Province commits to 20 new officers at Thunder Bay Jail

THUNDER BAY -- While corrections officers are applauding the province’s commitment to increase staffing levels in the Thunder Bay Jail, they say it’s only a first step.

The Ministry of Corrections Services announced 55 new officers across Northern Ontario on Monday, 20 of which will be placed in the Thunder Bay Jail.

“We operate on a 43 person staffing model but when we have seven or eight officers off, a lack of XFT (casual) officers to backfill, we’re already running short all the time,” said correctional officer Mike Lundy.

“These new officers that are going to come, it’s a great first step but it’s not enough.”

In a letter Lundy addressed to Minister of Corrections Yasir Naqvi, he claimed the jail is 60 per cent short-staffed. Lundy called for a transformation of staffing models that would lead to significant increases, including casual staff for flexibility.  .

It also highlighted the need for 24-hour nursing care and increasing the complement of one social worker.     

A Thunder Bay Jail staffing analysis is scheduled for February.

In the meantime, inmates have been under 23-hour-a-day lockdown since a riot and hostage situation tore apart the 90-year-old prison’s top floor on Dec. 7. Officers are requesting sally ports be installed so prisoners can be released one at a time, as to not overwhelm staff.

Ultimately, Lundy maintains a new facility is paramount but he’s focusing on changes he feels need to take place to make the workplace safe.

“The very first, most important thing is a replacement jail,” he said.

“I’m not naive enough to think announcing a replacement jail is going to help everything so we have to function in this building for the next four to five years but definitely the staffing models have to change.”