It's Time to Move Forward on the Dauphin Jail
Oct 14, 2016
This summer I had the opportunity to visit a number of MGEU members’ workplaces as part of Public Services Week - one of those places was the Dauphin Correctional Centre. As officers took me around the facility it was more apparent than ever before that the needs of this jail have simply outgrown its space and there remain major safety concerns.
Coincidentally, the day before I visited with members at the Dauphin Correction Centre the future of a new facility in Dauphin was brought up by our law makers in the Manitoba Legislature. When directly asked about the future of the new replacement jail, Manitoba’s new Justice Minister said, “We're conducting an overall review of capital projects in Manitoba.” You can view the whole exchange here.This comment is both concerning and alarming. Our correctional facilities across this province have been struggling with overcrowding issues for years. We’re at about 120% capacity. We have triple bunking going on and officers pulling numerous double shifts to ensure the safety of the inmates and our members is not compromised.
The construction of the new replacement correctional facility was a recommendation of the Adult Corrections Capacity Review Committee that was formed in June 2011. That report had eight recommendations to help in the future planning of the justice system and specifically stated that: “The Dauphin Correctional Centre is well beyond its structural usefulness, and needs to be replaced.”
On September 14, Manitoba’s new justice minister shared on twitter that she toured the Dauphin Correctional Centre. The MGEU is hopeful that tour was an eye opening experience. We strongly urge the new government to proceed with the new jail to address safety and overcrowding concerns. It’s only a matter of time before someone is going to get hurt.
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