'All Chinese residents of the PRC mainland who enter Canada should be required to pass a test to demonstrate their knowledge of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.'
Can that include a review of the medical experiments being done on the Indians in Canada's north by the Canadian Government for 'outside parties'??
Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator
I. VISIT OF BAFFIN CORRECTIONAL CENTRE
The OCI Investigator met with approximately 30 inmates during his visit,
including 10 inmates who requested individual and confidential interviews. The
Investigator met with correctional officers, managers, institutional health care
staff, and program, classification, and admissions and discharge officers. During
the visit, the OCI also observed interactions between staff and offenders,
including staff responses to two separate security incidents that took place on
March 12, 2013.
Annex A of this report provides a sample of photos taken during the visit.
General Overview
BCC was constructed in 1986. The architecture of this facility is unique
and unconventional for a prison. The building is square and its interior is shaped
as a “U” with the cafeteria in the middle of the institution, housing units for
inmates on one side, and program and service areas on the opposite side. The
main entrance of the institution gives direct access to the administrative offices
and to the control post.
To monitor inmates, correctional officers in the control post must rely
solely on video cameras placed throughout the institution. Correctional officers
communicate through radios with the control post. One officer is assigned to the
admission and discharge sector, which houses two cells.
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The kitchen is small and adjacent to the cafeteria. Two or three inmates
work in the kitchen and prepare most meals with the assistance of institutional
staff.
i. Housing Units
BBC was initially designed to accommodate 41 minimum-security inmates.
In 1996, BCC underwent renovations and the bed capacity was increased to 68.
BCC has been overcrowded for years. At the time of the OCI visit, 106
inmates were housed at BCC. The institution has four separate living units,
described below.
The “Dorm” Unit
The dorm unit has 7 cells housing 6 inmates each. Each dorm cell has
three bunk-beds and a small window. The linoleum flooring in the dorms covers
a cement floor, but is either extensively damaged or has been removed entirely.
The walls are made of drywall and plywood. The cells have no toilets or running
water. The dorm unit has a common room with one television, a few chairs and a
fixed table with 4 attached benches.
The Behavioural Unit
The Behavioral Unit has two single accommodation cells, each housing up
to 3 inmates, and two double cells that house up to four inmates each. The
flooring has been removed completely, exposing the cement floor. Most of the
original drywall has been covered with plywood. In order to place three inmates
in a cell, a single mattress rests on the concrete floor beside a bunk bed.
The “Katak” Unit
The “Katak” unit houses inmates who are in protective custody or are
considered to have mental health needs. There are three cells which house six
inmates each. Three bunk beds are in each cell, but mattresses are added to
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accommodate additional inmates when needed. The cells are equipped with a
small sink, a shower and a toilet. The flooring has been partially removed.
This sector does not have a designated common room.
The Gymnasium
During the visit, 15 inmates were housed in the gymnasium. The
gymnasium was built more recently and is generally clean and modern. There is
no running water in the gymnasium and inmates must share the toilets and
showers of the dorm sector. During the OCI visit, 42 inmates from the dorm unit
and 15 inmates from the gymnasium shared two showers enclosures (two
additional showers enclosures were out of order), two toilets and three urinals.
Most inmates in the gymnasium were provided pre-fabricated plastic
beds, which are typically supplied by governmental agencies in major emergency
situations, such as floods or wild fires. There is one wall-mounted television set
and no tables or chairs in the gymnasium.
iii. Conditions of Confinement and Infrastructure Limitations
As indicated in a letter to NU Corrections dated December 4, 2012, the OCI
reviewed documentation provided by NU Corrections, including a number of
previous assessments and evaluations of BCC. The OCI concluded that the
existing reviews provided a sound evidentiary basis to justify the closure of BCC
and the construction of a new facility or facilities. Nevertheless, the OCI agreed
to conduct a review of BCC’s infrastructure and functionality through a human
rights lens to complement existing assessments and evaluations.
BBC is almost 30 years old and has not been used for what it was originally
designed for. The facility has been grossly overcrowded for many years, and it is
now well past its life expectancy. The current state of disrepair and crowding are
nothing short of appalling, and negatively impacts on both inmates and staff.
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Cells are overcrowded beyond acceptable standards of safe and humane custody.
The overcrowding and inadequate infrastructure has resulted in many problems,
including:
1. Cells are occupied by two, three and four times the occupancy rate
originally intended when BCC was constructed. Using the gymnasium as a
dormitory is also problematic. Many inmates have raised significant
concerns about their personal safety, and many expressed fear of being
physically or sexually assaulted, especially at night or when direct
supervision is limited. This situation is inconsistent with the original design
parameters of BCC. Crowding of inmates – some with violent pasts,
mental health issues, cognitive deficits, and substance abuse histories – is
inconsistent with good correctional practice and violates international
human rights standards.
2. Cells cannot be cleaned with disinfectant as no alternative
accommodation measures exist for this procedure to occur. As a result,
mold is extensive throughout the living units and rank in smell.
3. The available showers and toilets cannot keep up with the current number
of inmates, and cannot be cleaned sufficiently due to the high usage.
Furthermore, the situation is aggravated because the shower and toilet
areas are poorly ventilated, resulting in permanent smell, rot, rust and
mold.
4. All inmates interviewed and many staff complained about the air quality.
The air vents throughout the facility were particularly filthy, and many
were heavily obstructed by dust. The smell of mold is omnipresent in
many cells and parts of the facility. The OCI was unable to ascertain when
the air ducts were last cleaned or the air quality tested.
5. The walls of BCC were originally built with drywall. The use of drywall in
BCC cells and ranges is more consistent with minimum-security
institutions. The drywall has been damaged throughout the facility and
the damaged areas have been replaced, or covered, with plywood.
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Because of repeated flooding incidents, there is extensive damage to the
bottom of walls – paint is peeling, plaster showing or the drywall has been
removed entirely and not replaced. Mold and fungus can flourish in
porous materials like drywall or plywood. These materials are therefore
not used in modern institutions managing higher security inmates.
Damaged drywall, holes in walls and the extensive use of plywood are
inconsistent with sound management of public assets and may have a
negative impact on the integrity of the building in case of fire.
6. Many inmates and some staff complained about the lack of heat in the
facility. Most of inmates complained about the temperature of cells in the
winter, especially during windy days or blizzards. They complained that
cold air makes its way through the poor window seals. Moreover, due to
the lack of bed space, some inmates sleep on mattresses directly on the
cold cement floor.
7. Some cells and the gymnasium have no toilets or running water. During
night time, when inmates are locked-up in their cells or in the gymnasium
(from 23h00 to 07h00), inmates must knock on their cell doors to ask
officers for permission to use the bathroom. This is highly disruptive to
other inmates.
8. Inmates were unanimous about BCC clothing policy. They are required to
wear clothing issued by BCC, which is redistributed among inmates after
each wash. Inmates are not permitted to maintain a second or third
change of clothes. The few washing machines at BCC do not appear to be
of industrial quality. Inmates complained that the clothing is dirty and
smells even after being washed, and they disapprove of the practice of
having to share (often permanently stained) clothing, including socks and
underwear. These are legitimate hygiene concerns that have been
addressed by most modern correctional authorities by providing new
articles of clothing (at least under garments) and individualized laundry
service.
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The above list of deficiencies is extensive and primarily stems from years of
overcrowding in a grossly inadequate infrastructure.
Vinegar and Borax are not rare items, they were intentionally withheld, for years and then the prisoners blamed for the. It is a crime scene and the criminals are in Ottawa and DC and Jerusalem, best get used to it
