‘We need resources’: North Bay Jail workers highlight inmate violence, overcrowding issues

Correctional officers say overcrowding and a spike in violence at the North Bay Jail have created a crisis. Eric Taschner reports.

Correctional officers at the North Bay Jail are publicly raising the alarm, stating that severe overcrowding and a sharp increase in violence within the facility have created a critical situation demanding immediate government intervention.

Dozens of workers held an informational picket on Monday outside the institution, calling for urgent change and enhanced support from the Ontario government.

Union representatives and staff described an environment where a perceived lack of management support has led to plummeting morale and dangerous working conditions. They assert that the internal climate has deteriorated to a point far beyond routine challenges, becoming a full-blown institutional emergency.

Disturbing trajectory of violence and overcrowding

The data presented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 616 paints a stark picture of escalating danger.

According to their figures, inmate-on-inmate assaults have risen dramatically, from 71 incidents in 2017 to 114 so far in 2024. The threat to staff is similarly worsening; while there were 10 inmate-on-staff assaults in all of 2017, the jail has already recorded 10 such assaults by June 30 of this year.

Furthermore, broader workplace violence incidents encompassing assaults, attempted assaults and threats against staff have increased from 17 in 2017 to 28 in 2024.

Zack Boudreau, OPSEU Local 616 president, explained to CTV News the precarious position of his members are in.

“They tend to assault each other. Sometimes we are caught in the crosshairs when we’re trying to separate them and prevent that violence,” he said.

Boudreau emphasized the need for more investigative resources.

“We need corporals here that can investigate and adjudicate inmate misconduct,” he said.

The crisis is compounded by severe overcrowding. The institution, originally built in the 1930s and rated for 121 inmates, is currently full, often forcing the transfer of individuals to other jails that are also at capacity.

Ontario government points to record investments while union pleads for more infrastructure

In response to the concerns, the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General issued a statement highlighting its financial commitments to the correctional system.

Ministry spokesperson Dakota Moniz pointed to a “$500 million investment to transform and expand correctional facilities to address overcrowding and improve services.”

The statement detailed specific projects, including new facilities in Thunder Bay and Kenora and a plan announced this summer to add “150 new beds through modular builds in Sudbury, Milton and the Niagara region.”

The ministry further noted it is “actively looking at how we can rapidly expand correctional capacity, faster.” Additionally, the government underscored its workforce investments, stating that over “2,900 correctional officers, mental health counsellors and nurses have been hired since 2020” and that they continue to focus on enhancing safety and supporting inmates with complex needs.

However, the union contends that these measures are not sufficient to address the immediate and systemic problems at the aging North Bay Jail. With approximately 100 staff members stationed at the facility, the union reports that recruitment and retention remain difficult due to the intensely stressful and challenging nature of the work environment.

Call for action before tensions boil over

For the correctional workers on the front lines, the combination of archaic infrastructure, rising violence and overcrowding is a recipe for disaster.

Boudreau directly linked the need for federal bail reform with the requirement for provincial capital investment.

“If we are going to have bail reform, we need to have new buildings in order to manage our inmate population,” he said.

Boudreau stressed how bad the conditions of working in a facility that is nearly a century old, stating plainly, “We’re doing business in an institution that was built in the 1930s. We need a newer jail.”

While enhanced screening protocols for both officers and inmates are in place, Boudreau insists they are not enough to counteract the fundamental deficiencies.

Workers told CTV News that they fear that without immediate and concrete action to alleviate these pressures, the already high tensions inside the jail walls could escalate even further, jeopardizing the safety of both staff and inmates in the increasingly volatile environment.