Brandon jail grapples with drunk tank regulations

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This article was published 05/01/2018 (3090 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It will be harder to get into the Brandon Correctional Centre (BCC) drunk tank in the near future.

People entering police custody late at night who appear to be intoxicated will soon have to be assessed by a nurse, doctor or paramedic upon admission. Currently, during overnight hours, staff at the jail make that decision without a medical professional. In addition, it appears intoxicated prisoners arrested by rural police detachments with jail cells, such as Virden RCMP, will no longer send prisoners to Brandon.

A spokesperson with the department did not answer a question Thursday about whether BCC would prevent rural police departments with their own jail cells from sending drunk prisoners to Brandon. A Virden RCMP member, however, indicated the detachment must hire more guards to accommodate the influx of people expected to sober up under their watch.

The procedural changes will take effect at the end of January, according to Manitoba Justice.

Police departments around Brandon are worried the requirement of a medical assessment — essentially, a doctor’s note — will stretch the time of working officers too thin.

“There’s no doubt it’s going to add a bit of a frustration level to some of the officers, if too much pressure is put on them or calls start piling up when they’re sitting in a hospital,” Blue Hills RCMP Cpl. Mike Boychuk said, noting BCC is “rightfully” concerned about the medical fitness of any person they admit.

Blue Hills does not have the facilities to lock up the people it arrests. Boychuk said the detachment might have to contact on-call or off-duty members if a significant call arises while other members are tied up in hospital. A Manitoba Justice spokesperson wrote in an email the policy was amended to ensure the health and safety of individuals.

“There are other conditions that mimic intoxication, which is why this assessment is important. This approach to dealing with intoxicated persons is already in place for custody admissions in Winnipeg.”

The spokesperson added a nurse at the jail normally determines medical fitness, but a medical check will soon be required when the individual is not available. Rivers Police Service Chief Bruce Klassen understands BCC’s rationale, he said, but “it’s a burden on an already-stressed medical system and it’s a burden for us, insofar that it’s tying up a member for a longer duration than we’re accustomed to.”

— Brandon Sun