Inmate-on-Staff Violence and Inmate-on-Inmate Violence:
From Jan. 12, 2017, to June 30, 2017, there were 29 incidents of inmate-on-inmate assaults at the Okanagan Correctional Centre.
From Jan. 12, 2017, to June 30, 2017, there were five incidents of inmate-on-staff assaults at the Okanagan Correctional Centre.
Staff assaults are defined as any violent incident that results in some degree of intentional physical contact or force such as throwing items, spitting, scratching, pushing or hitting. Correctional centres track every incident of violence, including those with no physical contact and those that may result in no or minor injuries.
BC Corrections’ top priority is the safety of its staff, the community and the inmates in its custody. BC Corrections does not tolerate violent incidents – each one is reviewed and, where appropriate, reported to police, and inmates may be charged internally or face criminal charges. Our staffing model is based on flexibility and movement, with inmates housed in living units appropriate to their risk assessments, and staffing levels are set accordingly. Security measures, building designs, information-sharing, good case management and staffing models all contribute to the safe management of inmates and the protection of staff. Correctional officers are supported at all times by other officers, program staff and supervisors present on the living units, as well as by officers in control rooms and through the use of technology.
Contraband (Drugs/Weapons):
Since January 2017, there have been 76 incidents involving contraband drugs and 15 incidents involving contraband weapons at the Okanagan Correctional Centre. These numbers represent all incidents of confirmed and/or suspected contraband, including incidents where contraband was suspected but not necessarily found. Notably, these incidents also represent contraband that has been intercepted before entering the secure perimeter, so they do not reflect the number of times inmates may have had access to drugs and/or weapons.
Source: BC Corrections
Source: Permission granted by Penticton Herald
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