In the wake of a guard at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility (CNSCF) being stabbed, Justice Minister Ross Landry announced today additional steps to protect the safety and security of staff and inmates.
Staff working at the CNSCF are now required to wear protective vests at all times where there is any chance of contact with an offender, while working in the Burnside facility.
"During the past few days, there have been incidents where our correctional officers have been on the receiving end of violent behaviour exhibited by offenders," Landry says. "In addition to our zero-tolerance approach, mandatory use of protective vests is another appropriate action to lessen the risk of incidents like these from happening again."
The CNSCF is the largest of five provincial facilities and houses the province's most dangerous offenders.
The Justice Department is phasing in the policy. The majority of incidents occur in the north unit. To protect the safety and security of staff, it's now mandatory for those working in this unit to wear protective vests.
The facility's Occupational Health and Safety Committee has been consulted and support the policy change.
Through preliminary results of an internal investigation, a new standardized preliminary incident report and communications training for staff will also be implemented. This will improve the timely, consistent and accurate flow of information from the facility to the department and, ultimately, the public.
"We operate in an environment where criminal investigations and security intelligence can be of a confidential nature," Landry says. "But we also understand the public has a vested interest in the safe operations of our provincial correctional facilities. We want to provide quick, accurate information, whenever we can."
