The new Edmonton Remand Centre is billed as the largest and most technologically advanced correctional facility in Canada, but the prison’s image has been marred by a widespread wildcat strike.
Correctional employees walked out over what they called unsafe working conditions.
The strike, which began Apr. 26, expanded Monday to include Alberta sheriffs and some provincial court clerks who joined the picket line in a sympathy strike.
The new Edmonton Remand Centre cost $580 million to build and sits on a 16 hectare site (the size of 27 CFL football fields). It can house roughly two thousand inmates. The new security Centre replaces the 33-year-old facility in Edmonton’s downtown and is expected to be operating at full capacity by the spring of 2014.
“The new Edmonton Remand Centre reflects this government’s commitment to safe communities for Albertans,” said Jonathan Denis, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, in a statement. “It will ease inmate overcrowding across the province and keep suspected criminals behind bars while awaiting trial.”
The new facility boasts several technologically advanced features, including 1,500 additional security cameras, and 53 video court arraignment facilities located onsite, an increase of 43 at the former remand centre.
The facility has also given inmates greater access to connect with friends and family. Sixty public video visitation booths at an off-site facility allow inmates to connect with friends and family through video conference.
The structural design of the Edmonton Remand Centre is built around a direct supervision system to increase facility security. Correctional peace officers are stationed inside living units to maintain direct and frequent contact with inmates.
Remand facilities or detention centres, unlike prisons, are “odd places” said Catherine Latimer, executive director of the John Howard Society. “They hold a mix of people awaiting trial and others who have been convicted.”
The John Howard Society is an advocacy group working to understand respond to problems within Canada’s criminal justice system.
“The research in the U.S. is that this system breaks down barriers between officers and inmates,” said Latimer. “The open concept design is supposed to be a safer for corrections officers and inmates.”
Latimer said larger remand centres are a better alternative to the double-bunking and crowding that happens at man Canadian correction facilities.
Correction officers in Edmonton have taken issue with the prison’s design system citing safety concerns.
The walkout began Friday after two guards were suspended for allegedly complaining about health and safety concerns.
Todd Ross, one of the correctional peace officers suspended, sent an email to Edmonton Remand Centre executive director Mike Tholenaer outlining security concerns.
“Staff are being injured, intimidated and resigning faster than you can replace them,” wrote Ross. “You have failed to listen to your management team and the line staff concerns.”
By comparison, the new Edmonton Remand Centre is almost three times larger than Ontario’s largest detention centre.
The Toronto West Detention Centre has a capacity of 631 according to Correctional Services Canada compared to the Edmonton Remand Centre which can house up to 1,937 inmates.
Monday the Alberta Labour Relations Board fined the AUPE $100,000 for ignoring a back-to-work order issued Saturday.
According to the government, the strike is costing the province $1.2 million dollars a day as RCMP, Edmonton and Calgary police are stepping in as temporary correction officers.
-With files from Emily Mertz
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