The president of the union representing Saskatchewan jail guards says overcrowding has reached a crisis point in facilities across the province.
Bob Bymoen of the Saskatchewan Government Employee's Union, says two riots at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre at the end of July should be a wake-up call to what happens when too many inmates are put in aging buildings.
Bymoen says his members have serious concerns about overcrowding, especially when bunks are installed in spaces not originally designed to house people.
This, he says, combined with cuts to programs available to inmates, has created a powder keg in provincial jails.
Bymoen says the union has been talking about overcrowding for 10 years to no avail.
"Somebody's going to get hurt, somebody's going to get killed and somebody needs to be responsible when this happens. Because nobody's believing it today and nobody's doing anything about it today," he said.
Bymoen added that workers also need better supports after incidents occur.
"These are highly stressful, highly emotional situations," he said.
(CKOM)
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