An official with the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union says the government may be listening to concerns about over-crowding in jails but not enough is being done to correct the problem.
SGEU Vice-President Barry Nowoselski says provincial jails are getting more dangerous for both inmates and staff.
He says this the situation is highlighted in a report released this week that concludes Saskatchewan is one of the most highly strained provincial prison systems in the country housing twice as many inmates as they were designed for.
“The profile of inmates over the last 10 or 15 years has changed drastically,” he says. “You have more violent offenders, so that is a concern especially when you start to double bunk individuals or triple bunk. It can cause some major problems and that is a concern for the members we represent.”
The report on prison over-crowding was written by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Nowoselski says the union is working with justice officials to find solutions.
SGEU represents nearly 3,400 provincial correctional workers.