THE BIG HOUSE IS FULL

Inmate Numbers Soar

The inmate population in Saskatchewan's jails is now approaching
twice the original intended capacity of its four adult correctional facilities.

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And with new federal crime legislation likely to go through the House
of Commons this fall, some observers such as the provincial ombudsman
believe the situation is in danger of becoming much worse.

The growth in inmate numbers had been a continuing trend for a number
of years until a slight drop last year. Between 2005 and 2009, the
average daily count of inmates increased from 1,244 to 1,530.

That count dipped to 1,513 in 2010 but at the end of July of this
year, the year-to-date average daily count stood at 1,600.

In contrast, the four provincial correctional centres in Saskatoon,
Regina, Prince Albert and North Battleford are ideally meant to hold
834 inmates.

The provincial government copes with the overcrowding through the use
of temporary dormitories for low-risk offenders, doublebunking and
the annexation of space that is meant to be used for programming to
house inmates instead.

Provincial ombudsman Kevin Fenwick warned in a report just over a
year ago that the overcrowding was a "recipe for disaster" because of
the increased potential of violence and health issues and the
detrimental impact on rehabilitation of reducing programs for
inmates. Nothing has changed his mind since then.

"One of the highest predictors of recidivism for offenders is whether
they have a job when they get out of jail. So providing inmates with
job training, with hands-on useful labour skills when they get out is
the best thing we can do to ensure they don't go back to jail down
the road. Sitting in a cell overcrowded or sitting in a dormitory or
what used to be a classroom does not give you the opportunity for any
kind of skills training to make you a better, more productive member
of society," he said in an interview last week. In the offing this
fall is an omnibus crime bill from the federal Conservative
government that will include measures such as mandatory minimum
sentences for some drug crimes and sexual offences and the
elimination of house arrest as a sentence for certain crimes

The latter measure in particular is likely to have an impact on
Saskatchewan and other provinces because many of those offenders will
likely receive sentences under two years, meaning they will serve
time in a provincial, rather than federal, institution, said Fenwick.

"We see the potential for inmate numbers to go up significantly. It's
something we've discussed as ombudsmen across the country," he said.

Yogi Huyghebaert, the Saskatchewan Party government's minister
responsible for Corrections, Public Safety and Policing, said he
supports the federal legislation and he is not concerned at this
point about a potential influx of new inmates into the system.

Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page has suggested that much of
the financial burden of the Conservatives tough on crime agenda will
fall on the provinces but Huyghebaert said the province isn't looking
to Ottawa to help.

"I'm going to wait and see. I hate to put a fire out until a fire is
started," Huyghebaert said in an interview.

The new measures follow earlier federal legislation, passed last
year, that eliminates two-for-one credit for time served in remand
before trial.

That change also raised concerns about its impact on inmate numbers,
but the government can't quantify whether it has contributed to the increase.

Huyghebaert said he is concerned the high inmate numbers are reducing
programming.

But he is less worried about the prospect of violence related to
overcrowding because of steps taken to enhance the safety of facilities.

"We've updated camera systems, monitoring systems. There's just been
huge, huge improvements within the facilities," he said, citing as
well the adoption of institutional clothing and no-contact visiting
to cut down on drug availability and measures to keep members of
rival gangs separate.

"It's always a concern there's going to be problems, sure, but it's
not a concern of a great deal because of overcrowding."

But Fenwick said more restrictive measures for inmates aren't
conducive to rehabilitation and they may not be effective if the jail
population increases again.

The broader problem, he said, is the overall trend of increased incarceration.

There is little evidence it is effective, noting that crime rates
were on the decline long before the tough on crime legislation was enacted.

The numbers provided by Corrections include inmates serving
intermittent sentences, straight provincial sentences, fine default
warrants and those under federal sentence who have not yet been
transferred to a federal facility. It also includes inmates on
remand, parole suspension or immigration hold.

The numbers have increased from 1,365 in 2007, the year the Sask.
Party took office.