Two corrections workers test positive for COVID-19 in Saskatoon

In a release issued early Friday afternoon, the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union (SGEU) said that two corrections officers in Saskatoon have tested positive for COVID-19.

The union says that raises serious concerns about the safety of workers across the justice system.

“We have been asking the government for a plan for our corrections officers since the pandemic first broke. We are working with government and while they are assuring us they are doing everything they can, we need more transparency,” said SGEU president Bob Bymoen.

“More information is needed and we need clarity on actions being taken. The health and safety of front-line staff must be a top concern.”

The SGEU says overcrowding in correction facilities and close confinement are leading to challenges for corrections workers during the current pandemic.

“Now overcrowding and lack of proper safety equipment means that they are also facing the threat of a serious COVID-19 outbreak. We need action now,” said Bymoen.

He said actions the government must prioritize immediately are:

• Increased testing of inmates, corrections staff and deputy sheriffs;
• Immediate provision of essentials for staff in correctional facilities and courts, such as masks and gloves; and,
• Open and transparent pandemic communication for staff and inmates.

Bymoen added that the current pandemic has demonstrated the vulnerability of Saskatchewan’s correctional centres to disease outbreaks.

The province responds

Later Friday, the Ministry of Corrections and Policing confirmed that two staff members at the jail had tested positive. The ministry said the officers have been directed to self-isolate at home, and the ministry is working with public health authorities to determine with whom the pair may have been in contact.

The ministry said so far no offenders in provincial correctional facilities have been confirmed as having COVID-19.

In a release, the ministry said it is taking steps to mitigate COVID-19 in provincial jails.

Personal protective equipment is being provided to corrections staff and offenders based on criteria established by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Other measures being taken include:

• Restricting the movement and placement of offenders within the facility.
• Suspending or limiting programming to smaller groups of offenders to ensure adequate social distancing.
• Increased communication to staff and offenders about proper hygiene and contagious disease precautions.
• Enhancing cleaning protocols in all facilities for common areas and equipment.
• Thorough and regular handwashing with soap and water by facility staff.

The ministry said it is looking at how to more effectively manage the inmate population in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, and is using existing infrastructure and program space to create additional separation between offenders and staff.