Correction Service of Canada says in response to a report released today about the fatal 2016 riot at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary that they are continuing to integrate lessons learned from this event to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
There were 185 prisoners involved in the riot on December 14th, almost 2 years ago.
One prisoner died and 8 were injured when inmates barricaded themselves from correctional officers, seriously damaging a number of cells, ripping out beds and heating registers and smashing lights leaving a large part of the Prince Albert institution uninhabitable.
Correctional Investigator Ivan Zinger’s report says that Correctional Services shouldn’t investigate itself when there is a riot, a death or suicide in solitary confinement or a death following forceful intervention.
The internal report concluded the riot was random and unforeseen, but Zinger says there were food shortages and quality issues which were contributing factors.
Commissioner Anne Kelly says they deal with operational realities, but believe they are making progress.
There has been a steady decline in the prison population and an increase in the number of offenders being managed safely in the community.