or unfounded.

The Ministry also provided a website link for the Inmate Complaint Resolution process.

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The alleged issues related to conditions at Pine Grove have been brought to light in recent months by inmate Faith Eagle, who is staging a hunger strike to protest what she claims is racism in the justice system and poor living conditions at the facility.

She claims that while she did initially seek solutions via formal channels at Pine Grove, she ultimately found the complaint process ineffective and felt that more drastic action was necessary in order to have the prisoners’ concerns heard and addressed.

Eagle has been on remand for the greater part of the year, and her charges, which include aggravated assault and unlawful confinement, were spoken to earlier this week at Saskatoon Provincial Court. The matters were adjourned to February while Eagle remains in custody.

While living in Saskatoon, Faith Eagle served on the board of STR8 UP, and acted as a spokesperson for the Pleasant Hill Community Association. (gofundme)

Sherri Maier, an inmate advocate believes many of the complaints filed at Pine Grove came from Eagle, but also cited a second inmate who had filed upwards of 50 complaints related to things like health care.

paNOW was provided with examples of other complaint letters, and the issues ranged from placement within the facility, to not being allowed enough recreation time, and just a general feeling of being disrespected by staff.

“I overheard her mocking me to another staff member. Only kids do that,” one woman wrote

Sydney Wouters, acting CEO of the Elizabeth Fry Society spends a lot of time working with the prisoners in Pine Grove and when provided with the complaint numbers, explained there had not been an increase in the number of concerns raised.

“I always encourage if the women are having any issues or concerns, they do a written complaint so that there’s a paper trail. We can follow up more if there’s a paper trail of what their issues are and what the institution has done.”

“It’s remained fairly static. We go in every two weeks to meet with the women on the units,” she said. “It’s been pretty static with how many calls or how many women are reaching out.”

Because she primarily works with women in Pine Grove, Wouters said she can’t compare how the volume of complaints here compares to those received in other women’s institutions in Canada.

She also pointed out that there is a big difference in how incarceration is handled by federal versus provincially run jails.

Response to water quality concerns

Infrastructure within the province’s jails is the responsibility of the Ministry of Sask Builds and Procurement.

In a statement provided for paNOW by the Ministry, consistent with The Waterworks and Sewage Works Regulations, which are regulated by Water Security Agency (WSA) and the Ministry of Environment, water requires testing only after completion, alteration, extension, or repair of water distribution works.

It also requires testing when it is shut off either by a city government or after a water main break when there could be contamination entering the line.

Water testing at Pinegrove Correctional Centre was done Oct. 4, and sent to Saskatchewan Research Council Environmental Analytical Laboratories in Saskatoon on Oct. 5. The results were received on Oct. 12.

“A total of 30 different tests were conducted in the inmate areas. All tests in the inmate areas met the Government of Canada’s standards for drinking water quality,” the Ministry indicated.

Another test in a staff area (non-inmate area) where the water is rarely used was slightly above the acceptable level for copper. Copper was tested there at 2.17mg/L. The acceptable level from the Government of Canada is 2 mg/L.

“This area is at the end of the water line in the Correctional Centre. The line was subsequently flushed to clear any copper residue.”

Response from NDP

In a statement provided for paNOW, Nicole Sarauer, Opposition Critic for Corrections and Policing, said when complaints are raised about conditions in our corrections system, they should be investigated and taken seriously.

“It’s shocking but not surprising this government isn’t tracking whether these complaints are founded or not,” she said.

Sarauer added the NDP shares serious concerns around overcrowding, access to rehabilitative programming and healthcare that have been identified by advocates and the provincial auditor for years.

“With news breaking today that this Sask. Party government sent a woman with an intellectual disability to jail rather than offer her the support she needs shows just how badly this government is failing when it comes to the day-to-day job of governing.”

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell