Riot and Security Issues at Hull Prison

Mélissa Gélinas

During lunch break on March 20, more than a dozen prisoners at the Hull detention centre decided to demonstrate their delinquency by throwing and destroying objects in the lunch area.

An emergency team intervened to restore discipline and order. "There were no injuries, thanks to the officers' rapid response," said Mathieu Lavoie, president of the Quebec Union of Peace Officers in Correctional Services. "This was an area where behavior had been problematic for several days."

The increasing rate of violence in prisons is a reality that is becoming increasingly problematic and, unfortunately, few resources are available to alleviate the situation. "The Superior Court has taken away a lot of power from correctional officers," said Lavoie. "This prevents us from managing a very violent prison population."

Furthermore, security on the premises is also suboptimal. Several drones transport weapons, drugs, and cell phones to inmates. "This is the reality in prisons today," Lavoie explained. "We're calling for intervention tools and taking no action has the effect of encouraging and increasing the trafficking of illegal items and drugs. Although officers are responsible for screening prisoners using X-ray machines, drone activity has increased significantly in recent years.

Given the facility's dilapidated condition, inmates regularly manage to break their cell windows to retrieve their packages. "We've resorted to appealing to the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité au travail (CNESST) and the courts to secure the windows, since the government isn't taking action." According to Lavoie, this problem isn't just affecting Gatineau, but all detention facilities across Quebec.

In addition to this issue, the Hull prison is an outdated facility that needs major investment, particularly in the old section. "There are still barred doors that are no longer compliant," explained Mathieu. "Construction of these stopped over 40 years ago." Solid (closed) doors need to be installed. This prevents objects from being thrown and/or the lock from being tampered with.

On the other hand, according to information gathered from the Quebec Treasury Board Secretariat, the infrastructure will need to be redeveloped and expanded to meet the requirements and the current lack of prison capacity.