No improvement in corrections challenges: NDP
The NDP critic for corrections said things have not improved since she last toured provincial jails two years ago.
After visiting the Pine Grove and Prince Albert Provincial Correctional Centres Tuesday, Nicole Sarauer said she took no solace in comments made by the ministry of justice in response to last week’s critical report on healthcare behind bars. The report by the provincial auditor released early this month said care for inmates was lacking because of improper medical record keeping, a low rate of staff first-aid certification, and lengthy delays by staff in responding to some health-related inmate complaints. About 30 per cent of the time complaints about medical care were not dealt with within five days, the auditor found.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the province accepts all of the auditor’s recommendations, but Sarauer said she isn’t optimistic.
“My hope is that the auditor’s work shining a public light on these issues will force corrections to take some serious measures, but none of them are new or surprising,” Sarauer told paNOW.