UPDATE: Inmates charged with participating in correctional centre riot

Aug 8, 2017 | 3:00 PM

UPDATE: The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that a disturbance occurred at the correcitonal centre the morning of July 21. Spokesperson Noel Busse said that while the situation escalated after the three men refused to return to their cells, the staff did not lose control of the area. None of the staff members required immediate medical attention following the riot, Busse said, and no serious or structural damage occurred.

Although the public was not informed of the riot at the time, Busse said this is in keeping with Ministry of Justice policy. 

“A media advisory is not issued in this type of situation unless it is determined necessary for reasons of public safety, serving the public interest, or for an offender’s safety,” Busse said. “The primary concern at any of the province’s correctional facilities is the safety and security of staff, inmates, and the facility itself.”

Three men accused of assaulting correctional officers with improvised weapons during a riot at a Prince Albert provincial jail appeared in court this morning.

Conrad Joseph Merasty, Rene Merasty and Jonathon Richard Tremblay are all jointly accused of participating in a riot July 21 at Prince Albert Correctional Centre. They are also charged with forcibly confining two correctional officers, assaulting three officers using weapons, and wilfully damaging property at the correctional centre on the same date.

All three are also accused of participating in an unlawful assembly at the Prince Albert Correctional Centre three days later, July 24.

Crown prosecutor Gail Douglas said she was not aware of any other participants in the violent riot. According to Douglas, the three men allegedly attacked the guards on one of the correctional centre’s ranges, and though they did not take hostages, their actions did prevent two of the guards from leaving the range safely.

Douglas said the trio used a kettle of boiling water, a metal food tray and a mop handle during their attacks on the guards, though no injuries were reported in her file.

This morning all three of the accused rioters appeared in provincial court without lawyers representing them. Tremblay and Rene Merasty appeared over video link from Prince Albert Correctional Centre, while Conrad Merasty appeared on the screen wearing the orange uniform of Regina Correctional Centre. All of their matters were put over to Thursday, Aug. 10 in order to allow the men time to apply for Legal Aid. They will be back in court on that date to make elections and pleas.

Editor’s Note: As this story is still before the courts, commenting is closed.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews