‘These workers do an incredible job under unbelievably difficult circumstances each and every day, but they have reached a breaking point.’ – Peter Olfert.

Winnipeg (11 June 2010) – Hundreds of Manitoba government employees took to the streets of Winnipeg this week to protest the government’s inaction in dealing with overcrowding at provincial jails, a backlog in dealing with accused offenders on remand and growing caseloads for workers dealing with individuals on probation.

Organizers of the rally, including the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU/NUPGE), say these issues are getting worse, not better, and are having a ripple effect on those working with victims of crime and their families, with at-risk youth, with those involved in trying to manage the judicial system and with those who provide protective services to children.

“These workers do an incredible job under unbelievably difficult circumstances each and every day, but they have reached a breaking point,” says Peter Olfert, MGEU President. “This is no time for temporary fixes and short-term solutions, which has been the government’s solution to the challenges in the justice system. Things have gotten to the point where many of our people are seriously considering exercising their right, under Manitoba law, to refuse unsafe work or are leaving their professions because of stress and workload issues.”

Olfert says numerous dangerous incidents involving gang members incarcerated at Manitoba jails underline the need for substantive changes, including serious uprisings at correctional centres in Brandon, The Pas, Milner Ridge, Headingley, the Remand Centre in Winnipeg, the Manitoba Youth Centre and Agassiz Youth Centre.

“These are examples of the new reality at Manitoba jails, where the onerous task of separating and segregating gang members is now a huge part of the job,” Olfert says.

“It’s a Rubick’s Cube when it comes to separating and segregating gang members and finding space to do this in already outrageously jammed facilities,” he adds. “The added burden is simply unmanageable, and the government’s solution to date has been to jam more people in and cut back on educational and other programs that are meant to rehabilitate individuals so recidivism rates decrease.”

Highest rate in Canada

Olfert says Manitoba has the highest recidivism rate in the country.

“If government doesn’t begin addressing this kind of thing right now, more and more people are going to be affected in our communities through increases in the crime rate, added stresses on families and a heavier reliance on government funded social programs,” he argues.

Employees of the provincial justice department have been lobbying the Province for years to get serious about clearing a huge backlog of inmates on remand. Approximately 70% of inmates at provincial jails now are awaiting trial. Some will have to wait up to 1 1/2 years to have their day in court.

Such inmates are harder to manage, says Pat Gilbertson, MGEU’s corrections component director.

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