Overcrowding in B.C.'s jails was the key issue discussed at a May 17 meeting between the BCGEU and Shirley Bond, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. Representing the union was union president Darryl Walker, Dean Purdy, Chair of Component 1, Dave Vipond, Director and Mike Eso, Staff Representative.

"We have made it clear to the government that the serious overcrowding issues in existing facilities has led to increased tension and violence against correctional officers," said Walker. "While the building of a new jail in the Okanagan will help alleviate some of the overcrowding, there are still overcrowding issues to deal with."

The BCGEU has been raising concerns about overcrowded jails for months and has pointed to other problems in the correctional system.

"The government policy of having one correctional officer working alone in a living unit with 60 inmates is far too dangerous and has to change”, said Purdy.

"The minister has agreed to a tour of one of our correctional centres and to review the policy on officer-to-inmate ratios. She stated that she is concerned with our safety," said Purdy. "The overcrowding and violence in our jails has led to a situation where a correctional officer may be killed, and that cannot happen."

Purdy pointed out that there have been three assaults at jails on correctional officers in the past 24 hours. There have been seven assaults on officers at the maximum security Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre in the past two months, and 76 assaults since 2003. At the maximum security North Fraser Pre-Trial Centre in Port Coquitlam there have been several assaults in the past few months and 37 since 2009.

"We made it clear to the minister that the violence has to end. I am pleased that she has agreed to visit a facility and meet with our members to get first-hand an account of the dangerous situation we face everyday," said Purdy.

Also addressed in the meeting was the impacts of the federal government's "tough on crime"

legislation. Inmate counts in Ontario have gone up by 18 percent as a result of Bill C-25, which eliminated the two-for-one credit while on remand. The numbers are expected to increase in B.C.

"There was a clear recognition by the minister that there is overcrowding in provincial jails," said Walker. "The minister said they were monitoring the situation on a daily basis and acknowledged they are running at 170 percent above capacity and around 200 percent in some of the maximum security jails."

Purdy also expressed concern to the minister about how 26 percent of all inmates have some sort of mental illness.

“This creates some significant challenges for our officers as we have become the default mental health facility for many people and our jails have become the last resort for those with mental illness because of a lack of facilities to help the mentally ill," said Purdy.

Bond also expressed interest in seeing if the federal government had a role to play in funding the system, given that they are making decisions that will increase the number of inmates.

Purdy also raised concerns over the large number of inmates in the "direct supervision model," saying this impacts the ability to supervise the inmates properly. He pointed out to the minister that the North Fraser Pre-Trial Centre currently has staff working alone with up to 60 inmates.

"It would appear that the government has heard our concerns and that we are making some progress. However, there is a long way to go yet," said Walker.

“I was pleased with the meeting and I think it was productive,” said Purdy.