Inmates continue to face abuse in Canadian prisons, Senate committee says

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This article was published 23/06/2021 (1663 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Human rights abuses remain rampant in Canada’s prisons, where greater access to health care and oversight of use of force by staff are urgently needed, says the report from a major Senate study on prisons released this month.

The probe from the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights kicked off four years ago, but had been plagued by delays since 2019, with the final report tabled just last week.

The committee found that far too often, prisoners’ human rights were being violated, as they were subjected to cramped living conditions, poor access to health care, lack of culturally relevant programming, racism, discrimination and excessive use of force by staff.

The COVID-19 pandemic also exacerbated poor conditions, as public health measures led to frequent lockdowns, fewer visits and even further restrictions on programming, the committee noted.

On top of pushing to improve prison conditions, the senators also called on the government to address the overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous people in prison, including by limiting the use of mandatory minimum sentences.

“My sincere hope is that this report will highlight the human rights abuses that are in play, and that there be a commitment to working collectively to address them, to create a more humane system,” said the committee’s deputy chair, Sen. Wanda Thomas Bernard, who was the chair for part of the study.

“Are we warehousing people, or are we rehabilitating?”

Senators, along with MPs and judges, are permitted by law to access any part of a prison, and to speak with any inmate with their consent. The committee visited 28 federal penitentiaries and heard testimony from 155 witnesses, including prisoners.

The committee delivered 71 recommendations, many of them directed at Correctional Service Canada, urging better training for staff, greater use of de-escalation strategies and eliminating solitary confinement.

“For too long, there’s seemingly been a tacit acceptance that whatever happens to people once they’re in prison is their own fault and they have no rights once they’re there,” said committee member Sen. Kim Pate.

Pate is a former executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, which advocates for and supports women in the criminal justice system.

“We will continue those visits to the prisons and continue to publicize what we learn, which I hope will actually continue to push open the doors of prisons to the public,” she said.

Correctional Service Canada said in a statement it is reviewing the 326-page report, saying it has been making changes to health services and also “strives to better understand how to manage and address the needs of vulnerable groups” including women, Indigenous, Black and aging prisoners.

“We are steadfast in our efforts to provide safe environments to support inmates in becoming law-abiding citizens,” the statement said.

The committee heard that “medical needs are going unmet or are inappropriately dealt with,” according to the report, finding that health care professionals are only available on a limited basis. The committee also heard of staff withholding health care “for punitive reasons.”

Visits from dentists have sometimes declined to just once a month, with prisoners stating they were living with serious dental health issues that were making it difficult to eat and sleep, the report said. The committee was told the most common solution was tooth removal.

The committee recommended that doctors be available in the prisons on a full-time basis, and registered nurses and mental health professionals on a 24-hour basis. The committee also recommended an increase in dental care, especially preventative dental care.

A package of recommendations touch on the use of force by staff. The committee called for the creation of “oversight and accountability mechanisms” so that staff “who use disproportionate force are held accountable.” The use of body-worn cameras by staff should also be considered, the committee recommended.

“The committee was alarmed to learn that force is disproportionately used against federally sentenced Indigenous Peoples, federally sentenced Black persons and federally sentenced persons with mental health issues,” the report said.

The executive director of the John Howard Society said the report again shows there is a need “for ongoing independent monitoring” to ensure rights are being respected in the prisons.

Catherine Latimer said some of the recommendations could have gone further, such as calling for the creation of an oversight body for use-of-force incidents.

“The report is an important first step in what I hope will be ongoing vigilance by the Senate Committee on Human Rights on a group of Canadians whose rights are not being respected,” said Latimer, whose organization advocates for a just and humane criminal justice system.

Jacques Gallant is a Toronto-based reporter covering politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @JacquesGallant