In 1997, the Town of Penetanguishene, Ontario, lobbied enthusiastically to be the host of a new provincial jail, envisioning the hundreds of jobs it would create. The town council were delighted that Penetanguishene had been chosen as the new site. But in the fall of 1999, after construction had begun, the Mike Harris government announced they were going to privatize our jail. Management and Training Corporation (MTC) of Utah won the contact to operate our jail named the Central North Correctional Centre (CNCC).
As a life-long resident and neighbour to the jail, I was a little more than concerned as to whom, if not the government, would be accountable for the operation of our jail. At that time, I set out to find out more about this private prison operator. From my research, I was alarmed by the dismal track records of these American private prison companies. I was also appalled at the lack of consideration given by our government to the private prison industries’ record of human rights violations. As a concerned resident, I formed Citizens Against Private Prisons (CAPP), organizing many public forum meetings to inform community leaders and residents of the problems that would occur if we allowed a U.S. private prison company to come into our town.
As the Province of Quebec is contemplating the privatization of one of its jails, I would caution against that decision. These companies mislead governments with the promise of significant cost reductions, but all too often the promised savings turnout to be a mirage. You get what you pay for!
Aside from the issues of safety, quality of care, and cost, society should be concerned about a private prison firm profiting from the removal of a person’s freedom. Incarceration is an integral part of sentencing within our criminal justice system. This function should be under the control of governments, not private prison companies. Prisoners are a public responsibility, not private property.
The events that have occurred at Canada’s first private prison is a disgrace to the standards and values by which most Canadians live.
Studies show that in private prisons, when serious problems occur, the government is obligated to rectify the problem, at the expense of the taxpayers. This type of situation occurred at CNCC on September 19, 2002, when approximately 60 to 100 inmates rioted and attempted to break out of jail. Sixty-three police officers were called in to secure the perimeter of the jail. At 1 am sirens were blaring, dogs were howling, giving warning to our town that something very dangerous was occurring. The inmates were trying to make a statement. Their very basic human rights were being violated. At the top of their complaint list was the lack of food, of medical care and clean clothing. The cost of calling on the police and the repairs to the jail was all paid for by the taxpayers of Ontario, not MTC of Utah—another hidden cost that is not included in the per diem rate. Some people may say: “they are only inmates; they are in jail to be punished.” But if you look beyond that theory, you will realize that we have an American private prison company skimping on food and medical care in order to make profits that will flow south of the border.
There have been many complaints in regards to the health care at CNCC. Dr. Martin McNamara has publicly stated: Having worked in the U.S., I can attest to the fact that the standard of care at the jail is the same as that in the U.S., which is to say it is far below that which is acceptable within the Canadian system. It is the “system” problems that form the crux of my issues. These have never been addressed or acknowledged by the Ministry of Corrections or this American corporation. The public deserves better than this. I cannot stress strongly enough the need for a full, impartial, public inquiry into this project, before another prisoner loses his life. (Midland Free Press, March 7, 2004). Our local hospital and staff are questioning why the emergency ward is treating so many assault victims from CNCC. My research reveals that inmate-on-inmate assaults are 66% higher in private prisons than in public prisons due to the fact they have fewer staff. This leads to another question. Why is MTC allowed to save money by not hiring a sufficient number of staff? Yet our local hospital and taxpayers must bear the burden of the additional costs of the medical care of injured inmates. Due to a medical staffing shortage at CNCC. many inmates are transported to our local hospital for their medical care. I believe this American private prison corporation is taking advantage of the Canadian health care system. Once inmates enter our hospital, the taxpayers pay for their medical care, not the private operator. The excessive assaults in private prisons not only put a strain on hospitals, but also on the courts, law enforcement agencies, firefighters, and ambulance services. Another hidden cost paid for by the taxpayers.
CNCC has been plagued with controversy since it opened in 2001. Jeffery Elliott, a twenty-year-old inmate, suffered a small cut on a finger just days before his release. The cut was improperly treated and neglected. Weeks later he died in a Toronto hospital of catastrophic septic complications. Also, four stabbings occurred within weeks, one causing the death of an inmate. An inmate had a one third of his ear bitten off during an altercation and another inmate had to go with a broken neck for four days before being taken to hospital for medical care. A correctional officer is suffering from head injuries and post-traumatic stress as a result of being beaten by an inmate. His unit was short-staffed and his backup was a new employee who was on her first day on the job. She then left her job for some time due to stress.
A confidential memo, which was prepared for the eyes of CNCC senior management only, detailed a startling admission: It stated that “we are in a situation where, on a regular basis, we are not in compliance with the contract”. The memo also shows there are too few staff to provide proper searches to keep illegal weapons and drugs out of prisoners’ hands and to keep correctional officers safe. This provides evidence that the health and safety of inmates and staff at CNCC is being compromised, which leads to instability within the institution and community.
It is a sad reality that big business is now in control of our country’s political agenda. Instead of the so-called savings and quality of service promised by private operators, studies show that employee wages are low, that the number of escapes is higher, and they are rife with political scandal. Investigators have discovered many of these private prison companies hold inmates past their release dates so the company can collect more per diem dollars. Another hidden cost to the taxpayers.
I hope that the Province of Quebec is not misled by the fragmented claims of these private companies and their lobbyists. Nor should they be fooled by their halo effect where the first experiment will be temporarily attractive. The Province of Alberta was not fooled by the Management and Training Corporation. A provincial task force decided against recommending the privatization of Alberta prison facilities after a tour of CNCC. Alberta officials came away with a sense that the Ontario facility was neither as efficient nor economical as centres now run by the provincial government (Calgary Herald Mon. Sept.30, 2002).
The U.S. Department of Justice issued a scathing report on Management and Training Corporation’s Santa Fe County Adult Detention Centre in New Mexico. Health care, staffing levels, sanitation, fire safety, food services, clothing, and infection control were all criticized. Many of these situations have occurred at CNCC. The events that have occurred at Canada’s first private prison is a disgrace to the standards and values by which most Canadians live. When are governments going to figure out that privatization is not an economic cure-all?
