Under Wynne, ‘powder keg’ conditions persist in TB jail: NDP

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the Wynne Liberals are leaving staff and inmates at risk by allowing dangerous overcrowding and understaffing conditions to continue at the Thunder Bay District Jail.

“Two years ago, in 2015, a riot resulted in a hostage taking of a correctional officer at the Thunder Bay jail,” said Horwath Monday morning during question period.

“When I was in Thunder Bay last week, I learned that all of the conditions that led to the riot, the hostage taking, and the years-long isolation of Adam Capay still exist at the Thunder Bay jail.”

Staff and community members have been raising alarm bells about the 100-year old facility for years, including ongoing concerns about overcrowding, staff shortages, and inmate treatment. The facility made headlines in 2016 when it was revealed that Adam Capay, an inmate with a history of mental health issues, had been held in solitary confinement for over four years.

“The hundred year old Thunder Bay jail is not designed for the number of inmates that it houses. There are staff shortages, inadequate equipment, and no sign that this Liberal government is doing anything but pushing the problem down the road,” said Horwath.

“How much longer do the correctional officers, staff, and inmates have to continue to struggle in a jail that’s considered a powder keg? When can the people of Thunder Bay expect shovels in the ground on their new facility?”